2007 UTMB report
August 26th, 2007 by ScottIn my first running of the Ultra Trail-Tour du Mont-Blanc, I did not produce the result I was hoping for. I withdrew just before half way, noticing early on that I didn’t have the pep in my legs that I usually do at my peak. As each early mile was feeling like an ending mile, I decided to spare my body the torture and call it a day, hopefully sparing it for next month’s Spartathlon. I realized that my legs just didn’t have enough time to recover from last months Hardrock performance.
Mentally I was ready to compete and we couldn’t have asked for better weather, course conditions, or line up of outstanding competitors. But this was a good reminder to me that in spite of this year’s large ambitions, it is best for me to pick one or two key events with enough recovery time in between, as I have in years past, if I wish to perform at my best for these key races.
Nonetheless, what a fantastic experience! I would highly recommend this event for the course is fantastic with its beauty and ruggedness. The support and volunteers along the way are outstanding. The French and other European runners are incredibly strong and talented. And I’m sure anyone who’s run one of our low key ultras in the States would get an extreme thrill out of standing at a starting line with over 2,000 other runners in Chamonix, running through the streets lined with thousands of cheering spectators, into aid stations and through towns with the same. It’s like the Tour de France, a large party out there, literally! It’s an incredible production. The race organizers put on an amazing event! Tons of fun! I hope to come back fresh to experience the rest of the course. And the finish line which runs through the town of Chamonix lined with supporters and people in cafes and restaurants watching through the day and night.
However, although it didn’t affect my race in any way this year as I didn’t have it in me regardless, I did learn a few things about how to run here if I want to be competitive. Many of the French supporters of us runners from the US were very concerned about us not knowing the course. Obviously on any course the more you’ve run on it the better you will perform, but I’m pretty good at studying a profile and previous splits of other runners and getting a general idea of how to strategize. I ran Western States my first year without having run the course, for example. And I’ve learned a lot since then. Not at all as a criticism, but rather as a very important realization if they’ll invite me back for another shot at it, “knowing the course†means “knowing how to make the course the shortest.†I know in mountain running they’ll take the shortest routes as they wish, but the translated race rules said to not cut switchbacks for the sake of the environment. And we were led to believe that the runners were to stay directly on the very well marked course as we would in the States. But what we might call cheating is completely acceptable, going up or going down, and it was obvious that many of the rules we were to follow were pretty lax.
The French runners in the days prior to the race were telling me to be sure to follow some of the runners who “knew the course the best.†At times I was able to follow them, but it’s difficult to run your own race in this fashion. “Knowing the course†is a huge advantage now knowing what is really meant by this. Maybe there is an unwritten rule that the top runners don’t have to adhere to the rules as closely as the others, as evidenced also by the outside aid and pacing of some of the top runners. Cultural difference? Again, no criticism, but just things to take note of if I want to take another shot at it in the future. When in France, do as the French?!
All in all, tons of fun. As always, lots to learn. Going to go cheer in the final competitors during these final few hours of the race and also check out the awards ceremony.
Congrats to Nikki Kimball, who pulled off an outstanding winning performance, to Marco Olmo, the 58 year old overall winner, to all who finished, and to all who took part!
Merci! Au revoir!
August 26th, 2007 at 8:02 am
What an amazing race and one well worth revisiting in the future. It sounds so exciting in the streets of Chamonix (one of my favorite places on the planet) with so much support and recognition from the spectators, what a great experience!
The wisdom of the body is so great, we don’t need to question it. Your Hardrock performance was incredible this year and took a lot. Spartathlon is around the corner and your legs know it!
Keep learning and loving the process… Go Scott!!!
August 26th, 2007 at 9:02 am
Dude, didn’t you learn anything from the Tarahumara?
Remember how they liked to handle switchbacks?
Glad you made it as far as you did unscathed. Sounds like you may want to get a chance to learn some of the secrets of Mount Blanc from veteran runners of the course before you challenge it again.
BFT
August 26th, 2007 at 11:20 am
Thanks to YOU Scott ! and many thanks for coming to france, it is really a great honour.
August 26th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
sorry to hear that things didn’t go as planned over there. interesting to hear the comments about the ways in which “rules” are interpreted. i can see how a situation like that would create a huge advantage for those that “know” the course. i ran a lot of mountain races last summer in which all that needed to happen was for you to get your body to the top of the mountain, and sometimes back down in the quickest manner possible. following any established trail was entirely optional. being new to these courses i found myself constantly losing time to those more familiar with the route. even in short 3-5 mile races i saw this making a big difference. i can imagine it would be huge in a 100 miler with switchbacks.
August 26th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
Great job listening to your body and not trying to beat it death! Interesting about the cultural difference there. Reminded me of college when I won my heat in a mash potato eating contest in the “dorm olympics”. In the final heat, they ran out of mashed potatoes so they used jello. I was furiously spooning jello into my mouth and looked over to see my competitors with the bowl up to their mouths, sucking it down! I lost but learned a lesson.
Okay, it doesn’t compare to a 100 miler, but at some level the lesson is similar. I hope you go back and enjoy the rest of the course!
It is indeed beautiful country there - I hiked some of it (further south) back in 1998, Always wanted to go back!
BTW, are you ever gonna write a cookbook? I got hungry reading the start of your last post.
Good luck at Spartathlon!
August 26th, 2007 at 7:18 pm
That was good to have you as a new “top competitor” on the UTMB. Hope you’ll come back for the next one. Thanks for your positive approach of the race. Absolutely the volonteers and peoples all along the race are very enthusiast and friendly. Nevertheless, I regret that some of the top runners may not respect some basic rules as not taking the shortcut. That was writtent and Catherine Poletti emphisised at the initial briefing.
Congrat to Nikki and Marco, and for all the finishers. Special congratulation to Werner !
S./
August 26th, 2007 at 8:14 pm
Thanks Scott for the quick re-cap on what is was like out there, sounds amazing !!
August 26th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
Merci, Scott, for sharing and more importantly, for lining up on this prestigious event in France (my home country, I now live in CA). Hardrock, UTMB, Spartathlon, what an extreme program!! Following the race through the night, we were all wondering what happened, thanks for the prompt post.
I’m sorry to hear about the pacing story. I thought our sport was clean because not spoiled by the money, like some others (yet?). I’ll try to know more. With so much accessibility and tracking of this race, must be pretty easy to spot, especially with the front runners.
Training on the course in July, I had gathered some tips which I have shared in my UTMB training camp post. You’ll see I was definitely concerned about the extra advantage that the people training on the course had over you guys. As I plan on trying to get in next year, with some other runners from the US (I can help with logistic and translation support), would be great if you share some other tips as well after this year’s edition (poles, hydratation, food, equipment, acclimatation, etc.). When you have time, you must have such a packed schedule…
Thanks again and all the best for Greece,
Jean.
August 27th, 2007 at 6:51 am
Hey Scott, I give you lots of credit for taking the high road w/ your comments on the Euros “interpretation” of the rules. Given that you and Karl and Hal were told to stay on the course in your race instructions, I have no problem flat out saying the Euros course-cutting was just as bad an example of cheating as someone injecting EPO/Testosterone/Etc. (and given the euro cyclists proclivity for those methods, who’s to say some weren’t on them as well this weekend?)…
I think the bottom line is, we’ll need to invite Olmo, Mermoud, Lukas, et al to Hardrock next year and see how they stack up when they have to follow the same course as everyone else. This isn’t to say Olmo isn’t an amazing runner, but it is slightly less amazing when you only have to run 90 miles while your competitors have to run 100.
Good luck in Greece next month!
August 27th, 2007 at 8:20 am
Thank you for writing so thorougly about your experiences. As this race approached I thought about how little time you had to recovery from Hardrock and simply wondered! I’m very glad you enjoyed your adventure and hope Leah did too.
Rest up!
August 27th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
Hello Scott,
I hope you’ll come back next year, you are a big champion, and the UTMB -(and CCC) need to have big competitors like you (not only europeans)
These races are really wonderful, particulary this year with the sun
Good luck for the Spartathlon, and see you next year in Chamonix
José from France
August 27th, 2007 at 8:34 pm
Scott, thanks for the insites, re-focus and go after Spartathlon! Best to Leah, Lisa and Glenn, enjoy beautiful Greece and run strong!
August 27th, 2007 at 9:53 pm
[...] out Scott Jurek’s race report as [...]
August 28th, 2007 at 1:43 am
SSJ,
No shame in living to fight another day, one can only have so many major goals in a year, you have nothing to prove to anyone for your results speak for themselves. I just have this feeling — you’ll be back there, Tour De Force next time…..no stone unturned just to see what’s under the rock. Good luck at Spartathlon, Greece needs our thoughts and prayers.
-CB
August 31st, 2007 at 6:25 am
Hi Scott (and all other runners)
1) I am a french good runner with quite good results, even very far from yours… I am quite popular as I founded a trailrunning equipment brand in Europe, I write a two pages review in th n°1 french running magazine, and I did many aces and know all good runners.
2) Sure that you (and other foreign runners) were welcome here ! All top runners enjoyed you come here, to compete with you and othr US famous runners. You will be welcome again !
But I understand easily that it is not easy to have good results for a first time when you don’t know everything of the race. Even if we know you succeeded abroad like Spartathlon ! It is always easier to run at home than 5.000km far. (for myself I did not finish also !)
3) Everyone here would enjoy to come to run 100miles in US ! Top runners would come without problem ! (I think about that for next year).
4) I do not agree with you on 1 point : about the problem of cutting te path. When I read your text, it is as if runners would go out of the path everytime. And that is not true ! Sometimes yes, but few time. But it does not change the race. And if you are used to go to mountains (what I am sure you are !), you find easily these cuttings. I know Marco Olmo do not that, because you break your legs more when you go stright away. But it is also a small polemic about this in France… So I don’t say you are lying, not at all, I just say it does not change the race, and you could have done this easily. Whatever, I understand it is not easy to understand as it is written in the rules ou should not, and also some parts are marked directly in the grass by organisation (see descent to les Chapieux).
5) comparing this with doping is very ridiculous. Just explain to US runners that it is nothing to win here : no money. We don’t have any professional trailrunners in France : not any ! Everybody has a job to do everyday before. (except Marco Olmo that is now retreated at 59 years old!). This idea of dopage is just a misunderstanding betwen people who don’t know them. In Europe, we don’t understand why you accept pacers for 100 miles, we think it is not equity. It is just different uses for different countries, no more.
6) Whatever, you explain well why you should stop, and it is very understandable. You have a very good point of view of this race, and really you will be welcome by all top runners.
Regards,
good luck for Spartathlon !.
August 31st, 2007 at 7:03 am
Hi Scott,
you’re right about the tolerance of the organisators in the UTMB for elite racers not to follow strickly the rules. This is also a problem for european and french runners who can not beneciate of outside aid or pacing…I’m not sure about the benefits of cutting switchbacks (may be 2 miles for the full event, with most technical passages) but it is not the same tolerance in another competition of trail running in France. I think the Mont Blanc still a race for pure Mountaineers, not exactly for runners… but it is such a great event!
have a good race in Greece
Sylvain
French Montrail Team member, Trail Attitude magazin.
September 4th, 2007 at 11:17 am
Hi Scott,
First of all congratulations for your performance this year and i´m sure you will return to France maybe to set a new time record!
Regarding your coments, you may be right about your remarks but i don´t agree that can make a significant difference on a race like utmb, also because even for someone who is new to the course, its a case of following the home runners.
Having participated and completed this race in 2006 (although far from the top runners) i don´t think you have a big advantage in cutting switchbacks considering the very technical terrain you can find in some of the areas. Even though and as i mentioned above, you can always follow the others if you think otherwise.
The major difficulties i think are involved in this event are:
-Distance vs acumulated altitude (i believe Hard rock is similar. Never done it…)
-Low average speed/pace (even for the front runners is about 7,5 km/hour) as someone said, is this an event for runners or fastwalkers?
-No pacers or support crew (you have to carry what you need with you and leave 2 bags at intermediate points of the course)
-No electrolyte drinks at the aid stations (you have to carry the powder with you and mix it with water along the way…)
Considering the caractheristics are very different from what you can find in the US, that can be a major disadvantage and maybe explain why none of the top US runners finished in the top positions (part of them didn´t even finished the race)
Exception made for the fantastic performance of Nikki Kimball, first lady and 19th overall!!!
Regarding the winer Marc Olmo (59 years old!!) just to say that he just goes there for the fun of it (as someone already said, there is no money involved in this event) and thats amazing to see the performance of this middle aged Italien: 3 participations in the utmb/2 wins and a third place new time record in 2006; 4 participations/4 wins at the Desert Cup; 2 wins at the Marathon des Sables (against the local marocan Ahannsal brothers)………
I´m looking forward to participate again in the utmb (next year or maybe 2009) and i´m sure the best US runners will be there to profit from this first experience and to finish in the top positions.
José
September 21st, 2007 at 12:04 pm
Poletti…
Good to know ……
February 15th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
[...] to follow the same route. Also, its a condition of our permits that we stick to the trails. See here for an interesting discussion of corner-cutting in this year’s Mont Blanc [...]