OCC Race Report – Julie Urbanski

Race: OCC by UTMB

Runner: Julie Urbanski

Race Date: August 29th, 2024

Location: Chamonix, France (point to point race, starts in Orsiers, Switzerland and finishes in Chamonix, France)

Results: 11:52? In the second half of 1500+ runers? I stopped caring once I starting puking in the last 12k!

Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/12275295079

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

  1. The Course – Absolutely stunning views throughout. Plenty of climbing and descending to make you work for it, but there were moments where I paused to look out into a valley from a high point and just soaked it all in.
  2. The Wave Start – It seems like a silly thing to put in my top 3, but when I did the first year of the Nice 50k, there were no waves and 1500+ people had to narrow down to a single staircase in the first mile, and it was clogged up for 10+ miles. They started us in 3 waves with 15 minutes between each wave and I never felt super crowded. The most crowded was the first climb up to Champex Lac, then it was spread out enough to where I felt like I could run my own pace.
  3. The Finish – Chamonix knows how to celebrate its runners, whether it’s the 1st or the last, or like me, a total mid-packer who’s just trying to run a respectable race for what my mind and body are capable of. That last kilometer through town was pretty magical, with strangers cheering me on, giving me high fives, and making me feel celebrated all the way until the finish under that iconic arch.

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

Starting line bathrooms – they just need more of them. When we got off the buses, there were about 10 flushing toilets before we walked about a half mile into town, to the starting line, so I used those bathrooms after the 90 minute shuttle ride and there wasn’t a line for them.

Once in town, there were 4 porta potties for 1500+ runners and portable urinals for men, with a long line snaking through town. I found a bathroom in a tea/coffee shop near the start that only a few runners had found, so score one for me!

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

Maybe not weird, but I’m not sure why UTMB doesn’t list a couple of the aid stations along the course as actual aid stations. On the course profile, it shows no water between km 7.6 and 24.3, so over 16km (10 miles) without water. I carried 3 bottles out of Champex Lac at 7.6km, but there was a clear aid station at La Giete at 12km. I just wish I’d known about it so I didn’t carry so much water! At least I saved time and walked right through it.

Also a little weird, a little funny, is that there are cows grazing all along spots along the course, with their cow bells tolling all day long, so it sounds like you’re coming up on an aid station, which is always a little boost in morale. I fell for the cow bells a couple times, thinking I was close to a secret aid station or a group of people cheering us on, only to round the bend or pop out of the woods and see…a group of cows, hahaha.

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

I felt like I conserved my energy well enough that I still had legs for the climb up Flegere. Unfortunately my stomach was having none of it, so my legs didn’t quite have as much fun as they wanted up that climb.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

  • Have a snack for sitting around before the start. We got there at 6:30am with an 8:15 start, plenty of time to eat a snack and hit up a toilet!
  • Try to be near the front of your wave start, it’s way less clogged on the climbs.
  • There are water “troughs”/fountains near all the towns. Use them – dip your arms, head, hat, anything you can to stay cool.
  • The first 7.6km to Champex Lac go fairly fast, as the first 4km are mainly roads heading out of town and/or wide paths. You can run most of that 4k, so don’t take the polls out just yet and quickly walk the steep stuff and run the rest.
  • Champex Lac typically has flushing toilets right after exiting the aid station, so if you need to go, that’s the place!
  • It’s super runnable for a few miles heading out of Champex Lac, either on the road or a nice wide path. Enjoy!
  • We had lots of water crossings on the climb up to the Giete aid station. Use them if it’s hot. I put my hat in each one and kept trying to cool my core on the climb. The morning sun was heating up at that point.
  • Lots of day hikers and/or TMBers in this section who didn’t look super pleased for a race to be happening. Be sure to thank them for letting you run by!
  • Be sure to take care of any needs at Trient. It felt like the majority of people starting feeling some effects of the miles, the elevation change, and the heat at that point. The section from Trient to Col de Balme is 10k and it’s a looooong 10k. Flushing toilets here too just before the aid station.
  • The first part of the climb out of Trient is tucked into dense vegetation, it was hot and muggy and people started showing wear and tear at that point. The more you can just keep moving, the better. It has some of the steepest stuff on the course.
  • There’s a medical station just over halfway in this section, then it’s a more gradual up, BUT, quite a bit more rocky at first, so be patient, as it gets more runnable as you head into the final kilometer to the aid station.
  • You can see and hear the Col de Balme aid station for a long time before you get there, try to have patience and just focus on making forward progress. Despair was palpable in this section from Trient to Col de Balme.
  • Enjoy the smooth, runnable downhill from Col to Chalets de Balme before a little bump up, then a bombing, steep downhill into Le Tour. It felt steeper than it looked on paper.
  • There is no aid at Le Tour, but it’s a great crew spot to give you a boost in morale with cheering and seeing family/friends.
  • If you still have legs, you can run much of the trail between Le Tour and Argentiere. There are small rollers here.
  • Like Trient, take care of necessary business in Argentiere before heading up to Flegere, the climb will feel longer than you expect.
  • For the climb up and down Flegere, it’s longer and harder than you think it will be and than it looks on paper. Just keep moving, keep eating, and don’t look ahead too much once you’re out in the open, close to the aid station. It will still feel forever away once you pop out of the trees near the top.
  • Most of the downhill from Flegere is very runnable but a few runners around me fell, so don’t lose focus on the rooty bits.
  • Enjoy that last kilometer through town, it feels like you’re floating on the crowd’s energy as it takes you onto the famous carpet under the finish arch.
  • Don’t forget your finisher’s vest in the finisher’s tent! I was so scared of puking on everyone at the end that I just wanted to go home and completely forgot mine. They had it the next day but it wasn’t easy to get.

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

  • Have a better eating plan. I started out with 19 gels and 3 pre-filled bottles of Decathlon’s drink mix and that was the plan. I finished having eaten just 8 of the gels in 12 hours, and 6 of them were eaten in the first 3 hours, so it was a struggle to eat, to say the least. No backup plan, no thoughts about aid station food, just gels and drink mix. In hindsight, not my best planning.
  • I don’t think I’ll wear the long-sleeve sun shirt again, it felt hot on an already hot day and could have contributed to my overheating.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

  • Be ready to change gears often, from runnable to technical, to douche grade to steep, lean into your poles grade.
  • Train for long ascents and descents with some steep sections.
  • The terrain that was the least runnable was in sections from Champex Lac to Trient and then Trient to Col de Balme, especially the second half to Col de Balme, where on paper it looks really runnable.
  • I found it hard to get a rhythm in those last several kilometers heading into Col de Balme, and I imagine a lot of people expected to be faster in that section.
  • If it’s hot, use all the water sources you can to cool off and use all the water fountains/troughs on the way into/out of town to cool off.

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

  • One of the prettiest in the world. There’s a reason they have to keep coming up with different ways for people to get into this, because it’s a gorgeous place to run.
  • The picture below is near the spot where you come down from Col de Balme.

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

  • Very difficult. They say it’s 55km with 3,425 meters of gain, so 34 miles with over 11,200 feet of gain, equating to over 325 feet per mile. I found it hard to simulate that in training even with repeating 1500 foot climbs over and over again.
  • I didn’t think the terrain itself was crazy. The trails I train on in Portugal are made for mountain bikes, so they have lots of jumps, not much “flow” or consistency, lots of rocks and roots, and I found the OCC trails much more “predictable” because they’re hiking trails. There were sections that were a bit crazy, yes, but those were small sections in the entire race.
  • If you’re good at uphill power hiking, you can rock these climbs.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

  • I know UTMB has some issues with its qualifier races, but this week is dialed in. Shuttles were easy, on time, and while they were early (5am), it wasn’t crazy.
  • Packet pickup was quick and easy, you book a time slot. Book the earliest possible to avoid crowds.
  • The runners village is jam packed with gear and races, you could blow $1000s of dollars there, but they do it really well. Definitely worth a walk through your first time there!
  • Tracking was fantastic, family and friends can easily follow you online.
  • Pictures were plenty and available afterwards.
  • Tons of volunteers, medical staff, aid station helpers, etc.

Competition – Is there a strong field?

  • The best in the world.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

  • This could be another blog post. Yes, you run a qualifier race to collect stones and use those stones in a lottery. The more stones you collect, the higher your odds, and you need an ITRA index score to enter, which I believe you can get from running tons of races, not just a UTMB qualifier race.
  • For lodging, Chamonix Sud area is slightly cheaper and it’s easier to walk to the Grepon bus parking lot for the shuttle.
  • Book Chamonix lodging as soon as you are in via the lottery, or even before, then cancel if you don’t get in.
  • Grocery stores are small throughout town and packed to the brim with people. If you have a car, the Carrefour in Sallanches is massive and has everything you need #protip
  • Most grocery stores are closed on Sunday or only open a few hours. Plan for that!
  • You don’t need a car here. If you fly into Geneva, book a shuttle and then it’s easy to get around the valley for free on the bus/train with a card that your lodging is supposed to give you.

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

  • Naak products, drink mix and waffles. I had wanted to try the waffles but my stomach went south before I tried anything.
  • Standard fare + cheeses! I didn’t try them but I loved that they had cheese.
  • I was also impressed how many medical people were available at aid stations and at the smaller, unmarked aid stations along the way.

Weather and typical race conditions

  • Late August in Chamonix is fairly unpredictable. Last year it snowed on the Monday of race week, so PTL and MCC started in the snow and TDS had a bitch of a start in the cold and mud as well at midnight Monday night. By Friday it was hot and sunny again for UTMB runners.
  • Be prepared with both the hot and cold kit.
  • This year was hot and we had to carry the hot weather kit, which is basically extra bottles.
  • While I was running, I didn’t think the heat was getting to me, but I think I was cooking without realizing it and my stomach had enough of it by 45k!

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next runner?

  • There’s a required gear list and for OCC, it’s pretty tame compared to CCC and UTMB, who have to carry 2 headlamps + 2 backup batteries and a whole lot of other gear.
  • Hot weather kit is also pretty tame, extra bottles and a saharan cap, which I saw maybe 1 person wearing.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

  • It is! There isn’t an official spot they can crew you, but they can see you at Champex Lac (7.6km), Trient (24.3km), Le Tour (40km), Argentiere (45km) and obviously the finish. They can drive to all these locations, parking is limited but can be done.
  • I wouldn’t recommend them going to Champex Lac because it’s so early on and parking is very limited.
  • If they’re going to pick two spots, Trient and Le Tour or Trient and Argentiere. Le Tour doesn’t have any aid, it’s just a spot where you hit a gondola parking lot and have to cross over to the Balcon Nord trail before heading into Argentiere.

How’s the Swag?

  • UTMB hands out finisher’s vests to OCC, CCC and UTMB finishers, and they’re usually quite nice.
  • Before I ran this I always thought it was a little silly to walk around Chamonix the day after each race and see all the finishers in their vests, their chests puffed out a little prouder, but now that I have worked my ass off to finish one of these races, I can see why it’s so special to earn that vest. Even if you’re wearing it in 80 degree weather the next day.
  • The t-shirts are hit or miss each year in terms of colors and design, last year was a nice blue one for celebrating 20 years and this year was a dull orange, not my favorite but I’ll still wear it! Hoka branded.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

  • 5 out of 5. Absolutely worth the effort to earn the stones, put in the lottery, make the trip to Chamonix, pay up for lodging, and work your ass off around the mountain.

Paris Marathon Race Report – Doug Miller

Race: Paris Marathon

Runner: Doug Miller

Race Date: 04/02/2023

Location: Paris

Results: 3:59:26

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

What an epic way to see the historic sights of Paris! To have the streets shut down for you to go for a run and see all the monuments is amazing.

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

The streets narrow down often. With the volume of runners, these pinch points make holding a cadence and pace difficult. It’s especially true during the back half of the race when heading back into the center of the city.

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

The federal government protests and city garbage strike leading up to race day created some uncertainty before arrival, but the race organizers and city gov pulled it together for race day.

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

The early part of the race, starting near the Arc De Triomphe, running along the Champs Elysees, past Place De La Concorde, Place Vendome, La Bastille, Louvre Museum…it’s like an architecture and history tour of Paris.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

I booked a great little independent hotel that was walking to distance to the start and even closer to the finish. It made race day logistics super simple.

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

The waves of runners seem to pinch back together at various spots heading west back into the city center along the riverfront boulevards from 24km, on and off to the finish. If you’re going for a specific time, and you’re not in one of the early waves, you have to take this into account.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

There’s a stretch along the river with some tunnels and short hills, and large volumes of runners that takes some patience and energy.

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

Again, you just can’t beat having the streets of Paris shut down for you to take a run. Plus, I’d never been in the large Bois de Vincennes park on the east edge of Paris. It was quite nice to break up the city run with miles in the park.

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

Not a hugely difficult course. Just account for the tunnels with small hills along the Seine.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

The race is well run. They should consider if there are some routing or wave spacing improvements that could avoid some of the runner volume choke points along the route. They could take a page from NY marathon in getting large groups into corrals at start, and the mobile app experience could improve, but only small tweaks ahead.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

My first marathon in 20+ years was NYC in November of last year. The logistics here felt like a comparative breeze. To walk from the hotel to the start, and again return with just a short walk from the finish made me question whether I’d ever do a point-to-point race like NY again.

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

Every 5k like clockwork

Weather and typical race conditions

The weather was cloudy and 50-degrees, with a few light sprinkles of rain. Great for this Seattle-based runner.

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next runner?

I brought a goodwill fleece jacket with a hood for the start area. As you progress toward the start line, there are volunteers in the middle collecting such gear and it made it easy to stay warm right up to the start.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

My daughter came along as support. She learned the metro system and with some planning met me in several spots along the route. She said the metro was packed with spectators and families doing the same, so that’s worth keeping in mind. With a little more planning, and maybe some coaching from a local, we may have picked a few different locations. Overall, she had a great time chasing me around in Paris.

How’s the Swag?

Shirts handed out at finish rather than expo before. I wear my long sleeve from NY race for running all the time. This bright yellow short sleeve will probably end up in a drawer. Not as nice.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

4.5 stars — with 5+ stars for the experience of running in the streets of Paris, especially the early miles

Nice Côte d’Azur 50k by UTMB Race Report – Julie Urbanski

Smiling relief and happiness at being done, with my boys there at the finish.

Race: Nice 50k by UTMB

Runner: Julie Urbanski

Race Date: September 24, 2022

Location: Nice, France (Menton to Nice)

Results: 11:29:40, waaaaaay in the middle of the pack 🙂

Strava Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/7861053549

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

  1. I finished! I went into this with no time goals, just a range depending on how slow the climbs and technical trails might be, and based on training, I knew I could do anywhere between 3-4 miles per hour, so somewhere between 9 and 12 hours. Bonus points were that I finished before dark (with minutes to spare!) and before our kids’ bedtime.
  2. Having my boys at the finish line. I knew I’d be pushing close to bedtime with having been so slow to start, and I was so happy to see their eager faces at the end. They wanted to run into the finish so badly and it made me so proud and happy to run in with them, and for them to see me work so hard at something, not only in training for the months leading up to this, but also on race day.
  3. I appreciated that it was logistically easy to get to the start in Menton by train, and really cool to finish on the Promenade in Nice, with lots of people out and about in town. I love the races where I finish just 1-2 miles max from my accommodation so it’s a quick trip not only for my family to see me, but also to get home for shower, food and bed! Considering the logistics the 100 mile and 100k runners needed to get to their start, this was a biggie to me.

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you?

Ok, so get ready for a laundry list of items because this was the first year of the race, so they have a lot of things to iron out.

  1. Porta-potties – They had 10 porta potties for 1500 runners. It’s just not enough, and while standing in line, a runner went in one, came out immediately and said, “No,” as he just shook his head and wagged his finger at the door of the porta potty and then went to use another one. So 20 minutes to go before the race and we were down to 9!
  2. The first few miles – Within those first few miles, there were several bottlenecks. The course took us on single-width staircases a few times, so hundreds of us just stood still for 10-20 minutes at a time, waiting to get on the stairs. Around 2.5 miles in, 2 people were scanning the bibs of all 1500 of us. We were standing on the side of the mountain, in the pouring rain, freezing because we were all cooling down quickly from the climb, just waiting to get scanned in. It seemed like a terrible decision that was unnecessary. Each time there was a bottleneck, there were hundreds of us just standing there, waiting to get moving.
  3. My moving time vs. elapsed time – My results page shows that I had just over 2 minutes of time in aid stations, and my Strava shows that I had 10:04 in moving time, yet 11:29 in elapsed time, so there’s about 83 minutes in there where I just wasn’t moving. Pretty much all of that was in the first 1-5 miles, just standing around, waiting to get in the conga line up a set of staircases or through a bib scan line. Even when we got on trails and could move, we would go 3 steps, then stop and wait for the traffic jam to get moving again.
  4. Starting position – This was my first big Euro trail race and I stupidly started near the back because I was in the bathroom line until 3 minutes to the start, and I paid for it. It was such a slow start and I simply couldn’t move at my own pace or even attempt to run my own race until about 10 miles in. It was super frustrating and took a lot of mental convincing not to be pissed off at the race in general for having such a crowded race with so many bottlenecks early on. It felt like I couldn’t take advantage of my actual ability to cover the course until about 10 miles in.
  5. The course – The course itself wasn’t overly epic. It had a few nice singletrack sections, but otherwise, it felt like a lot of patchwork to get us from point A to point B, with a few nice bits in between. I also have never done a UTMB course or even a true Euro trail race, so maybe this was normal?
  6. Water – Had the day been as hot and dry as it *should* have been, runners would have really struggled from the lack of aid. It felt like plenty of aid up until 21km (13.1 miles), but the next aid was at 35km (21.7 miles), then 50km (31 miles) and then the finish at 60k (37.3 miles). I was thirsty by both the 21 and 31 mile aid stations and I had about 1.5 liters between aid, and it was cold and rainy. We passed many spots with road access and even big parking lots, so I wonder if they will add more aid in hot years.
  7. Number of runners – I know I’ve already bitched about this, but hear me out. There was a section around the natural protected site of Vinaigrier, about 15km to go, where we weren’t supposed to use poles. It seemed ironic that they said we couldn’t use poles, yet they were ok with thousands of runners tromping on the trails and tearing them up in the mud and rain. If they really want to protect the area, they shouldn’t take thousands of runners on it.

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

  1. The weather! Had the weather been like it had been the previous weeks (months!) it should have been hot, dry and sunny, so that’s what I was trained for. Instead it was cold, rainy, and socked in, with very little views. The day before and the next day were beautiful in Nice, so it was literally the ONE day of our race when it rained, which created tons of mud. I think it was very uncharacteristic to have weather like that, and we had to carry our cold kit for the race. The 100 milers went 1000 meters higher in elevation than us, so they had a chance of snow!
  2. The distance – It’s called a 50k but it’s actually 60k. Freaking give me credit for that extra 10k!!!

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

  1. I didn’t quit. Not that I even came close, but as I stood there on the side of the mountain, waiting to get our bibs scanned in, I contemplated turning around and taking the train home from Menton and saying, “F*ck you, UTMB!” Alas, I didn’t, I got my head on straight and powered through it.
  2. I really enjoyed the climbs. I’m not a climber, I’m from Ohio, total flatland, and my jam is flat bike paths whenever we travel. But I knew with 3300 meters (11,000 ft!) of gain, I couldn’t train on flat crap and expect to enjoy any ounce of those uphills. So I power-hiked the sh*t out of my training since April 2022 in Boulder, Chamonix, and what I could in Nice. At least twice a week, I tried to run double digit runs, around 12-16 miles, with at least one 3000 foot (continuous) climb in each run. It equated to some slow runs, but it also meant my legs were ready for the climbing. I loved every minute of the climbs where I was free to rock at my own pace and it was so fun. I wish I could have power-hiked that first climb without so many hindrances, but maybe I would have totally shot my legs early, who knows!
  3. I didn’t fall! People were going DOWN on the downhills, either because they weren’t overly cautious or because they just slipped. The rocks were slick, the trails were a mudfest, and it felt like survival of the luckiest to not fall, and I stayed upright the whole time. It also made me slower, but I was willing to make that tradeoff.
  4. Fueling. I was worried about the heat going into this because I had done a 21 mile training run going backwards on the course and I walked in the last 2 miles home. It was 2:30 in the afternoon, high 80s, and HOT in the sun, and I couldn’t eat or drink, I felt so nauseous. So going in, I was worried about eating. With it being cold, eating was downright easy and I was oddly hungry, so I ate a gel every 2 miles and I wish I had packed more than the 20 I started with. I didn’t take anything from the aid stations other than water, so I was hungry by the end. I hadn’t practiced with anything other than gels, water and Tailwind, so I wasn’t about to risk solid food on race day.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

  • If you are normally in the front third of the race or normally do slightly better than average, start out closer to the front than you normally would in a race. I was shocked by how many people I was passing on just the first climb who had no business being that far up. I think because we had to funnel to staircases so quickly in the race, we had no chance to spread out before the first climb, and then the cluster of scanning all our bibs just a few miles in just made it so much worse.
  • If you can, train with long, continuous climbs and long, continuous downhills. This course had 2×3000 foot climbs and descents that were fairly continuous in terms of just going up, up, up and down, down, down. Then if you can, throw in runnable trail miles after those descents so that you’re trying to run well on tired legs. If you don’t have this accessible, go for a training weekend(s) somewhere so you can practice this at least a few times.
  • If it’s actually a hot day, the course is quite exposed, so carry plenty of water. I didn’t see any water sources that we could have filtered from, so you’ll be reliant on aid stations for water.

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

  • Start closer to the front or at least the first third of the field if I had any hope of running my own pace from an earlier point.
  • Work on my downhill skills. I’ve known all along this is a big weakness of mine and it didn’t help it was slippery and muddy as hell, so I was even more cautious on the downhills. I was with another runner around the halfway point and he put 2 HOURS on my finishing time because he was faster on the downhills and the flats.
  • Work on my running speed. Since having Brecon 3.5 years ago my easy pace has slowed significantly and I think if I had better leg speed, I’d have had some faster easy miles in there, as I had my running legs all the way to the end, I just didn’t have any speed in them. And with the final 10km being so runnable, I could have used more speed!
  • Get stronger at running the slight uphills later in the race, that in a “normal” training run look like totally runnable sections. It’s amazing how later in a race, even the slightest incline looks tough and you revert to walking. I’d love to get stronger to where I’m still running those easier sections, as this race had a lot of them in the second half of the race.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

  • There are a lot of runnable sections if it’s not raining. Yes, power hike the uphills, but there is a lot that’s runnable besides those two big uphills. The mud made for really slippery sections that I was especially cautious on, even the sidewalks and roads through towns. I took those so easy and had it been dry, it would have been so much more runnable.
  • If it’s hot, be prepared to go without water on the second half or be prepared to carry a lot of water to make it between aid stations. There were two sections of 15km without water and 1 of 10km (the last section), and I ran out of water each time. It felt like plenty of aid up until the top of the second climb, and then it felt like the aid was few and far between!
  • The last 10km is very runnable, so if you have your legs left, there are sections of road, sidewalk, stairs, and other non-trail terrain that you can really run on. Aside from an annoyingly steep downhill on loose rock coming down from Mt. Vinaigrier, it’s very runnable past that. I did the last 10km backwards on a training run, so I at least knew this as I was slogging through some slow kilometers in the middle.
  • Also in the last 10km, there are A LOT of turns. Up until that last aid station, it was easy to follow the course because there were either so many people to follow, or there were only so many ways to go. They also had volunteers at several important turning points, BUT, in the last 10km, keep your eye out for the flag markers, especially given you are going down staircases several times rather than roads. I almost missed one key staircase and then missed the next one! Also keep your eye out for when you cross the street, as there were volunteers at most crossings, but not all, so it wasn’t immediately obvious where to go on a tired brain and body.

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

  • Even with the rain and being socked in most of the time, there were big sweeping views on the big climbs and descents in the first half, so yes, definitely. If it’s sunny, have the camera handy!
  • There was a really cool section in the last few miles where they took us along the water before taking us into the Port in Nice and along the waterfront. It was stunning, even in the moment where I was just DONE with the race, I appreciated it. I went back and took pictures in the day time so I could capture this really unique section.
Along the water before heading into Nice

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

Yes, as far as trail races go, 11,000 feet of gain over 37 miles is difficult, as that’s almost 300 feet per mile of gain. About two-thirds of the gain is in the first third of the race, which I kind of liked, as I came to like long, continuous ascents in my training (yet I didn’t get better in my long, continuous descents, head-scratcher for sure). It’s a “stone” earning race that you can use to put in for the UTMB races in Chamonix, so it’s going to be on par with how difficult those races are. Had it not been muddy, I think it would have been slightly less difficult in terms of being more runnable, but that would have meant it was hot and sunny, which would have arguably been even harder, especially with the lack of aid in the second half of the course.

I would say the trails weren’t overly technical. There were spots with rocks and such, and sometimes it was hard to tell how technical it was given puddles and squelchy mud, but I’ve run more technical trails than this one, and there were enough sections of road/sidewalk sprinkled in that it didn’t feel overly technical.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

  • Pre-race, I was ready to answer, “Of course, it’s a race run by UTMB!” but alas, the answer is, “Somewhere in between.” We didn’t have quite the cluster that the 100k did. Their shuttle buses realized on the way to the start that they were too big to make it up the tight switchbacks, so the buses had to drop runners off in a parking lot, then the runners had to wait in line for smaller shuttle buses, so the race ended up starting late. I can’t imagine starting off a race like that.
  • Something I wish UTMB would do is a staggered start, especially on a course that funnels into stairways and singletrack trails so quickly. Maybe they don’t want someone later in the race winning based on chip time, but shit, is it really better that I had about 80 minutes of standing time just waiting for bottlenecks to clear just so they could have a cleaner finish line celebration?
  • For me, having two people scanning 1500 people’s bibs a few miles into an already bottlenecked race, on the side of a climb in the pouring rain, seemed unforgiveable. Couldn’t they see the jam it was causing and make a game-day decision to stop scanning and let us just run the damn race?

Competition – Is there a strong field?

  • Oh yeah, absolutely. I think any race with UTMB branding on it has to be competitive, especially because of the sheer number of runners in the race. The winner ran sub 6 hours, which is fairly mind boggling given the mud, though he was also the first footprints, so maybe the mud wasn’t too bad for him yet?
  • Like a lot of UTMB (and maybe European?) races, our field was only 10% female. Where are all the women?!?! I felt like a lot of women were around me, which was surprising given that it was only 10% female.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

  • I signed up for the race in January and it eventually sold out, but I don’t know when. It was the first year for the race and it’s likely to get more popular given it’s a stones race, so sign up early!
  • Hotels are plentiful in Nice and given it’s post-summer, lodging is likely easier to find. We stayed about a mile Northwest from Old Town, where everyone else stays, because we stayed for a month and it was significantly cheaper to do it that way.
  • Getting to the start was thankfully easy, as we just rode the train from Nice to Menton. It was about a 30 minute train ride, there was plenty of space for runners, and it was free to ride it given we were in the race.
  • We did have to walk about a mile from the train station to the start, which felt oddly far and by the time we got there, I only had 20 minutes to stand in a very long porta-potty line, with 3 minutes to spare to get to the starting line.
  • If I were to do it again, I would have taken the earlier train at 6:06am rather than 6:36am, which would have gotten me in at 6:46, with a start time of 8:00. That would have given me more time to go to the bathroom and then get a better spot in the starting line.
  • I met a runner who stayed in Menton the night before, totally a smart idea, then her crew checked out of Menton and met her in Nice for the finish and to stay in Nice after that. Brilliant.

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

  • Get in and get out. With the rain, there were a ton of people enjoying either a dry spot under a tent or inside, along with a hot cup of broth. Hell no, get in and get out while you can, and pass 20, 30, maybe even 50 runners in the process.
  • They felt a bit chaotic, as it wasn’t clear whether we filled our own stuff or people helped us, so I picked volunteers to help if they seemed available; otherwise I just filled up my bottles with plain water as fast as I could.
  • Standard fare available, cookies and sweet stuff, salty chips and such, Coke, water, and maybe an electrolyte drink, but I never found it. I didn’t want one, so I just made sure to only get normal water.
  • I only ate 19 of my 20 gels the entire time, carrying all of them from the start, so I only took water from the aid station. I was really hungry with 10km to go, but I wasn’t going to mess with eating solid food so close to the finish, so I just hammed the rest of my gels early in that section and ran as fast as my legs would go!
  • No drop bags allowed, so if you have specialty food, pack it from the start. They had a bag drop at the start to be there at the finish, but I didn’t mess with it and I was glad I didn’t have another thing to do at the starting line.

Weather and typical race conditions

  • For the 3 weeks leading up to the race, it was hot, humid and 80-90 degrees all except one day. I was shocked to get pouring rain and cooler temps, though it was a blessing in disguise, as I had no trouble eating.
  • Given the freak weather, expect anything! Train for the heat and be pleasantly surprised if it’s cooler.
  • Much of the course, at least the “big” climbing and descending, was exposed, so if it is hot, it’s going to feel HOT.
  • The 100 mile course was expected to have snow at about 2300 meters and they climbed to 2500 meters. For perspective, we “only” climbed to 1300 meters, so we were quite a bit lower in elevation, as we only climbed up from the sea rather than starting at any kind of elevation.

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next runner?

I was actually stoked with how my gear turned out. No chaffing, no blisters, no bouncing of my pack, and I was fairly “comfortable” the whole time, comfortable a funny term given the weather.

  • The North Face (8L?) vest + Naked waistbelt – I was able to carry all my required gear, including the “cold weather” kit, along with 12 gels and 1 liter of water, in this vest, and it never felt heavy. I wore it on every run that was 10+ miles, so I was very used to it. Then I put 8 gels in my Naked belt and ate those first, as I don’t love having stuff around my waist/hips. I really liked this combo and love this vest. It’s simple yet carries a lot comfortably higher on my back.
  • Black Diamond collapsible poles – Likely the only reason I stayed upright and I practiced every damn climb with these things. I couldn’t imagine a vert-heavy run without them.
  • Fueling – A mix of Huma, Maurten, and Neversecond gels. I rotated these three and purposefully didn’t carry any Spring gels, as they’ve wrecked my bowels in the past (aka, a guaranteed mid-run poo). I gagged on the 19th gel, a Huma, with about 3 miles to go, and didn’t try to eat the last one. I’d call that a win. I wish I’d had more Neversecond gels, they were a little heavy but tasted so good.
  • Trail shoes – Have some with some grip. I run in the Nike Wildhorse and they aren’t the grippiest shoes out there, I tend to slip on rocks even when they’re dry, so these weren’t the best option, but I also wasn’t about to change shoes just because of the rain and mud.
  • I always carry my required gear in a dry sack in the back compartment of my vest and it was definitely necessary on this day, as it was a wet one!
  • I saw a runner with a rain jacket that looked like it had a zipper to open up a bigger space to accommodate a running pack, and I should have memorized the brand. My only beef with my current rain jacket (a Salomon one, maybe the WP Lightning?) is it’s just not big enough to fit over the outside of my pack, so once I put it on, I was hesitant to take the time to take it off. Granted, I likely bought it a size too small, but I also didn’t want to be swimming in it. When we started the second climb, it had cleared and felt hot and humid, so I took the time to pull over and take it off, and about 5 other runners did the same right behind me. Then I put it on as we started that descent and never took it off again, though I got pretty toasty the last 10km.
  • I used KT tape for the first time on a spot on my back that always gets chaffage on long runs from my vest and this time – nothing. KT tape for the win!

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

Not really. They could see you off at the start, then easily ride the train back to the finish in Nice. I *think* I saw some crew and/or spectators at the last two aid stations, 35km and 50km, but they could have easily been people just there and randomly cheering us on. According to the runner’s guide, there weren’t any crew locations. If people wanted to cheer you on at aid stations, they could easily figure out how to get to them, unlike the 100k and 100 miler, whose courses seemed much more remote.

How’s the Swag?

Matthijs (from Poland!) and I after the finish, he crushed his first ultra!

Pretty cool and unique! We got a waterproof/dry sack backpack, which I thought was pretty sweet given the entry fee was just 99 Euros. I’ll take that over much other swag, and there were finisher’s medals at the end, which I somehow missed until I saw others wearing them around when I left the finish line. No t-shirt, a bit surprising for a UTMB race.

Pre-race you can buy tons of UTMB branded gear in the race expo area, which I splurged and bought a Camelback travel mug with the UTMB logo because I’m a sucker for travel mugs.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

Out of 5 stars, I would give it 3.5. They need to iron out a few details, and though they couldn’t control the weather, it definitely put a damper on the event given the crazy mud and lack of sweeping views. If you’re not too far from here and want to earn stones to put in for the UTMB lottery, it’s definitely a good option, just train for those hills and be ready for any weather.

Trail du Bout du Monde 57k Race Report – Eric Ahern

Photo: Yves Mainguy

Race: Trail du Bout du Monde 57km

Runner: Coach Eric Ahern

Race Date: 07/10/2022

Location: Brest, France

Results: 6:31, 128th out of 500

Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/7446083118

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

Incredible views along the coast. Efficient, well-stocked aid stations (very important because it was warm). Finish line party was like a festival: food, music, attractions for kids.

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

My own fault, but I cramped pretty bad for the last 10k. Otherwise it’s hard to find anything to critique. It was great.

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

Running by the finish line at 37km in a 57km race is a challenge. The temptation to stop is real.

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

I was happy with how I paced the raced, even though I blew up due to under-fueling. Up to mile 30, I was steadily improving my position.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

Bring electrolytes.

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

Bring electrolytes.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

Although it’s a coastal race, it’s not flat. Over 4,000 feet of climbing in 35 miles. Do your hill work.

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

One of the most beautiful races I’ve ever done.

Photo: Yves Mainguy

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

Medium. Footing is easy, moderate amount of climbing. The terrain constantly changes from easy trails to sand, to steps, a few farm roads.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

Super well-organized. Not a single issue.

Competition – Is there a strong field?

Very strong field as this is part of a local series.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

Sign up early and get your French medical certificate from any doctor.

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

Standard European fare. Soda, sports drinks, water, fresh fruit, dried fruit, chocolate, crackers, chips, nuts.

Weather and typical race conditions

July in Brittany can be warm – low 80’s F.

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next runner?

It’s very exposed, so if it’s sunny use lots of sunblock, wear a hat and sunglasses.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

Plenty of easy to access spots for spectators.

How’s the Swag?

Nice tank-top.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

Five out of five. Put it on your bucket list if you’re ever coming to the area.

Want to read more about this race? Check out Eric’s full race write up here on his blog. Eric Ahern is a coach with Team RunRun. To learn more about him or to work with him, check out his coaching page.

Trail de lAber Wrac’h 52 km Race Report – Eric Ahern

Race: Trail de lAber Wrac’h 52 km

Runner: Coach Eric Ahern

Race Date: 04/03/2022

Location: Brittany, France

Results: 5:08, 100th out of 500

Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/6924838370

Photo: Patricia Mérer

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

  1. The competition. This race is part of a regional trail series and attracts a lot of talent. There’s almost always someone nearby to help you push the pace, to try and overtake if you’re feeling good, or ready to pass you when you’re feeling low.
  2. The scenery. 2022 was a modified course, but still had plenty of nice views of the rolling Breton hills, woods and the tidal river. 90% on trails, a few sections of pavement / dirt roads.
  3. The navigation. Very clearly marked, and lots of volunteers on course to guide the runners.

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

Only 3 water stations, with no food, meant that you needed to carry quite a bit of food and water. This required a pack, for me at least. I maybe could have gotten away with a handheld bottle, but I didn’t want to risk running out of water. I also had a couple of layers and gloves to stash, since it was cold at the start. I used a pack with a bladder, which was fairly heavy. Although I practiced with it in training, it felt cumbersome on race day. A vest with soft flasks probably would have been better.

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

2022 was weird in that Covid restrictions were just being lifted as the race was being planned, so the organizers had to do a ton of work on coordination and compliance. They changed the course from a point to point to an out and back to keep it simple. I completely understand, since the race was canceled in 2020 and 2021, and they were scrambling, but it was disappointing not to be able to run along the coastal trail, past lighthouses and beaches. The race normally starts on a tiny island and runs through some beautiful coastline. We were in the woods most of the time for this version.

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

One of my main goals was to be moving well in the final ten miles, and I was pleased that I was running all the way to the finish, only walking the steeper hills. I definitely started too fast, but I didn’t blow up entirely, just dropped off the pace.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

Try not to get caught up in the fray of the first ten kilometers, when everyone is fresh and flying along the flat sections. Don’t waste energy worrying about your position until later in the race, if at all.

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

I could have carried less water. Watch the weather closely. If it’s going to be wet, shoe choice is key – there will be mud.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

I was thankful that I chatted with a runner at the start who told me the second half was the hardest part. That was 100% accurate, and I was glad to be mentally prepared. The river crossings, the tunnel of love, the steep muddy embankments, all could be a gut punch if you’re not expecting them. If you’re prepared to embrace it and just move as best you can, you’ll take it in stride.

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

Beautiful in a pastoral way. The original course would be even more beautiful, as the first half is usually along the GR 34 coastal path. “Aber” means estuary in Breton language. So normally you run fifteen miles along the coast, then fifteen miles following the estuary inland, as it gets smaller and smaller. As you approach the village where the race finishes, you can see the spire of a 14th century basilica. Pretty cool.

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

Yes. The second half reserves a lot of challenging sections – three stream crossings through knee-deep cold water, lots of slippery mud, punchy climbs, and the “tunnel of love” – a 50-foot long drainage tunnel that you need to crawl through on all fours. The short hills add up as well, with over 4000 feet of climbing.

Photo: Patricia Mérer

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

Very well organized and well run. My only complaint is that most race communication was through their Facebook page, not the official race website. Until I realized that, I was looking at out of date information. On race day, it was smooth sailing. Easy bib pickup and race start, no issues. Results were online immediately. Nice field to hang out, picnic, and cheer on the finishers.

Competition – Is there a strong field?

Very strong field, part of the Ouest Trail Tour race series https://www.ouesttrailtour.org/. There are a lot of strong runners here, and they take racing seriously. This reminded me of lining up at a USATF road race. Lots of people pushing the pace early, and they can hold it.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

The website https://letraildelaberwrach.fr/ has all the info (French only), but their Facebook page is where all the updates came through quickest. I’m sure you could ask in English on the FB page for help. Registration is through the website https://www.klikego.com/. A medical certificate saying that it’s safe for you to participate in a competition is required. This is standard for most races in France. It’s basically just a note from a doctor, valid for one year.

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

Three water stops – miles 10, 15, and 23. WATER ONLY. Optional beer at mile 15.

Weather and typical race conditions

Brittany is famous for being the rainiest part of France, so I was happy to see the forecast of “clear but cold”. We had perfect running weather, about 40 degrees at the start, 60s by mid-day, and sunny. Video from 2019 shows the runners going through heavy rain all day. This would have made the trails much slower. The winning time in 2019 was 4:11. In 2022 it was 3:48.

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next runner?

I’d recommend shoes with mud lugs – think “soft trails” when choosing your shoes. I wore New Balance Hierro v5, which have decent grip, but a shoe with more agressive lugs would have given better performance. In a wet year I’d make that a priority. This being a dry year it wasn’t critical, but in some spots I felt like I was ice skating, especially by the river bank.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

Quite a few spots for spectators, and these are clearly marked in the course book and on the race website.

How’s the Swag?

Nice technical t-shirt, a bagged lunch and a beer at the finish line. I thought that was generous, given that the race was only 27 euros.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

Four stars, since I was expecting the GR 34 coastal path experience. If they bring back the original route I’d give it five stars. I’d recommend it as a fun way to see a unique area of France.

Eric is a running coach with Team RunRun. To learn more about him or work with him, check out his coaching page.

Additional Race Photos:

Photo: Patricia Mérer

 

Photo: Patricia Mérer

 

Photo: Patricia Mérer

 

Photo: Patricia Mérer

 

Photo: Patricia Mérer

 

Photo: Patricia Mérer

 

Photo: Patricia Mérer

 

Photo: Patricia Mérer

 

Photo: Patricia Mérer

 

Photo: Christel Hérault

 

Paris Marathon Race Report – Philippe D

Race: Paris Marathon

Runner: Philippe d

Race Date: 04/14/2019

Location: Paris, France

Results: 3:40:32

Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/2288808368

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

– Getting to the start line was easy and didn’t require to wake up in the middle of the night. My hotel was close to the start line so I left 40 min before the start of my wave and still had plenty of time
– Mostly flat with a few hills at the end of tunnels and in the park
– At the end of the race, there were long tables available with a large variety of fresh fruit and healthy snacks

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

– My first time experiencing aggressive runners (a fair amount of them), pushing people to get to the aid stations
– Aid station every 3 miles or so – the first aid station wasn’t until mile 6 making it a quite hectic first stop considering the amount of people who needed water
– Several sections along the Seine where there was no barriers/tape to keep spectators away from the path which required runners to be in a single lane to go through, slowing everyone down

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

The security was quite low, and I saw multiple spectators join runners for a few miles and then leave the course. I didn’t know it was allowed!

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

– The course is a great way to visit Paris, passing along most of the key landmarks (Arc de Triumph, Concorde, Paris Opera, Hotel de Ville, Bastille, Notre Dame, Orsay Museum, Eiffel Tower)
– I knew it would be a stretch but I decided to follow the 3:30 pacer and was able to maintain pace until mile 22.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

– Find hotel close to start line to make your morning as easy as possible
– Bring your own fluid if you need more than every 3-4 miles

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

– Cobblestones through out the course are tricky and make people lose their balance and fall on each other
– It’s mostly flat until the banks of the Seine with a big hill at the entrance of the park

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

YES! Combination of city landmarks and parks make the course really pretty

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

Not really despite the few hills

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

It was well organized despite the 10-min delay for my wave. Entering the coral was easy and leaving the race was simple and quick.

Competition – Is there a strong field?

It felt like a good competition to me. My 3:30 wave was definitely on pace and I didn’t feel like I was passing a lot of people

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

It was pretty straightforward to register and plenty of hotels were available at reasonable prices

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

Every 3 miles or so which was hard, especially with the first one not available until mile 6

Weather and typical race conditions

It was cold! We started around 34 degrees and finished around 42. No rain or wind though. Spring can be a hit or miss in Paris, and a 60 degree sunny day would have been pretty typical as well.

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?

I had to buy gloves and a hat the day before because of the cold but nothing special besides that.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

Yes – super friendly spectators… but also undisciplined who cross the course everywhere and run along runners 🙂

How’s the Swag?

Swag was pretty good. The bag from the expo is a slim runner’s backpack. Medal is good size and finisher t-shirt is only given after crossing the finishing line.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

4 out 5

paris marathon info

Paris Marathon Race Info

Date: 4/14/19

Location: Paris, France

Start Time: 8:09am (1st Corral)

Avg Temps (f): 58/42

Time Limit: 5 hours, 40 minutes

Lessons Learned from Race Reports

  • With such a big race, ~55,000, expect long lines nearly everywhere and leave extra time for things like the expo, getting to the start, and using the bathroom beforehand, and throughout the race
  • Some tunnels throughout the course, which some runners liked for a break from the sun and others disliked, saying there wasn’t enough fresh air
  • Cobblestone streets at times, so this is a bit harder to run on in terms of footing and the feeling of running on a really hard surface
  • Chance of temps to be hot, especially compared to winter training – take that into account for your gear choices and hydration along the way
  • No gels at the aid stations, so bring your own if that’s what you train with
  • Different start corrals based on estimated finish time, so you could be starting quite a bit later than the first corral, based on your estimated finish, which means even warmer temps if it’s a warm day
  • Aid is likely only on one side of the course, so be ready for it and watch for other runners cutting from one side to the other.
  • With aid only every 5k, you’ll likely need each aid station, especially if it’s warm, so don’t miss it!
  • The ground around aid stations will become slick with the mixture of water and fruit peels on cobblestone roads
  • There are two big parks that you run through, before the halfway point and before the end – expect these to be a little quieter in terms of spectators
  • Best to go to the race expo on Thursday if you can, to avoid the crowds
  • With the race being so crowded, don’t be surprised at some physical contact with other runners along the way, as some sections are also narrow and squeezed in by spectators

Course

Type: Loop course with no repeating of sections

Start/Finish Info: Different locations

Hills: Not an entirely flat course, with ~500 feet of gain. Several sharp and/or gradual hills of about 75-100 feet in gain

Course Map/Elevation Profile

https://www.goandrace.com/en/map/2014/marathon-de-paris-paris-marathon-2014-1012-course-map-1.php

 

Aid stations

Locations of water and electrolyte stations: About every 5km there will be a mix of water, dried fruit, fresh fruit and electrolyte drink

Electrolyte offered: Stimium

Spectator access

Access Locations: See Course Map. If you stay near the start, you can see runners again around mile 17 without much movement. Miles 1-17 are more of an “out and back” type of loop where you could see them twice within walking distance. Using the metro to get around is likely the best idea because of road closures.

Boston qualifier?

Yes

Race reports

Philippe D’s 2019 Race Report

https://www.sundried.com/blogs/events/paris-marathon-2018-race-report

https://robynrunstheworld.com/2017/04/16/race-recap-paris-marathon/

http://www.graphmyrun.com/blog/paris-marathon-race-report.html

Strava links

https://www.strava.com/running-races/2018-schneider-electric-paris-marathon

https://www.strava.com/activities/1496302953

Race Website

https://www.schneiderelectricparismarathon.com/en/

ccc 100k race report

CCC 100k Race Report – Matt Urbanski

ccc 100k race reportRace: CCC 100k

Runner: Matt Urbanski

Race Date: 08/31/2018

Location: Chamonix, France

Results: 57th OA, 13:43

Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/1811017979

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

  1. They put on an amazing event for the entire week. They make everyone feel special, the event feels special, it’s such a cool thing to be part of.
  2. It’s gorgeous! Seriously, the mountains here are just amazing!
  3. The competition. There are so many good racers from all over the world, and not just in the marquee UTMB event. I love being part of events where the best people in the world show up.

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

I literally can’t think of anything I don’t like about the event.

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

The required gear list is hefty. Thankfully, I didn’t need hardly any of the gear, but it’s a bit abnormal compared to most races I do to be forced to lug a bunch of stuff around the mountains with me. Not complaining, but it’s a unique aspect of the race. https://utmbmontblanc.com/en/page/143/Mandatoryequipment.html

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

I managed my race well. I only had one low point (the climb out of Trient). I stayed positive, focused, in the moment, and I enjoyed this race, while still working hard and putting forth my best effort. I’m proud of this because managing effort and keeping positive for this long on such a demanding course is no small feat!

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

  1. So much climbing! (and descending!) Relentless. Be ready for the climbs, be good at powering up, and efficient going down.
  2. Have your gear dialed in. It’s important to have all the equipment, but it was obvious that some people focused on being more streamlined than others. I think this is worth the time and money investment.
  3. Respect the altitude. It’s not a super high up race, topping out just over 8000′, but if you’re not training at those elevations, they can impact your race. Combine that with all the steep climbing which can jack up your HR and your effort and you can easily be going out way too hard way too soon. Oh yeah, and there will be hundreds of people hurrying up that first climb, making you feel like you need to as well. Respect the course, and manage your effort well early on.
  4. Fuel well. It’s not a fast 100k and people are out there for 20+ hours. Calorie burn can be high given the climbing. Eat.

ccc 100k race report
Coming into Vallorcie – next stop, Chamonix!

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

Keep getting better at climbing. Damn those climbs get tiring. I used poles this year and wow what an impact it had! I felt stronger on the ups, and more stable and able to go faster on the downs. I have room to improve on all this and will have to if I will climb up the rankings, but with more work on it and using poles, it can be done.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

  1. The race starts uphill immediately. It’s on road for maybe a couple miles, and then goes to single track. Decide where you want to be in the line. Know people go out hard. But also know that you can get really slowed down if you don’t go hard early. Tough decision; I think I made the right call to be conservative, but I did that first climb slower than I would have overall had I not been in the conga line.
  2. The climb out of Trient is so freaking steep! When I scroll over the grade on this one, I see numbers in the 30-40% range and one mile of that segment on Strava shows a 1358′ gain for one mile! It is the only hill that really kicked my ass. The course was slightly different than it was two years ago so maybe it’ll be different next time around too, but that one was tough!
  3. Keep your legs. There are runnable sections in the middle of the race. Put yourself in a position to be passing people and running well when the course permits.
  4. There is a ton of downhill. Of course it’s fun to bomb downhill, just know that there is A LOT of it, so be cautious about blowing up your quads.

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

Gorgeous. One of my favorite places to run in the world.

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

I find climbing/descending to be tough. The course isn’t super technical relative to some races, but it’s trail and there are some slow sections. It’s a tough run!

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

Amazing. Simple answer; they have this down!

Competition – Is there a strong field?

The best in the world.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

  1. You have to collect points. You then enter a lottery (can be bypassed if your ITRA ranking is high enough).
  2. Book lodging early b/c there are 10,000 runners coming to Chamonix for this week, along with their friends and family. The area is well equipped but probably good to book early, especially if you want to be in Chamonix near all the action.

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

Normal fare, I think. I rarely eat from aid stations. They’re well organized and a huge production at UTMB.

ccc 100k race report

Inside the Champex Lac aid stationWeather and typical race conditions

It can be hot, cold, rain, snow. They make sure you have the gear for any of it. They will also make course changes last minute if there is reason to. Be flexible, be adaptable.

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?

Definitely. Check out the required gear list above. My poles (Black Diamond Carbon Distance Z) were my favorite piece of gear this year. I used the Hoka Speedgoats 2 and loved them for this race.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

Yep! For the aid stations, you are only allowed one specified crew person in the crew tent, so no setting up the picnic blankets and hanging out like we do in the States. But the tents are huge, the whole scene is well organized. My wife and 2.5 year old son have fun there!

How’s the Swag?

It was good this year. Nice t-shirt, a nice finisher’s vest.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

I love this race! I am already excited to go back someday! 5 out of 5 stars!

ccc 100k race report

ccc 100k race report

CCC 100k Race Report – Stephanie G

ccc 100k race reportRace: CCC 100k

Runner: Stephanie G

Race Date: 08/31/2018

Location: Chamonix, France

Results: 17:50:02, 26th female, 283rd overall

Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/1811088350/overview

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

  1. The atmosphere – wow, what a scene! Chamonix was packed for days and the whole thing felt like a giant running party (those are things, right?)
  2. The course – beautiful even when surrounded by clouds. I would love to see the whole thing in the light.
  3. Organization –  a race that big needs to be organized, and they have everything down

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

Nothing

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

Probably how big it is for a trail race!

ccc 100k race report
Start corral at Courmayeur

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

  • I ate and drank really well during the whole race. This has been an issue in previous longer races, so I was very happy with this. I think intentionally eating more during training really helped.
  • I ended up positioning myself really well at the beginning of the race so that the part of the conga line I was in during the initial 6 mile/4500′ climb was moving at a great pace for me.
  • I held out long enough during a down period for my energy to come back around and had a great last 1/3rd of the race.
  • I steadily moved up in position throughout almost the entire race.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

  • I should have looked at where the aid stations were prior to the race.  There were longer gaps between some of them than I had anticipated, and sometimes I’d assume I was coming up on one, and it would turn out to just be a checkpoint. I never ran out of anything, but it played some mental tricks on me!
  • Lots of steep climbing! But also, there is a lot of runnable trail. I was actually surprised at how much.
  • I didn’t really notice anywhere to change at aid stations, so be prepared to strip in the tent if you want to put on new clothes for the night.
  • No option for having drop bags at aid stations.
  • Don’t get too comfy in those nice warm aid stations!

ccc 100k race report
Up the first climb

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

  • I can eat cheese during races! And I can eat a lot of it.
  • A lesson learned time and again – things rarely just keep getting worse. For quite a while during miles in the 30s I thought I was going to be relegated to a 2mph pace for the rest of the race. But, surprise! Things turned around and I felt pretty great for the last 20 or so miles.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

As mentioned, lots of climbing. Also lots of rocks. The last decent is also quite technical and I felt like I was going over a cliff at first!

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

Yes! And likely even prettier on a day with better weather.

ccc 100k race report

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

I’d say so.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

They’ve done this a few times.

Competition – Is there a strong field?

Not as strong as the main event, but impressive nonetheless

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

You need to have enough points from other races to be entered in the lottery, and then be successful in the lottery. I found a place to stay just outside of town fairly easily, and while it wasn’t in the middle of all the fun, it was a great escape from the craziness in town.

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

I think they were standard for European aid stations. The usual coke, chips, oranges, bananas, broth. Many snack products that I didn’t recognize, and also a ton of meat, cheese and bread.

ccc 100k race report
Coming into an aid station

Weather and typical race conditions

It seems to vary a lot, even within the race. We had a very nice start and then wind and rain. The rain thankfully eventually stopped.

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?

There’s a list of required gear. It can seem kind of overwhelming, but in the end it’s not that much stuff, and I think I used all the required clothing except for gloves. I’d definitely recommend poles.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

It didn’t seem like the easiest to navigate, but there were definitely lots of people everywhere!

How’s the Swag?

Short sleeve tech shirt and this year a finisher vest – both nice.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

All the stars. It was definitely a great experience!

ccc 100k info

CCC 100k Race Info

Date

8/31/18

Location

Courmayeur, Italy to Chamonix, France

Avg Temps f.

41/60

Gain/Loss in ft

6100m/6280m 20,013ft/20,603ft

ft/mile gain

319

Highest Elev.

8,477

Start

9am

Surface

Trail

Time Limit

26.5 hours

Sunrise/set

6:51am/8:13pm

Furthest Aid

17km / 10.6m

 

Summary: Deemed the “little sister” of UTMB, 100+ mile race starting/finishing in Chamonix, France, CCC (Courmayeur, Champex, Chamonix) is a point to point course starting in Courmayeur, Italy and ending in Chamonix, France (after passing through Switzerland), and this is (nearly, as it starts out a little different) the last 100k of the UTMB 100 mile course. The race starts on the same morning as UTMB starts, only at 9am vs. a 6pm UTMB start, and runners have just as challenging of a course with ~20,000 feet of gain to tackle in the 100k.

Lessons Learned from Race Reports

  • Be sure you know the obligatory equipment – you will be required to show it at packet pickup and throughout the race. They give sheets of paper with a random list of items to check, such as spare headlamp, rain jacket, etc, so you don’t know what they will check for each time.
  • Be sure you and your crew know the crewing rules – no crewing at all outside of the designated crewing tents at each aid station (ie, no blankets set up on the ground outside the aid station). Only 1 crew member inside the crew tent at a time.
  • Be sure to read all the rules, which include obligatory personal insurance for Search and Rescue, as one example
  • If crew drive through the tunnel from Chamonix to Courmayeur to the start, it’s at a 100 Euro round trip cost, so know that ahead of time!
  • Past years have seen re-routes because of snow and bad conditions up high, so be mentally prepared for changes and physically prepared with gear for every condition
  • The race starts out with around 2km of pavement, so it allows runners to spread out a little before the single track trail
  • Even if the race starts out sunny, conditions can be completely different at the top of the Grand Col Ferret
  • Poles are really helpful if it’s rainy, as the mud can be quite slick
  • The climb up to Grand Col Ferret can feel never ending, and the trails get quite technical on the downhill to La Fouly
  • The last climb will feel relentless
  • Be sure to have a great headlamp, as it’s likely nearly everyone in the race will run in the dark.

Elevation

Total gain/loss: 6100m/6280m or 20,013ft/20,603ft

Ft/mile gain: 319

Total climbs: 6 main climbs – 4x~2000-2500ft, 2x~1500ft

Longest climb: ~2500ft from mile 51.2-56.2

Steepest climb: ~2400ft from mile 17-20

Map/Elevation profile

Aid stations

Total aid stations: 8

Furthest distance apart: 17km (10.6 miles)

Locations: km markers 15, 22 (drinks only), 27, 41, 55 (warm meal available), 72, 83, 94 (drinks only)

What’s available: See listing, along with allergy and vegetarian information, on the Refreshments page.

Crew access

Access Locations: You can see runners at km markers 27 (Arnouvaz) and 41km (La Fouly), but you can only assist them at km markers 55.8 (Champex-Lac), 72.1 (Trient), and 83 (Vallorcine)

Crew instructions/directions: You can drive to each aid station (bring your passport!) or the race has shuttle buses that take you to each stop. Be sure to review the rules and regulations of the bus (no children under 3, sorry Paavo 🙁 There is also a train from Chamonix to Vallorcine and it’s easy to go to and from, but be sure it runs when you’re thinking of seeing your runner, as it might be in the middle of the night.

Pacers

None

Race qualifiers

5 ITRA points

Western States qualifier (25 hours)

Race reports

Matt Urbanski’s 2018 Race Report

Stephanie G’s 2018 Race Report

http://mountaintrailrunning.com/race-reports/race-report-utmb-ccc-2017/ (great photos)

http://ultrarunningcommunity.com/13-report/203-my-ccc-race-report (extremely entertaining)

 

Strava activities and GPX files

https://www.strava.com/running-races/2016-the-ccc-utmb

 

Race Website

http://utmbmontblanc.com/en/page/21/21.html

GORE-TEX Trans Alpine Run Race Info

Summary: The GORE-TEX Trans Apline Run is a 7 day stage race, comprised of 300 teams of 2 persons, running a total distance of 158.7 miles, starting in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, crossing the Alps via Austria (stops in Nassereith, Imst, Pitztal and Sölden) and Italy. The route continues from St. Leonhard, stopping next in Sarnthein, before the final day, when the runners cross the finish line in the city of Brixen, South Tyrol (Italy). Each day’s stage is a different distance, a different start time, and therefore different cutoff times throughout each day, as the teams of 2 make their way point to point from Germany to Italy, gaining nearly 54,000 feet of elevation in the process.

Stage Details

  1. Day 1: 27.1 miles, gain/loss of 8,107/7,635 ft
  2. Day 2: 17.5 miles, gain/loss of 5,512/5,653 ft
  3. Day 3: 30 miles, gain/loss of 10,230/7,303 ft
  4. Day 4: 16.9 miles, gain/loss of 7,533/8,602 ft
  5. Day 5: 24.2 miles, gain/loss of 7,375/9,573 ft
  6. Day 6: 21.1 miles, gain/loss of 8,281/7,293 ft
  7. Day 7: 22.4 miles, gain/loss of 6,949/8,307 ft

Further course details, descriptions, and cutoffs noted here.

Lessons Learned from Race Reports

  • Course specific training tips
  • Mandatory Equipment
  • Consider using poles – Steep ascents and descents, with some technical footing throughout
  • Work with partner ahead of each stage to discuss how to approach each day, especially in terms of pacing – when to take it slow and when to run harder
  • Carry a little bit of money during the run in case you have to buy something in towns along the way, or if you need to drop and get to either the next aid station or the final location of the day’s stage.
  • Day 3 is seen as the make it or break it day in the stage run – have some mental strength to get through it and beyond it, and then days 5-7 are “easier” compared to the first few days
  • Notes of sore knees and feet from the pounding of the alpine terrain
  • The course has more “road” running than you would expect, as the route links lots of mountain villages via pavement/paths and ski service roads, so you end up running more road before and after the trail portions than you would expect
  • Incorporate trail runs where you run 2-6 miles of road before and after the trail miles
  • Some of the descents are just as pounding on the legs as the ascents, so keep that in mind when choosing routes for practicing vert, both up and down
  • Practice time on your feet – in many of the race reports, people were averaging 3 miles/hour on most days!
  • Climbs are mainly straight up and straight down
  • Each day’s start tends to be a bottleneck at first, heading out of town and into the uphill single track, so position yourself accordingly if you want to be out front or if you’re a particularly strong climber
  • Be sure to have a good med kit for stuff like upset stomachs, foot care, pain meds, etc., either while you’re out on the course or for each recovery evening between stages
  • Know the cutoffs – some are harder to make than others, because they are based on 5km/hour no matter the elevation profile, so you might spend some time hurrying up and other times taking it easier because of the cutoffs and terrain combo
  • Some good training runs for Seattle locals – the White River training runs July 8th and 15th, 2018, the Squamish ones, or get on the course for the Whistler Alpine Meadows races (55k Strava route here).

Elevation

Total gain/loss: 53,799/54,209

Ft/mile gain: 339 ft/mile

Aid stations

Number of aid stations and locations varies each day, see details on Course page here.

What’s available: Including, but not guaranteed to be the same at each aid station: water, isotonic drinks, coke, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, bread, cheese, salami, vegan spread, energy bars, cake, cookies, fruits, raw vegetables, pickles, pasta, different soups, and potatoes with salt.

Crew access

Race offers a “Family & Friends” Package, with detailed directions to each aid station, as well as other perks. See details here.

Pacers

Pick your running team partner wisely, as they are your pacer!

Race reports

Course specific training tips

Amazing set of race reports from the Preface, packing and through stage 4 (author finished the race but only wrote up through stage 4):

http://brielikethecheese.com/blog/2016/09/transalpine-run-2016-preface/#.Wxn9r4gvw2w

http://brielikethecheese.com/blog/2016/09/transalpine-run-2016-packing/#.Wxn-cYgvw2w

http://brielikethecheese.com/blog/2016/09/transalpine-run-2016-before-the-race/#.Wxn-s4gvw2w

http://brielikethecheese.com/blog/2016/09/transalpine-run-2016-stage-1/#.Wxn-44gvw2w

http://brielikethecheese.com/blog/2016/09/transalpine-run-2016-stage-2/#.Wxn_fIgvw2w

http://brielikethecheese.com/blog/2016/10/transalpine-run-2016-stage-3/#.WxoANogvw2w

http://brielikethecheese.com/blog/2016/11/transalpine-run-2016-stage-4/#.WxoA9Igvw2w

Strava activities and GPX files

GPX files with course data are part of mandatory equipment – as of June 2018, couldn’t locate them on the race website.

Stage 1: https://www.strava.com/activities/700494148

Stage 2: https://www.strava.com/activities/701364866

Stage 3: https://www.strava.com/activities/702812841

Stage 4: https://www.strava.com/activities/703900874

Race Website

https://transalpine-run.com/en/

Prepping for an ultra? Check out our 7 Steps Towards Running your First Ultra!

UTMB Race Report – Matt Urbanski

Race: Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) – http://utmbmontblanc.com/en/

Runner: Matt U

Date: 8/26/2016-8/28/2016

Location: Chamonix, France

Results – 83rd overall, 30:32.06

3 Bests – what aspects of the race did you like the most

  • Beautiful course
  • Exciting race with so much energy from the racers, the volunteers, and everyone else involved
  • Super competitive, and just a huge race with over 2000 runners

Not so much – aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

Nothing. It all went smoothly and I loved this experience.

Weird factor – what’s the weirdest thing about this race

It’s my first 100 miler finish without a belt buckle (I don’t mind, but it felt slightly odd to not walk away with a buckle).

Highlights of your race – what did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular

I managed my effort well. I was moving up in the second half of the race and running all the runnable stuff through the finish. After numerous blow ups in my 100 mile race history, I’m happy to stay in control on this race and finish running.

Lessons for others – share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

Chill out early. It’s a long long race and there is so much carnage. It’s easy to say this, and I think most runners know that tons of people die hard in this race, but then it still happens. It’s possible to go out hard and keep it together, but I don’t feel like odds are in your favor. It’s a big risk and I am glad I didn’t risk it this year.

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

Running on the course ahead of time is excellent. Prior to us arriving in early July, it would have been difficult for me to fathom 32,000+ feet of gain (and descent) in a course. The climbs and descents are steep and knowing about this ahead of time made me way more realistic with how to game plan for the race. So knowing the course is super helpful.

I feel confident in my strategy and apart from some medical related issues relating to breathing restriction during the night, and getting more efficient on technical terrain, I feel like the steady approach can be very effective next time around (and I really hope to go back for another try!).

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

Climbs (and descents) are long and steep. The last three are killer and while I slowed significantly over the final third of the course, the distance I put on some people during this time was huge (2-6 hours in some cases over less than 30 miles). Managing effort and being trained for hiking and steep descents is crucial.

Aesthetics – is it a pretty course

Ridiculously beautiful. When we arrived in early July and realized exactly where we’d be spending the next two months, we thought, “how in the world have we never been here before?! It’s so nice!”. The course is awesome, the entire area is beautiful, and I’m so happy to have gotten to spend so much time in those mountains.

Difficulty – is it a tough course

For how beautiful the course was, it was equally challenging. The grade of the climbs there is much higher than what I was used to and that makes is it tough.

Organized and well run – did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

This race tops my list in multiple categories and organization is another one of those areas where UTMB takes the top prize. The entire operation was smooth and well run. Check out Julie’s crew report for more on this: Crewing for UTMB

Competition – is there a strong field?

Arguably the best in the world

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

Smooth. Getting from Geneva to Chamonix is one of the only challenges and it’s not a tough one. A shuttle or a rental car seem to be the standard. Getting around the course had its challenges and expenses, I reference Julie’s post again for more on that: Crewing for UTMB

Aid Stations

Plentiful and well run. There are three types: liquids only (they actually had some small bits of food), the normal station, and the food stations. Courmayeur for example had a pasta bar. Crew access was only available at 5 spots though. They aimed for a largely self sufficient race so the crew experience was different from many other ultras I’ve run.

Weather and typical race conditions

We had relatively warm weather, maybe low 80s during the day, and sunny. Thunderstorms rolled in around hour 26 or 27 as I was heading out for the last big climb in the dark. Historically, the weather has been all over the place for this race. I had snow flurries on one of my training runs in July.

Elated to be finished at midnight after 30 hours

Gear – did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?

The obligatory gear list is sizable and took some effort to put together. I wrote up an article about all the planning that went into picking my gear for this race as it was extensive. There was also a gear check station mid-race.

Spectators – is this a friendly course for your friends

Yes and no. There were tons of spectators on course. However, to follow a runner around, there aren’t a ton of spots to see them, probably less than 10. It’s one big loop so there will likely be a lot of driving if you’re trying to follow someone. There is a shuttle but our crew didn’t utilize it.

Awards

Nada. No money, no buckles (yet it still draws the big crowds!). We got a finisher’s vest from Columbia.

The Overall Score – how many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it

Highest marks possible. I loved this race and think it’s a bucket list race for those interested in the mountain racing experience.