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Celebrating our 20th year! Sign up for latest news and offers! Email address. Author signed! Ski harnesses. Running packs. Avalanche kit. Running books. Trekking poles. VAT It's a normal marathon in length 42 kilometers and metres , but, and this is the BIG but, there are over m of vertical height gain, and over m of height loss. In terms of hills in the UK, that's the equivalent of running up Ben Nevis twice, and down Scafell Pike twice, and then the matter of the marathon distance as well. It's no wonder that this amazing endurance race attracts runners from all over the world, and over people start each year. This year saw record numbers, and perfect weather. I had never run this race before, though I had run around the mountains above Chamonix for years, but as the Alpine guiding season had started nearly a month before, I had many vertical kilometers of ascent training already done. A couple of Tour du Mont Blanc trips had also helped, and I was confident of pacing myself well, and moving efficiently over the terrain. Also, knowing the route really well was a great morale boost. This mountain marathon is designed to be semi-autonomous, in that there were only a few drinks and food supply stations along the route, so almost all the runners carried small backpacks with extra water, snacks, and energy gels. Due to the height variations, most were also carrying lightweight trekking poles. Still, even though I was happy I had the right kit, I was quite nervous as I walked through the streets of Chamonix at 6am towards the start line, in front of the tourist office. As I arrived there were already hundreds of people there warming up, chatting and looking anxious, in equal measure. The sky was clear, and it was going to be a hot day. As the 7am start time approached, more and more runners arrived, until there was hardly space to move. The event organisers gave a briefing, and then the announcer got the crowd going with Mexican waves and other similar group encouragements. The atmosphere was great, and my nerves disappeared. On the balconies overlooking the square, sleepy eyed hotel residents came out to see what was going on, and to cheer us on our way. As the clock struck seven, we were counted down to the start. The runners surged forward, then realised that people can't start running without creating a traffic jam. As we left the square, and turned up the hill past the Bistro de Sport, we were able to start running as the street widened to allow people to set their own pace. Along the road side people rang cow bells, and cheered as the runners passed them, and for a refreshing change after all those training runs, as we crossed road intersections, the police stopped the traffic as thundered past. Soon we reached the turn for the sports centre, and by now I was threading my way through the pack a bit to set my own pace. At the micro brewery someone next to me said we had done the first kilometer. So, only 41 to go! The route then followed the nordic cross country ski tracks up the valley towards the village of Le Bois. Overhead a helicopter hovered very low, to get film footage of us all. After passing Le Bois, the trail starts to make its way uphill to Lavencher, and at the first sign of a steep incline some people started speed walking, then running on the flatter sections. Still there were a lot of runners very closely grouped, and so the changes of speed caused a few minor collisions. As the path to Lavencher got steeper and more rocky, a few people started tripping over, getting poles out, and slowing down. I got past the key offenders and as the track topped out at Lavencher, we were rewarded with a flatter section. Lavencher is an Alpine village, as if forgotten by time, and the route threaded its way through the narrow alleyways and streets, slowing the pack down to walking pace in places. Soon the alpages were reached, and as the run got onto the upper section of the Petit Balcon Nord, I was able to get into a good rhythm and run at my pace. The path was narrow but good running underfoot, though the odd tree root has to be jumped over. By now the pace had begun to settle down a little and there were less changes of position. Then the path made its descent into Argentiere, and the path became more rocky. As we entered the village, there were hoards of supporters cheering us on, and best of all, the first drinks stop. I grabbed a cup of water and also a cup of coke, then ran through the old village, with the wooden balconies jutting out over the road. A sharp turn right, and the route made its way up hill to the first major incline, the ascent to the hamlet of Le Planet. The track was narrow and the pace slowed to a fast walk. I was using my poles by this stage, and they helped power me up the hill. Fortunately the hiking guiding had come into play, as the uphill was easy, but as the path was so narrow there were few overtaking opportunities. Anyway, soon the plateau was reached, and as I ran through Le Planet and along the gently ascending track, I felt good. Then it was down to the left and across the small wooden bridge and steeply up into the village of Montroc. Another road crossing, and then up the path to Tre-le-Champ and upwards to the Col des Montets. The runners had really started to spread out, and as I crested the col, I was rewarded with the nice long descent towards Le Buet. It was quite surreal running past all the classic meeting points for walks that I lead clients on each day, but with the great local knowledge, came a realisation of how far I still had to go. I had passed the third distance mark, and had taken under two hours. The only catch was that I had only climbed m out of m. The descent to Vallorcine was long, and I knew I wasn't descending very quick, but the hill climbing was still to come. As I entered Vallorcine I passed a few surprised looking walkers, who had had their tranquil Alpine morning walk ruined by hundreds of runners already, and I knew there were many more on their way. At the village was the first refreshment stop, and as well as the drinks, I grabbed a few slices of saussison, and ate them as I headed over the first timing line. Then the hill started. Very steeply at first, then still very steeply. Oh well. I looked at my altimeter watch and saw my ascent rate as 15m per minute. That was fine, so m an hour, which was bang on my target ascent speed. The hill was brutal, and when I started to question my sanity, it slackened off and I regained a good steady pace again. Everyone was walking this section, and those with the poles seemed a lot more comfortable. People were stopping everywhere, completely drained, and resting on rocks. All the first section had been run in the shade, but as I got higher, I emerged above the treeline and into the sun. The track widened and was hot and dusty. A group of supporters urged us on, calling out our names from our race number dossards, and the ringing of the cow bells they had brought, pushed us more. A group of friends just behind me were chatting to each other as they climbed. How did they have the breath? It annoyed me that they could talk. I couldn't contemplate it, so pushed harder and broke into a run again until I reached the Col des Posettes. I knew that there was a water stop here, but it was tucked out of sight, and I almost stumbled over it as I turned towards the Aiguilette des Posettes. Another two cups of drink, and another for good measure, and I started on my way upwards. The col had marked the half way point, and time was going OK. The final m of ascent towards the summit of the Posettes really hurt, as expected. Then again, in a UK context, this was the same as running a half marathon distance, then ascending the height of Snowdon from sea level in an hour straight afterwards. As the summit approached, I was rewarded with amazing views of Mont Blanc ahead, as you can see in the photo above. Even though the ascent had been hard, this was payback time, and I felt great. On the top one of the race officials scanned us through, and then the steep descent began. Several people fell and twisted ankles, so I took it really steady, and went at my pace. I let over twenty or so people past me, but my pace was good and I was letting my legs get their strength back. Towards the bottom of the mountain, the route descended into the forests, and the shade was nice and cool. Then it was a sharp left turn towards the village of la Tour. I ran into the village, and again several race staff were there pointing out the way. I dunked my head in the water trough in the old village and then made my way past the Chalet Alpin and on the river track back towards Montroc, that I had run through about three hours before. I checked with my race timing sheet, and saw that I still had over 45 minutes on the maximum time, as Tre-le-Champ was the first cut off point. Here there was a good drinks stop, but the first aid tent was full of people being treated for all sorts of race injuries. I ran up to the crossing into the Aiguilles Rouges, and spectators cheered us through. Only 11km to go, but definately the hardest ones! The trail narrowed, so overtaking was hard, and the group was tired. We passed through the forest and over several streams, for about five kilometers, then the fun really started. The path zig-zagged steeply upwards, and again people were dropping out on every corner to snatch a few gasps of breath. Eventually I could see the base of the Flegere ski area cable cars, and knew that there was about 20 minutes to reach the Flegere hut, which was the next race cut off point, if the maximum time was exceeded. I had slowed a lot in this last section, and tried to push on as quick as I could to guard my margin of time. Fortunately the track widens at this point to a jeep track, so overtaking was possible. As I was above the treeline, the sun beat down hard, and I was tired and hot. The long pull up to the Flegere hut hurt, but as I reached it I saw that I had increased my time margin. I grabbed at the drinks and downed as much as I could, then rounded the corner to get scanned by the race official. Only six kilometers to go, and I could see the Planpraz cable car across the valley. At that stage it seemed a lot further than that, but after the pain of getting up the hill to Flegere, this section was relatively flat so it felt like I was floating. The guy I was running with at this stage was fading, and that spurred me on. After the steep rocky section, with metal steps in the rock, the track finally widened, and I ticked off the familiar landmarks in my head; the avalanche wall, the split rock, and zig-zag, then the final steep corner, and the slog up to the finish was just ahead. Three corners to go. The rubble jeep track was steep and long, but nothing was going to stop me crossing that line now. I was still going well, and pushed round the last corner and towards the line. As I approached the line I saw my wife Sarah, and dog Maximus, cheering me on. Max tried to jump the barriers to welcome his dad home. I had expected to feel ready to collapse at the end, but other priorities were in my line of sight. The race finishers were all treated to a free beer by the MBC Chamonix micro brewery , and once someone had put a medal around my neck, that's where I was headed! Sarah had done a sterling job providing a race finishers pack of sandwiches, drinks, and even a bottle of champagne. After a quick rest, we got the cable car back down to Chamonix. Job done. And the result? Well I took 7 hours 59 minutes compared to the winning time of 4 hours 5 minutes. I had been aiming for 8 hours, so not a bad pacing effort. Would I do it again? How did I feel after the race? Amazing, and I went for a decent hike in Italy the next day, so the legs clearly weren't too bad. Would I recommend it? If you love the mountains, relish a big challenge, enjoy the group atmosphere, and want to undertake the toughest mountain marathon in Europe, then this is the one for you. I'm signing up for next year. See you out in the mountains soon! Popular links. Photo gallery. Our published articles. Each book has 40 trail running routes, each with height profiles, and full colour mapping Features how to adapt your running in the mountains, and an index of where to stay Includes famous races in each region, e.

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By Stephanie Case. To be successful in a hundred-mile race you need strong legs, mental fortitude, a little bit of luck and a lot of heart. However, you also need the right gear to get you to the finish line. The course takes competitors through three countries, over mountain passes in the middle of the night, across valleys in the middle of the day, through the rain, mud and sometimes snow. If you aren't adequately prepared for any and all contingencies, you will suffer at best and fail to finish at worst. When I competed in UTMB in , the weather took a turn for the worse, resulting in mud slides, hypothermia-inducing temperatures, rain and snow. Instead of sleeping or eating in the hours before the start as I should have done, I spent that precious time in the North Face store in Chamonix trying to buy all of the warm-weather gear I hadn't bothered to get before. In , I still hadn't learned my lesson. I had bought all of the mandatory kit, but I was still trying to get by on the bare minimum. During the first 30 km of the race, my hydration bladder burst. I was forced to carry two coke bottles through the night until my crew could sort out a replacement. If I had one piece of advice for UTMB hopefuls, it would be to sort out your gear early and do not cut corners. It might cost more now, but you will thank me later. Here are my thoughts on the mandatory equipment and some tips on essential 'extras' to consider buying ahead of time. Mandatory Gear. This is not explicitly listed as mandatory gear, but of course you need a comfortable pack capable of holding all of your other kit. It fits well and gives you the option of using a hydration bladder, soft flasks or hard bottles for your hydration. It also has ample pockets for food and zippered sections to keep all of your pieces of gear separate. You need a waterproof, breathable jacket with a non-detachable hood. Your jacket should have sealed zippers and no sections of mesh that could let in the rain. The race officials can be pretty strict on the requirements, so do not risk failing at race check-in by trying to sneak through an inferior substitute. It is super light grams , easily packable, and meets all requirements. Hydration System. You can choose whatever system of hydration you prefer — bladder or bottles — so long as you carry a minimum one litre. Salomon soft flasks are popular, but they are only ml each — two is enough to meet requirements, but in my opinion not enough to keep you hydrated over those mountain passes. Bladders are more difficult to refill at checkpoints, but if you think you might need to carry 1. In addition to your hydration system, you are also required to carry a cup to use at checkpoints for coke, tea or soup. The minimum is cl, but here's where you want to carry a few extra grams and upgrade to something larger. I saw people trying to fiddle with tiny collapsible cl cups at aid stations and they wasted an incredible amount of time going back two or three times to fill up. I would highly recommend the Sea-to-Summit X Mug. It is collapsible, light and perfect for a good gulp of caffeine or salty soup. Two Torches with Batteries. I would highly recommend investing in one really bright light to help pick up roots and rocks on the trail, especially on the second night when you are really tired. The Black Diamond Icon Headlamp is lumens, which is significantly brighter than most torches. As long as you have enough batteries, you should be able to rely on your first torch option. However, take comfort in knowing that in , UTMB female champion Rory Bosio reportedly finished the race using the light from her iPhone! Survival Blanket. This one from The Rough Country is a good option. Check first to see if a whistle is already included on your race pack it is on the Salomon pack, for example. If not, clip this small whistle on to your pack so that you do not forget it. Additional Warm Midlayer. Your warm midlayer top should not be cotton and should be suitable for mountain conditions. I love the Patagonia Capilene 1 Silkweight top as a baselayer. Cap or Bandana. A head buff is a great, versatile option. You can use it to keep the sweat off your face and stuff it away when you do not need it. Warm Hat. I like the Icebreaker Pocket Beanie At just grams, it will keep you warm without weighing you down. Warm and Waterproof Gloves. Waterproof gloves that are also light can be hard to find. Check out SealSkinz. Raidlight makes a great and lightweight trail running pant. I would suggest going as light as possible as they can take up a lot of room in your bag. The only time you will actually think about using these is if you drop out of the race and are stuck waiting for a transfer back to Chamonix who ever runs in waterproof trousers? Food Reserve. The food at aid stations tends to consist of a lot of bread, sausage, cheese, so make sure to bring things with you that you like. I brought chips, Clif bars, nuun for hydration and other goodies. Adhesive Elastic Band cm x 6 cm. Advisable But Not Mandatory. Backup Hydration System. If you use a bladder during the race, put bottles in your drop bag or with your crew and vice versa if you start off using bottles. You never know what might happen. As I discovered in , this is one of the main pieces of kit that you cannot afford to do without, so have a plan B in place. The vast majority of competitors in UTMB use poles. Unless your name is Kilian Jornet, I would highly recommend them. They will help you on the climbs and double as an extra set of 'legs' on the descents when your quads start to scream. The Black Diamond Ultra Distance Z-Poles are fantastic — super lightweight and you can fold them up and store them in your bag if you decide you don't need them on certain sections hint: you will need them on virtually all sections. Anti-Chafing Products. UTMB may indeed be one of the longest, if not the longest, race you will ever run, so prepare to chafe! I use Bodyglide or Pjur. Learn More Register Now. Tips on Mandatory Gear for the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc By Stephanie Case To be successful in a hundred-mile race you need strong legs, mental fortitude, a little bit of luck and a lot of heart. Jacket You need a waterproof, breathable jacket with a non-detachable hood. Hydration System You can choose whatever system of hydration you prefer — bladder or bottles — so long as you carry a minimum one litre. Cup In addition to your hydration system, you are also required to carry a cup to use at checkpoints for coke, tea or soup. It is collapsible, light and perfect for a good gulp of caffeine or salty soup Two Torches with Batteries I would highly recommend investing in one really bright light to help pick up roots and rocks on the trail, especially on the second night when you are really tired. Survival Blanket This one from The Rough Country is a good option Whistle Check first to see if a whistle is already included on your race pack it is on the Salomon pack, for example. Additional Warm Midlayer Your warm midlayer top should not be cotton and should be suitable for mountain conditions. I love the Patagonia Capilene 1 Silkweight top as a baselayer Cap or Bandana A head buff is a great, versatile option. Warm and Waterproof Gloves Waterproof gloves that are also light can be hard to find. Food Reserve The food at aid stations tends to consist of a lot of bread, sausage, cheese, so make sure to bring things with you that you like. I brought chips, Clif bars, nuun for hydration and other goodies Adhesive Elastic Band cm x 6 cm Advisable But Not Mandatory Backup Hydration System If you use a bladder during the race, put bottles in your drop bag or with your crew and vice versa if you start off using bottles. Anti-Chafing Products UTMB may indeed be one of the longest, if not the longest, race you will ever run, so prepare to chafe! Privacy policy and cookies: By browsing this website you accept cookies used to improve and personalise our services and marketing, and for social activity. Read our Privacy Policy for more about what we do with your data, as well as your rights and choices — including how to manage cookies. Allow cookies. First Name:. Last Name:. E-Mail Address:. Helena St. Sign up for Newsletter.

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