One Small Step for Ben, One Giant leap for Trailkind
An analysis of my own race but also looking at how the top 20/30 positions played out in the last 4 years of UTMB.
My record at the race has gone 16th (22:25), DNF, DNF, 29th(22:09). Despite a faster time this year, I don't know if I can call it progress. I have gained valuable experience this year though. I will say that comparing times is pointless, even when the course is largely the same, as the conditions can vary so wildly, as can the race dynamics.
There was a lot of doubt this year off the back of two DNF's, with particular concern around my health since I had got it so wrong in the last two years. It was so consuming that my entire build up centered around a single strategy.
"Get to the start line healthy"
(Robbie Britton gave me this advice when I was struggling in 2023 with what was the start of my iron and energy issues...probably RED-S).
Every start line I've been on where I am healthy, I have reached the finish line.
My total volume was 20% lower that the previous 4 years of training. I did no cycling in this build so that I had energy for the most specific training (running) and the recovery. I invested in air conditioning and a new bed and mattress to combat the horrendous sleeping conditions of summer in Andalucía. Despite this I still felt a bit overcooked by mid July (peaking at around 100 miles of running) and took a two week easy period back in the UK before the final block. I did altitude, but probably the mildest altitude I could (18 days at 1,700m) in Flaine, so it was more like acclimatization to match the average altitude of the UTMB course (just below 1,700m). Two blood tests since May to check my Iron stats, and targeted strength and rehab to target a long term groin issue.
I also tapered a little more than I should have (12 days) relative to the fatigue I had built up. I think 6 days would have been ample. Come race day I was quite fit, very rested and healthy. I was probably in a similar state of fitness to 2023, and having completed the loop for a second time, it has given me a valuable second point of reference to compare the performance and strategy.
Slow hare vs fast tortoise
I analyzed the top 20 finishers in 2023, looking at how their splits to the major checkpoints compared as a percentage of their overall finishing time. Within the "4 quarters" of the course, the majority of percentages are with 1% of one another, with the odd exception (Jim was 2% faster than anyone in the last quarter). It gives a pretty clear picture to each runners strategy in terms of pacing and effort.
There seem to be three categories of runners who finish in the top 20/30 depending on the year.
"Hares" they start fast and hold position close to the top 20 from start to finish. The podium and majority of the top 10 come from this pool.
"Slow Hares" Start relatively slower in the 20-40th position early on, and some make it to the top 10 by the finish, but generally finish top 20.
"Fast Tortoises" hold back at the start, outside of the top 40 early on. Some come from over 100th position back to finish in the top 20. Top 10 is possible but unlikely, unless your name is Ludo.
In 2023 I was a fast tortoise. I know from the percentages that I was right on the limit of a fast start and holding it together later on. I used a chest strap to monitor my heart rate and eased off when I saw 173BPM on the first climb. This year I didn't ease off, and only used the wrist based monitor which I largely ignored, going on feel. 6 days prior to the race Joaquin and I did a race pace simulation from the start to St Gervais (22Km), going only on feel. I was 1:58 to the high street in St Gervais. On race day I was 1:58 to the exact same spot. I wanted to be a slow hare this year, to give myself the opportunity to move up to the top 10 if possible.
I have come to accept that all issues experienced during a race come down to how much appetite you have for risk. It always feels exciting, and like its working to go out a little harder than you should in the first 50km or even 80km in a 170km race, especially for the men. It happens every year and will continue to happen since the potential of it paying off outweighs the doubt of sitting back and letting the race "get away". This year more than others, I enjoyed the experience of watching the dynamics unfold.
Race
I started further back in the pen this year, and got knocked into the barrier by a guide runner protecting his guy (not sure why handicapped runners are put in front of the elites). I ran a 3:29 KM to get out of the chaos, and running the first downhill in the dark instead of the day felt less efficient. My legs felt tired earlier than I would have liked. I was in 30th at Col de la Seigne and 10+mins faster than in 2023, but the effort was less sustainable. I struggled to open up on the downhill and despite arriving in 8:55, I had dropped back to 42nd by Courmayeur. I felt like I was already in the "grind phase" leaving Courmayeur. I kept grinding, and by Champex Lac had moved up to 31st. Leaving Champex Lac in under 15hrs I knew that with good legs, 6 hours for the last 45km is possible and 21hrs was still in sight...but I had terrible legs and it would take over 7 hours to reach the finish (33 mins slower than in 2023).
Champez Lac Legs
One of the key takeaways I have from the positional charts and remains true across all 4 years of analysis, is that positions don't change a lot after Champex-Lac. The caveat is that you still need to move well to the finish. The trail is largely "smooth" between Courmayeur and Champex- Lac compared to Champex-Lac to the finish. You can get away with poor mechanics more on smooth trail compared to rooty and rocky trails. There is probably one person who will blow up after Champex-Lac but generally everyone is now separated enough and slowing at a similar rate that the positions won't change that dramatically. If you are passing a lot of people this late in the race then the chances are you could have run the first half a little faster.
Within the slow hares this year there was some variation between those who started fast and faded in the middle of the race (myself, Santos GR, Theo LB perhaps) and those who started slightly easier and made slow but steady progress into the top 20 (Andy Symonds, Raul Butaci, Kamil Lesniak, Cody Lind and Pablo Villa). The light blue coloured line is Blandine who also fits in this group and demonstrated how women are often better at pacing than the men...did she hold back on the first descent and rolling section to Les Contamines deliberately to save her legs? She certainly didn't seem to be holding back when she passed me on the descent after La Fouly.
King Singh
The hares were on a new level of performance this year. The top 10 all under 20 hours. The top 4 were 19 hours and under. Virgille Moriset was probably the slowest starting hare (we came into Saint Gervais together) but he was in 16th by Courmayeur and finished 4th. Incredible for a 25 year old to have such endurance and race craft for his first 100M. The furthest back at Courmayeur to finish in the top 10 was Yannick Noel in 18th in 8:25. Pablo Villa 23rd at Courmayeur could not close the gap by the finish ending up with a solid 11th.
UTMB is not a time trial. Caleb Olson ran faster than he thought the winning time would take and got third. He also ran one of the climbs only 4seconds slower than when he raced CCC. The paces are getting faster, and guys at the front are not coming back as much as they used to.
Ben ran to Arnouvaz in 10 hours. That's 100km with 5,700m+ of elevation gain...at night. I know there was no pyramides, but there is no section like that in CCC either, so it's not that far fetched to say that Ben was running CCC front pack speed (10kph). Which means he ran the last 70km in 8hrs 16mins, which is also incredible to slow down by so little.
Key positions for 1st,3rd,10th, 20th,30th place
2023: Les Contamines, Courmayeur, Champex-Lac
1st place: 1st,1st,2nd
3rd place: 8th,4th,3rd
10th place: 34th, 11th,11th
20th place: 35th,26th,21st
Furthest back in the top 20 finishers at Les Contamines: 51st
2024: Les Contamines, Courmayeur, Champex-Lac
1st place: 3rd,1st,1st
3rd place: 30th,12th,3rd
10th place: 28th, 32nd,13th
20th place: 64th,42nd,25th
Furthest back in the top 20 finishers at Les Contamines: 116th
2025: Les Contamines, Courmayeur, Champex-Lac
1st place: 3rd,2nd,1st
3rd place: 13th,8th,3rd
10th place: 6th,12th, 14th
20th place: 18th,5th, 10th
Furthest back in the top 20finishers at Les Contamines: 104th
2026: Les Contamines, Courmayeur, Champex-Lac
1st place: 3rd,1st,1st
3rd place: 9th,8th,4th
10th place: 23rd,18th,12th
20th place: 46th,39th, 28th
30th place: 109th, 53rd, 42nd
Furthest back in the top 20 finishers at Les Contamines: 68th
Fast tortoise's can make the top 20, but only hares can make the top 10 (Ludo is the exception).
More extreme weather years also tend to cause higher DNF rates in the elites, especially in a hot year. In extreme weather years tortoises tended to fair better and could be further back at Les Contamines.
UTMB again?
I don't know if I'll be back next year as I want to requalify for the GB team and if successful it will mean no UTMB. I'll definitely be back in the next two years though, I want that top 10!
Either way I need to be faster without slowing down as much. Which is to say I need to be fitter and hold back more. Going out hard and holding on doesn't seem to work for the 100 mile distance like it does at 100km.
I ran relatively fast when compared to the amount of volume and intensity I did (17hrs training per week in the 12 weeks before the race). Not spending the summer in Spain will allow more volume and intensity, and timing the peak better. Now that my Iron levels seem to be stable on supplements, I might try higher altitude training again. 18 Nights in Flaine helped a little, but I still felt the effect of altitude when over 2,000m absl.
Summary
I'm building back my fitness more gradually than I have in the past, and like racing 100M that takes a little more patience. The journey is enjoyable again, and as long as that remains the case i will keep giving it everything I have.
Recovery is mostly there, some small niggles and fatigue still, but I feel good enough to race another 100M this year. I'll be going back to Chiang Mai 100M by UTMB. This will be my third time there. It's a race I haven't got right, both in terms of health and fitness but also pacing, so I'm hoping this will be my opportunity to display patience.
Comments