3 Reasons You Should Tune Into a Huge French Running Race This Weekend

By Brian Metzler

It’s late August and, aside from the back-to-school frenzy and excitement for the coming football season, most runners are probably focused on training for a fall marathon or half marathon. The Chicago Marathon is only five weeks away and the New York City Marathon is two months from this weekend. For the moment, however, the biggest event in running is happening in Chamonix, France, right now, and you really should tune in. You can watch the action free on Outside TV or YouTube. If not right now, then later tonight or early in the morning. Trust me, you will be inspired.

The Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, aka, the UTMB, is a wild, 106-mile race around 15,774-foot Mont Blanc, the tallest mountain in Western Europe, and its surrounding massif. The course travels through parts of France, Italy, and Switzerland. If that sounds like an extreme race for most runners, that’s because it certainly is – especially because there is 32,000 feet of elevation gain and descent in the race. No, not everyone is interested in running ultra-distance races, but it’s an event that’s been setting the trends of trail running’s future since its inception in 2003. Running – and specifically trail running – has experienced huge growth since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic and the big festival of trail running this week in Chamonix is the epicenter of the buzz. 

While two of the sport’s top stars – American Courtney Dauwalter and Spaniard Kilian Jornet – aren’t running this year, defending men’s champion Jim Walmsley is back and both the men’s and women’s fields are deeper than ever. 

Here are my three reasons why you watch this amazing spectacle of running and human limit-busting.

1. The Live Coverage Is Similar to that of the Tour de France.

The UTMB week consists of seven races, but there are three championship races tied to the UTMB World Series The championship racing action began on Thursday with the OCC 50K as runners raced 36 miles from Orsières, Switzerland to Chamonix. American Eli Hemming was the men’s winner in 5:11:48 (that’s 8:34 per mile through the mountains!), while China’s Mia Yao was the women’s winner in 5:54:03.

When you get this newsletter, runners in the CCC 100K (62 miles) will be two thirds of the way along the course from Courmayeur, Italy, to Chamonix. And the crème de la crème, the full-loop UTMB race, which started today at noon ET today, will continue until early Sunday morning. The 106-mile race with roughly 32,800 feet of climbing and descending is a time-honored test piece for lifelong ultrarunners, up-and-coming rookies, and elite-level pros alike. The live coverage of the event is similar to the Tour de France, with expert commentary and footage from drones and helicopters and from remote cameras carried by mountain bikers or other trail runners who are traveling alongside the leaders. For many, it’s the most anticipated trail race of the year. Again, you can tune in right now and watch the action free on Outside TV or on YouTube.

2. Shoe Brands Are Launching New Shoes

For the past several years, running shoe brands have used this week in Chamonix to launch new trail running shoes – or at least unveil next spring’s top shoes to athletes, media, retailers, and influencers close to the sport. Last year, Adidas-Terrex debuted the Agravic Speed Ultra lightweight, carbon fiber-plated racing shoe and Craft unveiled its Pure Trail everyday trainer. This year, Hoka has made a huge splash with the launch of its Tecton X 3 shoe ($275) – a modified version of the shoe Jim Walmsley wore to win UTMB last year. Like the previous Tection X 2, it has parallel carbon-fiber plates that provide propulsion but also ensure optimal stability. It’s built on a Peba foam chassis that provides exceptional softness and rebound, while a Vibram outsole serves up reliable traction on all surfaces. But it also has a unique tongue-less upper that comes together with a stretchy interior bootie construction that extends into an over-the-ankle gaiter that keeps debris from getting into your feet. It’s a remarkably soft and springy shoe with a sock-like fit that feels like it becomes an extension of your lower legs once you slip it on and lace it up. Several other brands are showing off new shoes, including Rossignol – mostly known as a French ski and hiking brand – which is launching the Vezor trail running shoe next spring.

3. Trail Running Represents Fun, Freedom and Adventure

You might never want to run 100 miles, but at its core the UTMB races represent the fun, freedom and adventure of any trail run you’ll ever do. Tuning in to watch top American runners – or runners from any country – as they maneuver through stunning scenery of the Alps is inspiring, and so is the fact that most of the runners in the races are not elite runners. The main UTMB race has a field of nearly 3,000 runners; most are just everyday average runners from around the world who had the courage and passion to train for the race and to earn a spot on the starting line. Trail running isn’t about your times or splits, but instead it’s about your experience. In that way, trail running is a metaphor for all of us, a chance to immerse in a challenge that’s seemingly beyond our means, yet with the right amount of commitment and support, can be a life-changing experience. Even if you don’t aspire to run a race in Chamonix, the trail used for the races – the Tour du Mont-Blanc – has become a favorite place for hikers and, in recent years, trail runners, who prefer shorter distances offered in hut-to-hut adventures like those offered by Run the Alps.