Because of HOKA for sponsoring iRunFar’s protection of the 2022 UTMB.
As per standard, the depth of expertise on this 12 months’s UTMB girls’s discipline is staggering, and it was arduous to know the place to attract the road when penning this preview! The absence of final 12 months’s winner and course document holder Courtney Dauwalter leaves the race extensive open to a variety of hopefuls able to taking the win. Amongst them are earlier prime 10 UTMB finishers, in addition to earlier winners of different UTMB Mont-Blanc pageant occasions just like the TDS and CCC trying to graduate to the primary occasion — however, notably, nobody on this listing has gained UTMB earlier than.
It goes with out saying that the UTMB is the final word season finale and the highpoint of the ultra-trail operating calendar. The race, which follows the stunningly lovely Tour du Mont Blanc path, takes in 171.5 kilometers (106.5 miles) with over 10,000 meters (32,800 toes) of climbing, traversing three nations earlier than weaving its approach again to Chamonix, France.
A particular because of HOKA for making our protection of UTMB doable!
Thanks additionally to BUFF® and Squirrel’s Nut Butter for his or her help of our UTMB protection.
Tune in to our stay protection of UTMB beginning at 6 p.m. CEST (10 a.m. MDT within the U.S.) on Friday, August 26. You’ll have the ability to comply with all of the motion proper right here on iRunFar!
Be sure you take a look at our in-depth UTMB males’s preview for a take a look at the lads’s race!
The Favorites to Win the 2022 UTMB
Ragna Debats
Spanish Dutch runner Ragna Debats is in nice form and might be powerful to beat on this 12 months’s UTMB. A professional at arduous mountainous ultras — to date in 2022 she’s gained the 126k Transgrancanaria and the brutal Istria by UTMB 100 Mile. She suffered a DNF on the 2022 Lavaredo Extremely Path 120k, as a consequence of a hamstring difficulty, which has since been resolved and sat out this 12 months’s Western States 100 to deal with UTMB. The 12 months earlier at Western States, she had positioned third in a really aggressive time of 17:41, and was excessive on our one’s to observe listing for this 12 months’s race till she determined to withdraw. As a better build-up race, she gained the 72k race on the Montreux Path Competition on the finish of July of this 12 months. Other than a DNF final 12 months, she has good kind at UTMB occasions too, having gained the 2019 CCC in 12:10, one of many sooner profitable instances on the complete route.
Sweden’s Mimmi Kotka is the best putting returning runner from final 12 months’s UTMB, the place she positioned third, having run in second for a lot of the race, at instances placing strain on the final word winner and document setter, Courtney Dauwalter. She has sturdy kind in UTMB-specific races, having gained each CCC, in 2016, and TDS, in 2017. She received off to an incredible begin in 2022, profitable the 120k Lavaredo Extremely Path. She is presently primarily based in Chamonix and often seen consuming up the UTMB trails together with her four-legged coaching companion, Enzo, and residential benefit will certainly be an element.
Audrey Tanguy
Audrey Tanguy of France has gained the TDS twice — on the previous 120k course in 2018, and within the inaugural 12 months of the tougher prolonged course in 2019. Earlier this 12 months she ran a robust second behind Courtney Dauwalter on the 115k Madeira Island Extremely-Path (MIUT), and one other second (behind OCC course document holder, Blandine L’Hirondel) within the 46k Path du Ventoux. She positioned sixth within the 2021 Western States 100, however then subsequently failed to complete UTMB later that season. This 12 months, she declined her place on the beginning line of Western States and is more likely to be fairly centered on a superb efficiency at UTMB.
Final 12 months’s TDS winner, Frenchwoman Manon Bohard, has not been twiddling her thumbs this previous 12 months! She gained the 76k Path de Calabri, in a small discipline, simply two months after TDS. This 12 months she gained the 80k race on the Innsbruck Alpine Trailrun Competition and the 76k Path Verbier St Bernard by UTMB, each in very sturdy instances. She failed to complete the 30k race on the Montreux Path Competition on the finish of July, however probably simply wanted a bit extra restoration time, three weeks on from the 80k in Innsbruck. Bohard has sturdy outcomes at a spread of extremely distances, however following on from a DNF on the 170k SwissPeaks Path in 2020, this might be her second try at her first 100 miler.
Extra High 2022 UTMB Ladies’s Runners
Jocelyne Pauly, of France, completed third on her final outing at UTMB, in 2018, and there are many indicators that she’s able to one other related efficiency. She positioned second within the Tor des Géants 330k in 2019 and has had loads of wins in France to date this 12 months — together with the Senpereko Path 80k in March, the Path des 3 Pics 56k in June, and the Grand Path de la Vallée d’Ossau 72k in July. Her earlier high-profile wins embrace the Grand Raid des Pyrénées 180k and the Endurance Path des Templiers 100k, each in 2017.
Azara García
Spain’s Azara García had an outstanding 2021, profitable Transgrancanaria, Extremely Pirineu 100k, and Extremely Sierra Nevada 100k, to call however a number of. She additionally took fourth on the 2021 Lavaredo Extremely Path. This sturdy 12 months didn’t come out of the blue, as she has a prolonged again catalog of fine outcomes, together with two extra wins at Transgrancanaria in 2017 and 2020, and the Zegama Marathon in 2015. She has some UTMB-specific expertise in that she positioned second within the 2019 OCC, however this might be her first 100 miler.
Frenchwoman Lucie Jamsin positioned seventh on the 2021 UTMB, having additionally positioned fourth at Transgrancanaria earlier that 12 months. This 12 months, she took sixth at Transgrancanaria, however shaving a bit off her time in tougher climate circumstances, which suggests she’s in good condition and ought to be a top-10 contender once more this 12 months.
One factor I failed to seek out when researching the USA’s Katie Schide’s earlier extremely kind, was proof of a single DNF. She persistently will get it proper and finishes sturdy. A French resident nowadays and no stranger to those trails, this might be her third try at UTMB. She’s had two fairly related runs at it, ending sixth in 2019 in a time of 27:22, and eighth in 2021 in 27:39. She’s additionally positioned second in CCC in 2019 and gained the Mont-Blanc 90k that very same 12 months. She’s in good condition this 12 months too, having gained the Val d’Aran by UTMB 105k in July, and may have the ability to climb larger up the sphere this time round.
Emily Hawgood
Emily Hawgood, who’s from Zimbabwe and lives within the USA, positioned tenth at UTMB in 2021, having simply positioned seventh at that 12 months’s Western States 100. Having already demonstrated that she has the bouncebackability to tug off the tough double, she’s going for it once more this 12 months and has sturdy potential for a excessive putting. Her climb from seventh place on the 2021 Western States 100 to fifth in 2022 would possibly on paper appear like a marginal acquire, however anybody following the 2022 race will know that she ran an absolute stormer. She was out entrance with winner Ruth Croft for a lot of the race, earlier than ultimately falling again, however nonetheless completed sturdy and an hour faster than final 12 months. If she might be affected person with the pacing, and with extra 100-mile expertise beneath her belt, she is nicely able to climbing additional up the highest 10 at UTMB too.
Hillary Allen from the USA has had some nice runs within the Alps, together with a robust second place within the 2019 TDS and third within the Mont-Blanc 90k in 2015. She additionally has two wins within the 50k race at Lavaredo Extremely Path — in 2016 and 2018 — within the Dolomites. Extra not too long ago, she gained the 2021 MIUT and, as a part of her construct up, not too long ago positioned third in a aggressive discipline on the San Juan Solstice 50 Mile. She failed to complete final 12 months’s UTMB and continues to be on the hunt to complete her first 100 miler, however with all her related expertise the additional distance ought to be nicely inside her scope, and he or she may do nicely.
Sabrina Stanley
Sabrina Stanley of the USA has had some nice 100-mile runs, together with wins on the Hardrock 100 in 2021 and 2018, and Diagonale des Fous in 2019. She additionally positioned third on the Western States 100 in 2017, albeit in a much less aggressive than standard girls’s discipline. She positioned fourth at MIUT in 2021 and gained the 2022 Quest for the Crest 50k earlier this 12 months, and though she hasn’t raced at UTMB earlier than she’s reportedly been coaching on the route all summer time and ought to be nicely ready.
China’s Fu-Zhao Xiang was simply exterior of the highest 10 on her final run at UTMB, ending eleventh in 2019. This was a climb up from twentieth the earlier 12 months, knocking 2.5 hours off her earlier time, so she’ll probably be trying to proceed that pattern. She additionally not too long ago completed a detailed second behind Ragna Debats within the 72k on the 2022 Montreux Path Competition. Different standout outcomes embrace a win on the Extremely-Path Mt. Fuji 100 miler in 2019, and second within the Hong Kong 100k in 2019 and Transgrancanaria in 2020.
Marianne Hogan
Canada’s Marianne Hogan has a protracted historical past in triathlon and ultrarunning, however has been going notably nicely these previous couple of years. She positioned second within the 2021 Extremely-Path Cape City 100k. Then in 2022, she gained her approach into the Western States 100 with a victory on the Bandera 100k, a Golden Ticket race, and went on to take third at Western States. She appears to be like to have recovered nicely from that occasion and is busy coaching and recceing with associates in Chamonix and ought to be nicely acclimatized and good to go.
Nonetheless Extra 2022 UTMB Ladies to Watch
Hungarian Eszter Csillag, who lives in Hong Kong, is a runner on the ascendency and one to observe in her 100-mile debut. She positioned fourth at CCC final 12 months simply 4 months after giving beginning — be taught extra about that in our in-depth profile. Since that she took fifth within the 2022 Transgrancanaria and not too long ago positioned second within the 50k Eiger Extremely Path. She was on the beginning listing for the canceled Mont-Blanc 90k, and might be further keen this time round for her run round Mont Blanc.
Poland’s Katarzyna Solińska positioned second on the 2022 Lavaredo Extremely Path, simply 20 minutes again from considered one of our race favorites, Mimmi Kotka, so she must be taken critically for UTMB. She additionally positioned fifth at CCC final 12 months and took eighth on the 2021 Extremely Pirineu 100k.
Brittany Peterson
Brittany Peterson of the USA has a depth of expertise that arguably ought to place her a bit additional up this preview, however she’s not been racing at her finest this 12 months. She didn’t end the Canyons by UTMB 100k and had a tough run on the Western States 100, which she gutted out for a decent Sixteenth-place end. She additionally doesn’t have actually sturdy UTMB-specific kind, having failed to complete the race final 12 months and positioned nineteenth within the 2019 CCC. She has, nevertheless, confirmed herself prior to now to be very sturdy over 100 miles, having positioned second and fourth at Western States in 2019 and 2021, respectively, and a robust second behind Camille Herron within the 2021 Javelina Jundred Mile. She additionally gained the Black Canyon Extremely 100k early in 2021, and if she will resurrect that earlier prime kind, she has sturdy wild card potential.
Kaytlyn Gerbin is one other USA runner with excellent outcomes to her title who doesn’t appear to be racing at her finest this 12 months, though she did set a quickest recognized time on the 78k La Vuelta al Hielo in February, and is simply again from a multi-day mountaineering traverse within the U.S.’s Cascade Vary. She gained the 2019 and 2020 Transgrancanaria however positioned eighth this 12 months, a pleasant bit again from her earlier instances on the route. Different sturdy previous outcomes embrace second within the Western States 100 in 2018 and sixth in 2019 — however in a sooner time of 18:13 — and a win on the Bear 100 Mile in 2018. She has demonstrated that her finest is excellent, however even her below-par days are fairly strong so she shouldn’t be too far off the mark.
The phrase “attention-grabbing” is bandied round rather a lot in these previews, nevertheless it actually might be attention-grabbing to see how Belgian crossover athlete Manuela Soccol fares at UTMB! In 2016 the elite marathoner represented her nation within the Olympics and he or she has a PB of two:37 for that self-discipline. On the paths, her standout outcome was a win on the Tarawera 100k in 2020 in a time of 9:39. For context, this was simply 18 minutes over Ruth Croft’s time for her course-record-setting win the next 12 months. She additionally gained her first extremely, the 63k Cappadocia Extremely Path in 2019. When it comes to each distance and elevation, UTMB might be an enormous step up for her, however she can be registered for the Javelina Jundred Mile later this 12 months and seems dedicated to pursuing the 100-mile distance.
Aroa Sio
Aroa Sio of Spain joins the rising variety of athletes taking the Western States 100 and UTMB in a single season. She’s had a superb 12 months to date, having certified for Western States with a robust third-place end on the 2022 Canyons by UTMB 100k, and completed twelfth in a deep girls’s discipline at Western States. Her earlier sturdy outcomes embrace a win within the 85k at MIUT in 2019, and fifteenth on the CCC later that 12 months.
This might be Japan’s Kaori Niwa’s fifth UTMB and her outcomes have been persistently strong. Her finest was a fourth-place end in 2017 and her most up-to-date was thirteenth place final 12 months. She raced 5 100 milers in 2021 alone, taking third within the Thailand by UTMB 170k and the Lake Biwa 100 Mile, second within the Val d’Aran by UTMB 162k, and profitable the Mt. Fuji 100 Mile Problem. She shouldn’t be too far again from the motion.
Even Extra High 2022 UTMB Ladies to Watch
- Claire Bannwarth (France) – 4th 2021 Tor des Géants
- Elisabeth Borgersen (Sweden) – sixth 2019 & seventh 2018 TDS
- Naomi Model (South Africa) – third 2020 Tarawera 100k; fifteenth 2019 UTMB
- Isabelle Dragon (France) – 1st 2021 Endurance Path des Templiers 108k; thirteenth 2021 TDS
- Basilia Förster (Italy, lives in Germany) – eighth 2021 TDS; thirteenth 2017 UTMB
- Claire Heslop (Canada) – 18th 2021 UTMB
- Mariya Nikolova (Bulgaria) – ninth 2018 UTMB
- Eva-Maria Sperger (Germany) – sixth 2022 MIUT; 1st 2019 Grossglockner Extremely-Path 110k; ninth 2019 Transvulcania 73k
- Alissa St Laurent (Canada) – 2nd 2022 Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile; fifth 2018 TDS; sixth 2017 UTMB
- Anna Troup (U.Ok.) – 1st 2021 Lakeland 100 Mile; 1st 2021 Backbone Race Summer time Version 268 Mile
- Emily Vaudan (Switzerland) – fifth 2021 MIUT
Some prime girls pose for a selfie earlier than the 2021 UTMB. Photograph: Jean-Baptiste Joly
Beforehand, However No Longer on the 2022 UTMB Entrants Record
- Camille Herron (USA)
- Beth Pascall (U.Ok.)
- Jasmin Paris (U.Ok.)
- Luzia Buehler (Switzerland)
- Anna Carlsson (Sweden)
- Leah Yingling (USA)
- Kirsten Amundsgård (Norway)
Name for Feedback
- So, who’s your cash on to be the 2022 UTMB girls’s champion?!
- Who do you suppose would be the most improved returning runner?
- Who do you suppose would be the finest newcomer?
- Is there anybody we haven’t talked about who you suppose ought to be right here too?
