Kilian Jornet has done it again and has won the Ultra Trail in Montblanc for the third time in his career. The Catalan athlete crossed the finishing line in the very heart of Chamonix (FR) in first position, making it his third victory in the UTMB, after those achieved in 2008 and 2009.
This year’s UTMB, a 170 km long race with a total climb of 9,700 meters, is undoubtedly one of the toughest and most prestigious races in the world of Trail Running and takes place in the valley area and mountains of the Montblanc massif.
“This year’s UTMB has been very special, as it has probably been the UTMB race with the highest level. Just looking at the list of competitors was scary” commented Kilian after coming in first with a time of 20:36:23h.
As Kilian himself says, “The weather conditions were really tough. We set off with rain and snow in the highest areas, which made the first part of the race particularly tough. This context, however, brought about some remarkable moments, such as the sunrise in Col de la Seigne, the light, the moon still visible, the sun, the snow and some impressive colours. It was an incredible moment.”
The weather conditions played a role in this year’s UTMB, forcing the organizers to delay the start until 23:30h, when it was due to start at 18:30h.
Kilian also points out that it was a special race in the sense that “almost until the end, I ran together with a group of three other runners who are all close friends. It was great to share all that time with them.” He’s referring to a group formed by Iker Carrera, who finished in second position with a time of 20:45h, Miguel Heras and French Sebastian Chaigneau, who arrived third with a time of 20:55h.
25 km from the finishing line, Kilian managed to sprint away from the group, achieving a gap which he managed to hold onto until the end, in this way securing his victory.
“It was a shame Miguel had to abandon the race, for he started in very good physical condition and had prepared very well” said Kilian with reference to his team mate Miguel Heras, who had to abandon the race due to pains in his knees.
The warmth the public showed to the Catalan softened the hardship of the race. Kilian says “The UTMB is a very special race. This year I felt the public’s support in all the areas, no matter whether French, Italian or Swiss. There were a lot of people supporting and cheering me on. It truly was a very special experience.”
Kilian says now it’s time to “rest for a few days to try to recover the strength in my legs, and start thinking about South Africa”, where on September 17th Kilian will continue with his project 5 Races 5 Continents.
5 Races, 5 Continents
After his victory today in the UTMB Kilian faces the pursuit of his project 5 Races, 5 Continents, in which the Catalan athlete takes part in the most prestigious race in each continent, in the best possible situation. The project began in Australia with his victory in The North Face 100 K, continued with another victory in WS 100, USA and today in Europe with the UTMB. On September 17th Kilian will take part in the Table Mountains Race in Africa and, later on, the Kinabalu, in Asia.
Results UTMB
1. Kilian Jornet. 20:36 h.
2. Iker Carrera. 20:45 h.
3. Sebastian Chaigneau. 20:55 h.
Read more about the race: www.ultratrailmb.com
Kilian in Movescount: www.movescount.com/members/kilianjornet
Forthcoming events
After his victory in the UTMB, the season continues on 17th September in South Africa within the 5 Races, 5 Continents project, in which Kilian runs the most important race in each continent.
Images by Salomon