In 9 days' time on Friday, August 30, thousands of the world’s most ambitious trail runners will lace up their and set off from Chamonix on a punishing race around Mont Blanc. Last year, Jim Walmsley made history at the when he won the race in just 19:37:42, shaving 12 minutes off 2022 record. Will this year bring a repeat success for Walmsley, or will his thunder be stolen? Over in the women's race, who will fill the void left by Courtney Dauwalter, especially now we know that Katharina Hartmuth isn't starting? This iconic race is generally considered to be one of the most difficult trail in the world and we’ll be there live next week reporting on all the action.
In the meantime, read on for who's starting this year, and predictions for who might be a top contender for a podium finish. If this is the first you're hearing about it, the UTMB course covers a ferocious 106 miles (177 km) and entails a whopping 32,700 feet (10,000 meters) of incline, which is roughly the equivalent of running Everest and then tacking on a at the end. Encircling the Mont Blanc Massif, the route takes competitors in a counterclockwise direction from France, through mountainous areas of Italy and Switzerland before returning back to Chamonix.
The maximum cutoff for the race is 46.5 hours, but clearly the runners below are aiming to come in well below that time. So far this year, the officials at the UTMB haven't announced any changes to the route and the biggest news has been the addition of , w.