Brit takes on stacked line-up in what he calls the ‘Super Bowl of ultra-distance trail running’ in Chamonix this weekend
On the road Tom Evans has run for Britain at the World Half-Marathon Championships. On the country he has made the podium at the Inter-Counties and raced at the European Championships. In ultra-running he won the CCC race at the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in 2018 and the following year placed third at the Western States 100-miler in America.
So going into the mountainous 106-mile Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc itself on Saturday (Aug 27), he seems to have all the attributes to make an impact. His trump card, though, he believes, is his ability to run well during the night.
“I think my strongest part of the race will be at night,” he told iRunFar on the eve of the event. “It’s something that I’m super comfortable with.”
Explaining why, the former British Army captain, who is returning from surgery in 2021, added: “It’s something I’ve practiced a lot but I’ve also had eight years of doing military exercises at night without a head torch. So now that you’ve got a head torch, I’m like, oh my god, this is amazing!”
Despite his varied background in racing – from placing third in the Marathon des Sables in 2017 to racing in the British Champs 5000m on the track in 2020 – the 30-year-old believes his sweet spot for racing is 100 miles.
He calls the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc the ‘Super Bowl of ultra-distance trail running’ and says it is his “dream race because I get to combine all of these elements that have sort of become my craft over the last 15 years and put them all into practice in one incredible race and adventure”.
Kilian Jornet (Salomon)
The biggest race on the trail running calendar not surprisingly attracts the strongest fields and among those in the 2022 men’s race are Kilian Jornet and Jim Walmsley.
Jornet, 34, has won the UTMB three times but his last victory came over a decade ago. The Spanish runner has also had Covid recently and there is a slight doubt on his participation this weekend. However he has been in good shape lately as he set a big course record in the Zegama-Aizkorri Marathon this summer.
Walmsley, meanwhile, has enjoyed huge success in more ‘runnable’ ultra races outside of the UTMB such as breaking the course record at the Western States 100-miler. His UTMB history in comparison isn’t great with a couple of DNFs and a fifth place five years ago. But he has spent this summer living in the area and getting used to the mountainous course.
Jim Walmsley (Hoka)
Further contenders include Aurélien Dunand-Pallaz and Mathieu Blanchard of France, Germany’s Hannes Namberger, Spain’s Pau Capell and French-based Scot Andy Symonds.
Neither of the 2021 winners – François D’Haene or Courtney Dauwalter – are competing this weekend. This leaves the women’s race fairly open with contenders being Dutch runner runner Ragna Debats and Sweden’s Mimmi Kotka.
Athletes and organisers, meanwhile, will be hoping the blue ribbon race in the week-long UTMB festival will end safely for the participants, as UTMB week got off to a tragic start when an unnamed Brazilian runner died during the Petite Trotte à Léon (PTL) team event.
GB athletes in action at World 100km Champs
On a big weekend for ultra-distance running, the World 100km Championships also takes place in Berlin, Germany, on Saturday (Aug 27).
Jo Murphy leads the way in the women’s field for the British women’s team after clocking 7:41:12 at the Anglo Celtic Plate Home Countries International earlier this year which placed her sixth on the UK all-time rankings.
Sam Amend, who has represented Britain at 50km and 100km, and has a PB of 7:48:39, will be also one to watch in the women’s race. Amy Sarkies ran 8:00:50 at the trial earlier this year, while Caroline Turner was third in that race, running her first 100km in 7:51:39.
In the men’s race the GB men’s team includes Matt Dickinson, who clocked 6:39:34 at the trial which placed him sixth on the UK all-time rankings, plus Jason Kelly, who ran 6:42:23 for second place that day.
Ollie Garrod, an experienced marathon and 50km runner, has also moved up in distance to 100km, while Gareth King, who was fourth at the trial, completes the men’s quartet.
Lee Grantham, a leading British ultra-runner who was set to enter as a guest, has withdrawn due to a minor injury.
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