Posted on 27 September 202229 September 2022 by Robert Hajnal — Leave a comment

How to make a proper checkpoint for your next ultramarathon

Become a stronger, fitter athlete in less time with minimal risk of injury.

How to make a proper checkpoint for your next ultramarathon

Do you have a support team for your next ultramarathon? Here's what you need for a successful race and a 'full' Check-Point.

The support team and a checkpoint just for you are the essential elements that can make the difference between a good result and a great result. A checkpoint just for you for an ultramarathon requires extra planning, but 10 minutes of pre-race planning can improve your result by up to half an hour for a 100km race that takes between 15 and 25 hours. Plus, you have an excuse to meet up with a loved one during the race who will put a big smile on your face during the toughest times.

I’ve been running ultramarathons for more than 10 years and every race is an opportunity to improve my checkpoint and the routine I develop in the few minutes I spend in the hydration station. The best ultramarathoners spend a total of between 10 and 20 minutes in all the checkpoints of a 20-hour, 170-kilometre race like the UTMB.

The photo in the article is from the 2021 National Ultramarathon Championships where I finished 3rd, but everyone admired my checkpoint and Maria’s agility to set it up in minutes and give me just what I needed. If you’ll read to the end, I’ll tell you a tip on how to install it perfectly every time.

Rule #1. Before you read the next few lines, the main rule is that your checkpoint is installed before you get to it. It has often happened that athletes get to the place where the checkpoint should be and it was not installed and the athlete wasted time. The idea is to do whatever it takes to gain time, not to waste time and linger in the cp.

Rule #2.The support team should have your flasks of water, isotonic, ready for both the checkpoint and the next leg of the course before you get to them. It is a mistake to spend time in the checkpoint just for this.

What have I prepared in the checkpoint?

(As in the photo)

1. It is important that all gels (bars, baby food, etc.) stay on an envelope/pouch, so that when you leave the checkpoint it is empty and all nutrition is stuffed into your jacket pockets. This is your assurance that you’ve got what you need for the next section – leave that area empty.

2.Hydration for the next section, in flasks. As with nutrition, it’s essential to take everything you’ve planned with you. Even if your vest feels heavy after you leave the checkpoint, don’t spill water, because you’ll need it. It’s clear that you have a clearer mind when planning than during the competition, so trust what you’ve set beforehand. I generally put 500ml of water in a flask + 500ml water + isotonic or Maurten 160 in another flask.

3.Electrolyte tablets. The first thing I do when I get into CP is take 1-2 electrolyte pills like this one (SaltStick).

4.Hydration from checkpoint / 4.1 – Plain water / 4.2 – Mineral water / 4.3 – Isotonic / 4.4 Orange juice (in the last few ultramarathons I gave this up because it gave me insulin spikes, gave me energy, but then I quit).

5. Wet towel, cold – for wiping on neck/face/hands/feet (preferably in that order).

6. Salty cravings casserole – for salty cravings.

7. Fruit to eat at checkpoint, only if I have a craving.

8. Liquid Cravings – liquid stuff I’ve had in training and possibly crave during the competition. 8.1 – applesauce, 8.2 – ginger beer, 8.3 – mango smothie, raspberry.

9. Simple carbs – Coke, Red Bull. Useful for the 2nd part of the competition, when often the nutrition plan needs to be adapted. Still you need calories to keep you going; for me at Istria 100 miles these were the solution after nothing else worked.

10. Extra pair of running shoes, with clean socks – if you need a refresher for your feet or if you’ve blistered.

11. Extra gear/sunglasses for the next section in the strong sun. I advise you to always have a spare t-shirt, a light coloured hat that protects you from high temperatures. During an ultramarathon you should look for comfort. Change if you’re sweaty, put on an extra layer if you’re cold. Use the check-point as a point where you restart your equipment and motivation.

12. Cold spray for legs or other muscle groups. Apply it at a distance of 20-25 centimetres, otherwise you’ll feel the burn.

EXTRA (ce nu se vede în fotografie, pentru că am adăugat după acel concurs):

A small bag of salty cravings (Tuc crackers, small pretzels, salty pretzels).
A small bag of soft fruit (mango, melon, apricots, etc).
Ice – in a heat insulated bag. It’s very useful for warm weather, to put in your trousers, jacket pockets to cool down. it’s great to keep your drinks cold.
Bread, breadsticks. They go great with Coke.
Ginger shot – useful for times when you’re throwing up and need to change the sweet/dry taste in your mouth.
A phone/timer on to time your CP time.

USEFUL for the support team

Cutlery
Pans of various sizes
Notebook/pencil
2-3 bottles
GPS track on watch and route map in google maps
Thick clothes
Tape and marker to write on flasks containing

Routine in each checkpoint

Time spent at checkpoints can make a difference. You can finish a 100 km race 25-30 minutes faster just from the time you save at checkpoints. At the same time, checkpoints can get you back on your feet after a difficult moment during the race. However, you don’t have to linger at the checkpoints, but don’t rush either. Only stay extra minutes if you’re feeling tired and feel you need to hydrate and eat better.

I remember at UTMB 2022, at mile 100 I had the lowest point of the race in terms of energy. I knew Arnouvaz was coming up, a checkpoint where I find soup, water and what I need for the next few kilometres. I knew it was a long way to the finish and allowed myself to spend 4 minutes in this CP, where I hydrated better and ate soup with Tuc biscuits. I did well, as there was a long climb ahead, and the extra 2 minutes of rest put me back on my feet.

Here’s what you need to do for an effective checkpoint routine::

Before 1-2 kilometres before you reach CP, mentally review what you will do at that checkpoint.
Before entering a check-point, make sure you drink all the fluids in the flasks you have with you. If you’ve planned your run well, you won’t have much to drink. Don’t throw water away, drink it instead.
Pocket (or you can even hold) your empty packs until you reach the CP. Throw them at the feet of the support team.
Before you enter the CP, hold out your hand and let the support team guide you to where they’ve set up your table; they should pull you by the hand to your designated spot.
The support team should put a wet towel around your neck to cool you down.
Let your support team know how you are feeling, what problems you have had.
When you arrive, start a watch, time how long you stay in CP.
Drink 300-350ml of water in CP with 1-2 electrolyte pills.
Put your nutrition from the envelope (#1 in photo) (gels, bars, etc.) in your pockets for the next section.
Continue to drink/eat to your heart’s content, but don’t overdo it, as you will vomit. I choose to eat a warm, salty soup with TUC crackers in it.
Don’t linger in CP unless you need to.

The person who decides to help you at a checkpoint will have a different but equally intense journey, almost the same as you. He will worry about you, he will worry about whether you will (and will) make it to the checkpoint on time. It will sleep on the run, it will drive between different locations. There’s no need to be angry at the support team, as they want your best and that’s why they’re helping you.

Keep in mind that mistakes can happen during a race, but don’t let that demotivate you. A.D.A.P.T your plan to your needs and continue the race with a positive attitude, eventually you can make use of what the organisers have prepared for you at the checkpoints, in case the support team fails to follow the plan.

Tips & tricks: for a perfect checkpoint, I recommend setting it up with the support team the day before the race and taking a photo of it. The support person will know how to set it up based on that photo, and you won’t be surprised by a different arrangement of items.

Robert Hajnal

Sunt om de munte și am o viziune clară despre ce vreau să fac în viața mea. Îmi imaginez o lume în care fiecare om face sport și își pune pe primul loc sănătatea. Locul 2 UTMB in 2018, 862 ITRA points.

Running coach?

Let me teach you training, nutrition and competition tricks!

Citește și:

How to make a proper checkpoint for your next ultramarathon

Do you have a support team for your next ultramarathon? Here’s what you need for a successful race and a ‘full’ Check-Point.

UTMB roller-coaster

The emotions and experience of TrailRunning Academy athlete Valentin Bălănescu during the 170 km of the UTMB.

The 10 Magnificent of the UTMB 2022 Podium

I had the chance to share the UTMB 2022 podium with 10 of the best endurance athletes in the world. Here’s how I met them, how they competed and my thoughts on them.

I ran to Cluj for the Wizz Marathon

I never thought I would end up having a road marathon, the Wizz Marathon, as a training session for an ultramarathon.

Posted on 7 September 202213 September 2022 by Robert Hajnal — Leave a comment

UTMB roller-coaster

UTMB

The emotions and experience of TrailRunning Academy athlete Valentin Bălănescu during the 170 km of the UTMB.

Article written and lived by:
Valentin Bălănescu

It’s Friday, 26.08.2022, 5.53pm, and after the pre-race moments of presenting the favourites and encouraging the participants, the famous Place du Triangle de l’Amitie in Chamonix has gone quiet.

It is a profound silence, in a square that a few seconds ago was clapping its hands in jerky unison, a shift from one extreme to another, from agony to ecstasy, as all ultra races are. After a few seconds, the silence is shyly broken, one note at a time by Vangelis and his Conquest of Paradise, the official anthem of the UTMB.

You can feel the energy of the song permeating the sea of runners. It’s the moment when I realise I’m HERE. This is the moment I’ve been dreaming of for 5 years. The moment I’ve planned for, trained for, injured for, recovered for, woken up early or slept late for, run dozens, hundreds, thousands of miles for, watched documentaries, read books, magazines, analyses for, it’s finally here!

The road ends here! Or is it just the beginning?

I close my eyes and feel the vibration of the market, the growing impatience given by the adrenaline of the moment, and the images of the MIUT DNF in April, the last ultra race I participated in, flash through my mind.

I’m not afraid of the 171km to come, but even as my mind is challenging me, I feel motivated and eager for the adventure that is about to begin. Then I see myself still in the square crossing the finish line, hand in hand with the kids as I promised them.

Ultra has taught me that any doubt, the mind’s attempt to test your resolve, can be defeated by positive counterexamples. I am reassured and convinced that all will be well.

Robert’s words come back to me:

“you’ll see that it will be just fine, if you don’t make any serious mistakes”.

That would mean that in 36 hours I’d be back at the finish with the kids by my hand.

Join us!

Training plans,

race tips,

the community!

10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 Gooooooooo! I’m somewhere between the last ones, on the church stairs, and from the steps, I can see the first ones breaking into a run.

The crowd starts to move slowly, at about the pace of entering the subway at Pipera, Bucharest Metro Station, in the evening around 6 pm when everyone finishes work. After about 3 minutes they get to the start line, but it’s another 100 meters or so of walking due to the crowds.

There are only about 2800 runners at the start.

After crossing the start line the atmosphere is incredible, people are crowded on the sidelines, cheering us on and making an atmosphere I’ve never encountered before even in a football stadium. The whole of Chamonix is at the start, in the square where the route coasts and then strings along the centre to the exit of the town. When the cordon ends, I look at the clock and we’re already at km 1.54.

Déjà the early jitters have passed, I turn off the GoPro and concentrate on what I have to do. The first 8 km to Les Houches are flat and I do them in 54 minutes. Les Houches, just like Chamonix is celebrating, the whole town is along the route, with trumpets, vuvuzelas, music. Everyone is cheering us on and you have to be very strong to stick to the plan, as the atmosphere can steal you away immediately and you don’t realise when you’ve hit the gas.

The start is as planned: easy, with the main aim that after 50 km I’ll be fresh and from there I’ll gradually increase the pace.

Even if the HR is a bit high, around 165, it’s normal considering that I didn’t warm up and I’ll definitely lower it on the next climb.

From the climb, behind, you can see the whole valley and Les Houches, over which darkness is starting to settle slightly.

I’m in the middle of a never-ending Indian line that doesn’t seem to end either in front of me or behind me. The pace is steady, and the pace has slowed, so I can enjoy the incredible views around me: the white peaks of Mont Blanc, the reddish patches that the sun leaves on the crest at sunset, and the infinite greenery among which the path makes its way.

I focus on nutrition and hydration, which over many races have given me problems. I am aware that if they go well, then the race is 95% assured.

At Saint – Gervais, at the end of the first half marathon, I arrive in 3 hours 35, and I am super fresh. I walk economically, without pushing at all. All good.

First half marathon check, 7 to go!

Then an easy climb to Les Contamines. At least, it looked that way from the race profile, as I don’t know the first 81 km to Courmayeur. So I got the information about the route from the descriptions of friends who have already done the race or from youtube videos where I analyzed the specifics of the route.

In reality no surprises, so I arrive at CP at km 32 after 5:25, easily covered. In CP they have noodle soup. I try it with bread and cheese: love it at the first bite. Although I’ve never eaten soups through competitions before, it fits very well and the last piece of the nutrition puzzle has just been found.

Besides from here to the end, the nutrition will be simple but precise: on the route – I alternate gels with either Snickers or Lidl’s chia and fruit puree, and in CPs: noodle soup, bread, cheese, oranges, watermelon.

Meanwhile outside it has darkened, and the trail is very clearly visible from the fireflies ahead aka runners’ foreheads.

The silence of the mountain is broken only by those walking in groups and chatting amongst themselves.

As the nutrition is going well and the reflex is already formed about every 30-40 minutes I eat and about every 10-15 minutes I take a sip of water, I can enjoy the clear sky full of stars.

I’m not sleepy at all, although the hours pass one after the other so I don’t resort to caffeinated gels and, at Robert’s advice, I also stay away from Coke.

After Les Contamines we pass through a park that looks like an amusement park and end up in an LED-lit Hoka tunnel.

I’m a little weirded out that I’m not in the mood to turn on my GoPro, but on the other hand I feel the moment giving me wings: #FlyHumanFly and the peace slowly increases until the climb begins and I temper myself.

Next comes the climb to Col du Bonhomme, which is veeeeryyy loooong. It starts to light up and in the valley, you can see the long line of hundreds of headlamps. It’s the perfect time for a mountaintop breakfast and a breathtaking view. I sit on a boulder at the edge of the path, take out my sandwich, and watch the sunrise millimeter by millimeter behind the mountaintop as the column of runners passes me by.

There’s the stillness of the mountain, broken only by the murmur of rushing water in the valley, and all the pressure I’ve been feeling all week has vanished as if by magic.

Imagine there’s no past, no future too!

Although in CPs I move against the clock, now it feels like I would never leave the place, even though I’ve finished eating and don’t feel tired either. On the contrary, I feel the energy and once I get going I effortlessly overtake, one by one, a bunch of runners to the Col de la Seigne.

The view is dreamy and I don’t even know when I cross Col de la Seigne, Lac Combal, Arete du Mont-Favre, Checrout – Maison Vieille. I’m on schedule and everything is going better than I would have hoped.

Although it’s half of the competition I don’t know, everything went perfectly.

The first challenge comes on the last part of the descent to Courmayeur, when you enter the forest and for about 3km run on a trail where your feet sink into the dust. As you run quite hard the dust is kicked up into the air and you can hardly breathe. My eyes, lips, and throat are starting to sting from the dust which I think has even gotten into my bloodstream. It’s also gone through my gaiters into my shoes and although before this stretch I thought there was no point in changing shoes, now the dilemma has been solved.

In Courmayeur, Marius is waiting for me on a street that I can hear from a hundred meters away cheering me on as he sees me.

He runs with me to the entrance of the CP where I clap hands with the kids and forget about the dust that had just ruined my zen earlier. Ramona, my wife, helps me grab the drop bag, and refills the gels and smoothies for the second half. She cools me with my cold spray, I change my shirt and shoes and in between shakes I finish my protein shake and eat the noodle soup she brought me.

I feel like I’m at Formula 1 and hurrying onward.

I say goodbye to the support team on the way out and head off through the already burning sun towards Bertone. It’s probably around 25-27 degrees but with no shade, I’m melting. Luckily there’s a fountain on the way where we all rush to cool off. I get straight under the tap, wet my cap, and pour 3 glasses of water over my head. Restart!

The climb to Bertone is, due to the heat, the hardest of the competition, but I tackle it at a measured and steady pace. I don’t speed up, but I won’t stop either.

Near Bertone, a group of tourists is watching the race live on their phones and I make the announcement: Kilian crosses the finish line and has set a record: he is the first to go under 20 hours. Blanchard is due to show up in a few minutes, he’s also entered Chamonix. I ask them about Robert and they tell me he’s 10th.

Great, he was down in 11th and he’s in the top 10. He’s got time to move up 1-2 places

Up at Bertone I find a bunch of runners stretched out in the 2 tents that keep the sun out. I eat 2 pieces of oranges, fill the flasks with water and move on. It’s a hot day all the way to Arnouvaz. From time to time the path climbs along the mountain and enters shady areas: a blessing! You just want to sit your butt on a rock and wait until the evening to go further. But I’m on plan and it would be a shame not to keep up the pace given that apart from the discomfort created by the heatwave, which I’m treating with lots of fluids, the rest is going better than I could have hoped.

I pass through Bonatti and Arnouvaz in the same scenario. The climb to Grand Col Ferret, the border between Italy and Switzerland, begins and the scenario changes. It’s shady and as we climb to the top the wind starts to blow harder and harder. Fog also appears on the horizon, so it’s time to activate the sheet.

It’s déjà vu from last year’s CCC 100km race when we encountered the same kind of weather.

From here the descent to La Fouly begins, my favourite part where last year at the CCC I committed by pressing the accelerator pedal too hard. I learned my lesson and planned to be thoughtful, to run to my heart’s pace: no higher than 140 bpm.

The kilometres go by one by one and after La Peule everything changes: the second race starts. A stone slips out from under my left leg and I feel the ligament stretch and an instinctive warmth engulfs it.

I stop, it doesn’t seem to be that serious, I can stomp and it doesn’t feel like anything serious. I move on. But as time goes by the pain slowly but surely increases.

On the ascent to Champex-Lake it starts to hurt with every step I take. I realise that the goal has changed from sticking to the plan of finishing in 36 hours to finishing in a maximum of 46 and a half hours which is the time limit. I grit my teeth and think that I have almost 18 hours left for the remaining 45 kilometres. In Champex I don’t stay long, I’m afraid of getting cold and aggravated, plus I don’t have to, nutrition is still going well, I fill the flasks, drink soup on the go and eat 2 quarts of oranges.

Next up is the climb to La Giete which is quite steep. Last year this stretch to the end gave me the biggest problems, when the nutrition didn’t work and I was sick. Now the situation is different, so on the climb I walk steadily up to the bearable limit of pain, but without taking breaks. The problems come after Giete, where the descent is steep and the pain is unbearable because I can’t flex my left leg at all. I walk slowly, like a snail, using my sticks as crutches and making room for everyone who seems to fly past me.

From time to time I alternate the way I step on my left foot, trying as much as possible not to flex: either I step on my heels, lean on the sticks, or step sideways, putting my right foot forward and then my left without bending it.

An ultra race is a lot like a human life: it puts you in front of a lot of weights, it moves you like a carousel from ecstasy to agony and back again. There are times when a minute feels like a day and a day feels like a minute. Now it knocks you down being sure that you have reached the limit of your resources so that you immediately feel fresher than before the start. To be able to see through such a challenge it is important to be self-aware, to learn your reactions and know how to manage them so that you keep thoughts of quitting at bay.

Right now I’m in such a situation.

Every step tells me to give up, that the pain is too much, that it’s not worth the risk, that time is flying and I’m moving slower than a snail and more than likely I won’t make it and in the best case I’ll finish after the cut-off and risk my health to boot.

To succeed in such a situation it is essential to understand that it is the mind that limits us. In the spirit of self-preservation, it is the one that creates all the scenarios in our heads to make us give up. But for every situation, ultra teaches you that there are solutions.

To quiet the mind you have to prove it wrong, so I focus on everything that’s going right and debunk each counter-argument in turn : nutrition is excellence, I’ve never felt better than I do now. Even if my leg hurts I move forward and have found solutions to menage it as much as possible. Even though there are about 40 kilometres to go, only about 15 are downhill. Well, haven’t I done 15 kilometres of rough riding? Of course I have! Anyway the main goal from the beginning was to finish the race, so it’s ok even if the time one drops.

Then I promised the kids we’d cross the finish line by hand and I’m going to keep my word.

So they go mile after mile, hour after hour.

I leave Trient and Les Tseppes behind and approach Valorcine. (Kilometre 156) Here, on the interminable descent, which seems like an eternity, it seems to me that time flies by too fast and I don’t move forward at all. It’s that feeling where it seems like an hour passes in a minute standing still. It’s the most difficult moment of the race because the idea that I’m not going to make it is creeping in deeper and deeper. I only have one more climb of almost 1000m and one more descent of that much in almost 20 kilometres and it’s already almost 09.00 in the morning, which means I have another 7 and a half hours. It seems like a lot for less than a half marathon but at the speed I’m moving on the descent it seems like a second.

The phone rings.

It’s Ramona and she tells me she’s waiting for me and Marius in the CP. My first thought is that they are waiting for me in Chamonix and I tell them not to wait for me as I will be late. She tells me that she sees me on the app and I have to be in CP in 3 minutes and that they are in Valorcine. I can feel my spirits rising and the feeling is that I’m picking up the pace although I think it’s just a feeling, more than likely. After a few minutes I reach the CP and I hear Marius from a distance squeezing enough to wake up the last sleepy person in all of Valorcine : Valiiiiii, Come on Vaallliiiiiii! Until the capaaaat!

In the CP Mariu brings me a coffee (the only one I drank in the whole contest) and Ramo takes care of the leg which is the size of my boot. It even seems to be out of place from how it’s inflated. The cold spray plus the anti-inflammatories seem over about 10 minutes to take effect.

Their encouragement has lifted my spirits and I’m determined to see it through. After Valorcine there are about 2-3 miles of flat false going well and it seems the leg is better, the pain is subsiding. The road curves away from the path along the asphalt and ahead I see Marius and Ramo waiting for me again. They accompany me about 500 metres to where the Col de Montets is. The 5 minutes with them have lifted my spirits even more so I tackle the climb full of enthusiasm. Even though my watch is dead, I climb pretty well even though the sun is already up and halfway melting.

No matter, spirits are high and much easier than I imagined a few hours before I reach the top. Up there the sun is beating down, but the path is full of cheering tourists and even if the pains seem to be coming back slowly I reach Tete aux Vents. It’s 12:15 and here I’m sure I’ll make it to the finish: I still have 4 hours and a quarter for 10 kilometres.

By the end I’m definitely going to be the one with all the time in the world to finish. Luckily it takes me less than two hours, although a bunch of runners pass by me cheering me on and congratulating me for not giving up. Halfway down the road I pass the tables of La Floria terrace where I get a round of applause from people relaxing over a beer and among the cheers I hear a “Hai Romania!

From here the line of spectators starts again, in groups of 50 metres at a time, cheering us on and congratulating us on our performance: Courage! Come on! Come on! Four kilometres!

When I get into town, I call Ramo and tell her that we have entered Chamonix. She tells me she’s waiting for me at Ultra Village, and the kids are waiting for me near the end so we can cross the finish line together.

The last kilometre I probably won’t soon forget. It’s the essence of this race I’ve dreamed of for 5 years: on the one hand the pain I felt with every step, on the other the cheers of hundreds of people cheering me on from the sidelines, the joy of seeing the children again who jumped into my arms about 100 metres before the finish and with whom I crossed the finish line by hand, and the feeling of finishing the dream I started 44 hours and 16 minutes ago.

The turtle race has ended! Until the next one.

Citește și:

How to make a proper checkpoint for your next ultramarathon

Do you have a support team for your next ultramarathon? Here’s what you need for a successful race and a ‘full’ Check-Point.

UTMB roller-coaster

The emotions and experience of TrailRunning Academy athlete Valentin Bălănescu during the 170 km of the UTMB.

The 10 Magnificent of the UTMB 2022 Podium

I had the chance to share the UTMB 2022 podium with 10 of the best endurance athletes in the world. Here’s how I met them, how they competed and my thoughts on them.

I ran to Cluj for the Wizz Marathon

I never thought I would end up having a road marathon, the Wizz Marathon, as a training session for an ultramarathon.

Posted on 4 September 202213 September 2022 by Robert Hajnal — Leave a comment

The 10 Magnificent of the UTMB 2022 Podium

The 10 Magnificents of the

I had the chance to share the UTMB 2022 podium with 10 of the best endurance athletes in the world. Here's how I met them, how they competed and my thoughts on them.

Article lived and written by:

Robert Hajnal

I arrived 2 minutes before the time set by the organisers. At 4 p.m. they asked us to be in the tent to the right of the stage, one hour before the award ceremony. For this edition I am one of the first 10 runners to cross the finish line

It’s a dream rekindled and (re)fulfilled, which I worked on for another 4 years after my 2nd place in 2018. At the time I thought I would give up running but it made me want to come back at least one more time. I had years where I deepened the lessons offered by ultramarathoning, suffered from dehydration in 2019, too little training in 2021 and in 2022 I was back in my best ultra form since I started. Experienced and trained enough to put in a good showing.

In the awards tent it was a shock to see the best runners on the planet, Kilian, Mathieu, Tom Jim, Zach, , Benat, Arthur, Jonas, Thibaut in the same place for the first time. The fact that I was in that tent, at that moment, with the same intention, to get on the podium was such a momentous event that it would be sad to pass it by without writing about the experience. I think every one of the 2765+ runners that were at the start would love to spend a minute in that tent, to ask each of them at least one question.

So much went through my head that I didn’t share much with any of them but I get a wave of gratitude and goosebumps thinking I was there with them.

10. Thibaut GARRIVIER

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A post shared by Thibaut Garrivier (@thibaut_garrivier)

On a cold and wet November day in 2021 I was between Pico Ruivo and Pico Arreiro on the Madeira Island Ultra Trail. This trail is one of the most beautiful running trails in the world. However, as beautiful as it is technical. It’s a continuous show of steep rocks and uneven steps that are burning your feet and turning your stomach upside down if you run too hard.

I was in the MIUT race, at kilometre 72 and I did something I don’t often do during a race: I looked back.

Not a kilometre in, I see a runner walking up the uneven steps with giant strides, leaning forward, almost hunched over by the incline. I felt hunted. Running with his hands on his knees, he caught up with me within 10 minutes. Me alongside him, I seemed to stand still. I took a step to the side and was amazed at his strength, the strength and intensity of the effort and how well he handled it. His breathing was ragged, but he didn’t seem to mind that. If I had been his prey, I certainly wouldn’t have escaped with my life.

I was inwardly glad he was on a shorter run, watched in awe as he advanced through the high cliffs as if he were some kind of mountain spiderman.

The athlete who had overtaken me was Thibaut, and he was to win the 70-kilometre race at MIUT. Pau Capell had come second. Two months earlier he had won the CCC with a course record, one of the revelations of the UTMB that year.

This year he came 10th in the UTMB, his first 100-mile race. He suffered for more than 12 hours because he couldn’t eat or drink water, adjusting his pace to close the loop and reach the finish. It took a lot of mental strength, a lot of concentration to accomplish this seemingly trivial task of putting one foot in front of the other.

In the tent, I get up from my comfy chair to congratulate him and shake his hand for his resilience during the competition. It’s hard to quantify suffering in an ultramarathon, but I think out of the top 10 Thibaut suffered the most to get to the finish line.

@Thibaut, I would have loved to hear more about your race and the suffering it went through like a hot knife through butter.

8. Jonas RUSSI

Photo Copy: Peigneevertical

After finishing a competition I like to have at least one beer. That’s what I did at the UTMB. I was wondering, what other athletes do that? I didn’t even get that thought out of my head when Maria tells me that Jonas Russi is looking for me to talk to me. I knew he finished ahead of me but I didn’t associate his face with his name.

I was at the back of the start/finish gate when he came up to me with a big smile, happy that the race was over, a beer in his hand and confessed that he ran with me in mind on the last stretch, he was afraid I would catch him. That’s what he did at Lavaredo too, two months ago. I wasn’t overtaking him on either race but I’m glad to see someone at the finish with whom I can toast a glass of beer.

Jonas is one of the most sociable and charismatic people I have ever met. He has custom Italian but I see he does his postings in German. In the tent of those who were going to take the podium he is the link, the person who asks the most questions, to everyone and congratulates everyone. He’s annoyingly charismatic and had just finished 8th in the world’s most popular mountain running race. You could see the contentment and happiness on his face. A year ago Jonas had come 2nd in TORX, it seems August-September is when Jonas counts his trophies.

@Jonas, I’d love to have a few beers and share our stories accumulated so far in the ultramarathons. I wonder who would fall under the table first?

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7. Arthur JOYEUX BOUILLON

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On the ascent from Cural das Freiras to Pico Ruivo, at the first MIUT I attended, I met Arthur for the first time. He had started the race a bit hard and told me to overtake him as I had a better pace. It was 2019 and we were both at our first competitions outside our country. We were both going to finish in the top 10. Since then Arthur came 3rd at TDS in 2021 and kept dreaming of the UTMB. I watched him from the shadows as I do with many runners and was proud of his progress. He seemed to be getting more and more experienced and would use his knowledge in this UTMB.

Three days before the race we met at an Altra team meeting and with a smile on his face, in a sweet French accented English he wished me all the best at the race.

He is a cheerful and charismatic nature but during the race you shouldn’t be fooled by the gentleness in his eyes. At the UTMB he ran an excellent, seemingly flawless race that earned him a well-deserved 7th place. I’m sure Arthur won’t stop here and will dream as boldly as ever.

@Arthur, surely our paths will cross again from now on. Remain unscathed and your progress will be assured.

6. Benat MARMISSOLLE

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Madeira is not only the nice place where I got engaged to Maria but also the place where I met most of the really good runners. A paradise of love and running.

Benat set off for MIUT 2021 with the intention of winning the race. About a month, before MIUT he had come 3rd in the Diagonal des Fou on Reunion Island. That gave him enough self-confidence to have this crazy thought.

At MIUT he ran more than 60 kilometers with Hannes Namberger who was to win the race but probably from accumulated fatigue and too little water on the longest climb of the race left him weak, losing a few places in the ranking. Then I overtook him too only because I knew the route very well and saved my strength for the last stretch.

At the awards in MIUT, I exchanged a few words with Benat and he confessed that he still doesn’t have a sponsor and that he made a lot of sacrifices for the last two races.

At the UTMB he overtook me almost at the 100th kilometre when I had a moment of weakness. Somehow he made up for Madeira. I told myself I had enough time to catch up and overtake him. I didn’t manage to do that as he ran great until the end of the race. He was 21 seconds short of stealing Zach Miller’s spot and moving into the top 5.

@Benat, thanks for showing me that you have to treat racing with attitude and have a crazy plan from the start, keep a steady pace until the end and no name is big enough to be overtaken. In my eyes you have become one of the gods.

5. Zach MILLER

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In 2016 at my first CCC, Zach Miller won the race, I finished 8th. I was looking forward to opening day to go with him and the other top 10 runners on the podium. Zach chose not to come to the awards but to cheer on his fellow UTMB runners from the states. Then David Laney came in 3rd place. He deserved it.

I wanted my podium photo with him from 6 years ago. I saw him, Tim Tollefson and David on Rue du Dr Paccard, main street of Chamonix standing around a bottle of clear liquid (I still don’t know if it was water or vodka) and claimed my photo.

At the time, I saw the top 3 runners as being in a different league. Being made out of a different material, it seemed. Now, the fact that we’ve all been through the same suffering, that we’ve gritted our teeth, that we’ve had close times, makes me think we’re all made of the same stuff: resilience and a strong stomach.

After the awards, I took a break and confessed that I missed him on the CCC podium and urged him to write more often, that he does this as well as he runs.

@Zach, so many people have told me that you and I are alike, both in running style and face. How do you feel about that?

4. Jim WALMSLEY

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In the tent I see that Jim is free for a second. I have a suitable open liner to open a conversation with him.

Are you learning French faster than you expected? How are you doing with their language since you moved to France?

In a shy, surprised voice, perhaps because I don’t ask him about running, he replies that he understands beginner-level conversations between two people only that context is very important. In a conversation he finds it hard to reproduce words. In short, he does well at the store and the bakery.

Maybe when Jim is fluent in French he will win the UTMB, maybe winning the UTMB doesn’t depend on how well trained you are but how well your roots are embedded in the francophone culture. Then, running the loop around Mont Blanc will feel as natural as going for a baguette and a pain au chocolat post-run.

He certainly has every chance of winning an edition of the UTMB, he has what it takes, ambition, intelligence, mental strength. He’s only one of the best runners in the world, what the hell. I’d like to think we also have a few things in common like passion for running, sacrifice, military background.

@Jim, I hope you meant what you said when you invited me for a few days to come visit, run the hills behind your house and then try to order pastries in French, because I’m going to visit you. By the way, you are welcome to visit Romania, the community here will welcome you with open arms. We have good coffee, craft beer and Ergo’s floor at the house is free.

3. Thomas EVANS

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Tom has improved my running world since first contact. He expanded my universe by showing me the mindset of an endurance athlete. He showed me that I needed to transform from a running romantic into an athlete. That a runner is only as good as their training routines. It transformed me from the first run to the last line “I would love to do another training camp together”. Tom has this power over me to influence me positively, to motivate me and to inspire me.

I remember our training sessions in 2018 with such freshness in my mind, but more than that, it was the discussions over dinner.

What do you want to revive with running? Why do you do all these things so well? I asked him after a few days when I had worked up my courage.

Of course we were training for the world championships but I knew there was more to it. In short he confessed to me that he wanted to be the most versatile runner, “any surface, any distance” To win Western States, UTMB, to qualify for the marathon Olympics, to win the MDS against the Moroccans.

The next day I ran between mile 42 and 52 of the World Championship course. It was a flat and uphill course. On the climbs Tom seemed to continue his easy run started in warm-up, going seemingly effortlessly. My flies were burning and I was trying to breathe even through my ears. I went down to the asphalt and did my personal best for 5 kilometres. Running alongside him I realised that this man can achieve all his dreams, that he was not at all bold in his goals as he seems born for it. His efficiency in running is obvious. Even Maria told me after the UTMB how light Tom was running, at mile 152.

@Tom I’m grateful for your faith in me in 2018, in the running camp, but also before the start of the UTMB when you told me I don’t dream enough, I’m not bold and a top 10 I can easily. Often during the race your words have fueled my glycogen reserves.

Do you have a training camp spot in mind for 2023? Count me in!

2. Mathieu BLANCHARD

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A post shared by Mathieu Blanchard (@mathieu__blanchard)

After the UTMB, a few hours after things had settled down and I understood how each athlete in the top 10 competed, I sent a single message congratulating one athlete. “Amazing performance Mathieu, amazing” . I knew M.B. would reply to me, he’s done it every time so far.

He doesn’t know that, Mathieu I met for the first time in 2019 between Bonatti and the descent of Arnuvaz . He had a moustache and a brisk pace. After the run I logged onto Strava Flyby to see who I had passed. I’ve had him in my sights ever since and always see what he’s up to. Mathieu progressed steadily, and in the meantime became a celebrity competing in the survivor.

His feat of running the UTMB loop in under 20 hours is impressive. His result tells me that I can do it too, I just need to “steal” the recipe from him.

I feel closest to Mathieu as an athlete. We haven’t been running since we were little kids, we started 10 years ago, we had a top 3 at UTMB (now he has two), our running career started after we signed with a main sponsor.

@Mathieu, I know you’ll be reading this, let me in on the secret to a sub-20 hour UTMB. Thanks for showing us it can be done. Please tell me where to find you for those runs we were supposed to do in Chamonix.

1. Kilian JORNET

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Kilian is the one that will come up in every conversation with your running friends. He changed the game of mountain running. He has changed the game not just through this race but through everything he has done throughout his time in the sport, from getting 3 pairs of Salomon running shoes to now. I don’t know if he set out to do that, but he did. I’m not saying he’s close to a godlike figure but running might split in two for now. Before Kilian and after Kilian.

Kilian currently has 1.3 million followers on instagram and in one form or another I think he has changed the lives of over a million runners, including mine.

9-10 years ago, early in my running career, I had a phase where I was reading every book that was connected to running. Among them were The Ultramarathoner – Dean Karnazes, Eat & Run – Scott Jurek and Kilian’s Run or Die. Now I’m within 10 feet of him, having run the same route and about to stand on the same podium. Ten years ago I was impressed with everything he does through running, now I like to think we have that in common. In the tent, I could ask him almost anything, thank him and congratulate him on everything he has done. I didn’t as I didn’t want to seem like too big a fan. Although I am.

I often ask this question to friends “If you could invite someone to dinner, anyone in the world, who would you invite and what would you ask them?” These days the answer from me would be Kilian. I’m grateful to life and to the moment that I’ve gotten to this point. I didn’t ask him anything because I’d have to take him out to dinner every night for a week to answer all my questions.

@Kilian, if you’re reading this article, would it be weird if I knocked on your door in Norway and took you out to dinner at a nice place close to home (whatever you mean by that) for a story and to sign my books that have been sitting in my library giving me inspiration for so long?

1. Dl Stan Turcu

The finish of the UTMB is an extremely exciting thing. In 2018 I had instant tears before the finish line. The thought went through my head that anything is possible and no dream is bold enough. That I had fulfilled a dream I had dreamed of since crossing the finish line of my first ultramarathon

This year I wanted to cross the finish line as quickly as possible, satisfied with a good result and a good place. I didn’t have time to get excited. I saved the tears for later.

The next day, around the same time I crossed the finish line, the winner of the 70+ category, Mr Stan Turcu, was due to cross the finish line. At 74, Mr Turcu did the loop around Mont Blanc in 44 hours 59 minutes and 48 seconds. I was also at his finish line. When he went to get his finisher’s vest I managed to hug him and then I was overcome with emotions and tears.

I got to know Mr Stan better at a workshop, Running School, in Bucharest when he told us more about his dream of finishing the UTMB. I was fascinated by his ambition and determination. We were of different ages but had the same dream.

Since then Mr Stan has been training, planning, dreaming about this race and sitting down more confidently at the start of the competition. He ran, hydrated and ate to close the loop in the time limit, but he did much better than that.

If the top athletes showed us that the limits are in our heads Mr Stan showed us that it’s never too late to start something and see it through. It’s enough to dream, prepare and execute a plan made in years of training.

@Mr Stan Turcu, thank you for giving us this moment and this example. I dared to transpose myself over 40 and tell myself that I will want to do this at your age.

Posted on 4 May 202218 May 2022 by Robert Hajnal — Leave a comment

Animo campeon!* Transgrancanaria 2022

Gicu Petrovay's Transgrancanaria 2022 story

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I almost always train with my headphones on and listen to podcasts. In all the years of running I have gathered and learned a lot, but there are some that have remained written in capital letters and that you will remember forever. Someone once said that in an ultra you have a moment when you know for sure that you will finish. It was the first ultra in which I had that kind of moment.

“I did half of the climbs. We still have that much!” I told the boys. As soon as I said that, I knew I would finish. I knew that the brain, the most important organ in an ultra, would take me to the end. I still can’t explain why and how, but I knew then and there that it would be fine.

I was climbing through a pine forest with Paul and Gabi and checked the data on our watches. It was morning, I had probably ended the worst night of my life. The rain was pausing and, being in the woods, the fog was less visible. All that remained was the penetrating and persistent cold, the cold from which neither my clothes nor my running protected me. But let’s start with the beginning.

Trans Gran Canaria is one of the largest trail races in the world, being part of a circuit every year, such as the Ultra Trail World Tour or the Spartan Trail Race. It crosses the island from north to south, from Las Palmas, one of the two capitals of the Canary Islands, to the south, in Maspalomas, a resort bathed in sunshine all year round. Being of volcanic origin, the center of the island is a massive mountain range, with many branches. What is specific to Gran Canaria is that on a very small area you will find many extraordinary types of climate and vegetation. Within a 30-minute drive, you can drive from rainforests to sand dunes, from the humid, rainy climate of the northern half to the southern desert. The race is almost 130 km long and almost 7000 m positive level difference.

I arrived on the island two days before the competition and from the moment I landed I had a feeling of “home”. I have connected with the place from the beginning and I was sure that I will return several times. I’ve felt this in just a few places. The program for the two days was busy, with many organizational trips related to equipment, nutrition plans and meetings with fellow riders. I managed to sleep well, one of the most important things before such an effort.

The start is a festive moment, a show organized for runners and thousands of spectators standing in line on the 2 km from Playa de las Canteras where it all begins. There are percussion bands, a choir singing the island’s anthem, and games of lasers and lights. We meet Robert and exchange the latest information and head to our starting places. Robert is set to race mode, I always liked that about him, that he can be relaxed and ready to run like a running machine for 14 hours at the same time. Before the start, a selfie with Paul and Bogdan. Last picture in which we look decent…

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3, 2, 1 and we’re off!

I have started with Paul too fast, but we try to get out of the platoon because we know that there are areas that we will not be able to overcome. It’s 11 at night and the beach and the seafront are full, it’s a carnival atmosphere. Our tricolor T-shirts, with ROMANIA, written big on the back, produce effects, I hear various nice remarks from those we run with. We also meet a runner from the Republic of Moldova, and we wish each other success. We leave the city and start the climb. Las Palmas remains bathed in light, we let it sleep.

The silence begins.

It’s a kind of silence at an ultra that you can rarely find in real life. It is something that comes from within when you manage to isolate the noises from the outside and you are left alone with your thoughts. It’s meditation, it’s introspection, it’s giving up the permanent external stimuli that keep our brains plugged in every day. This peace is addictive, it’s one of the things that makes me go back to long races, despite the inevitable suffering.

We left in shorts and a T-shirt, but as we advanced into the night, the cold began to set. We’re on a tropical island, but something doesn’t look right. A gust of cold wind coming from nowhere, a valley from which the cold air from the base does not come out and enters under your clothes. The rain, which will be with us all night, begins slowly. As we climb the mountains, it gets worse, as if nature is trying to stop us.

Although after finishing an ultra, in the coming weeks I remember very clearly all the climbs, all the descents and the discussions with my colleagues, the night in Gran Canaria was completely different. It no longer has a chronological thread, it’s just a collection of images, some stronger, others more erased, a drunkenness from which sensations and feelings return. I see Aloe Vera forests and cacti, dormant villages, some coquettish, some dilapidated, pine forests, valleys full of boulders, a 25% climb with so much mud that I was pulling trees so I could advance, a ridge on that the wind was blowing so hard that I couldn’t go in a straight line, a lot of falls and an incredible amount of water and MUD. Above all, a penetrating freeze and a cold rain that enters under your clothes and freezes your blood.

But one thing worked during the night: nutrition. There were 3 supply and hydration points, Arucas, Teror and Fontanales. I vaguely remember them, at Fontanales I tried an unsuccessful hot soup from which I tasted and threw it away. Otherwise, gels and sticks for 30 minutes, water and electrolytes, and as the electrolyte flask emptied, I filled it with Pepsi.

In the morning we were caught on a steep descent, on wet rocks, and then an ascent as well, to the El Hornillo hydration point, a small point where we stayed for less than 5 minutes. I was still through fog and rain but the light of day gave me a boost of energy and I was slowly leaving the night behind. After El Hornillo, as we climbed through a pine forest, I had the moment described at the beginning. From then on I knew I would finish, abandonment was ruled out!

Artenara is the feeding point located approximately halfway through the race, at km 65, arranged in a hall, protected from rain and cold, equipped with food, blankets, chairs, doctors and, most importantly, the possibility of transport to start or finish. Because of this it was a difficult threshold to cross for many competitors because of the 262 abandonments in the race, 85 were at this point. After a night of cold, rain and torment, I understood perfectly every runner who chose to stop here.

For me, Artenara was a good time. I am satisfied with the design of a plan and its perfect execution. Even though the plan itself wasn’t the best, as I was going to find it on my own skin, it helped me move on and leave the torment of the night behind. I knew that in the southern part of the island there is an arid, desert area and it rarely rains. Left alone, I decided that the only thing I would do was cross the mountains, to reach the southern slope. It didn’t matter after that, I had only one goal. So ambitious for this new plan, I took all my clothes off, even though they were wet, and started implementing my plan. I found a steady pace and, helped by the fact that the rain was getting rarer, I increased the pace and started to overtake competitors. We climbed and then descended to Tejeda, one of the most beautiful villages we have seen so far, and after the point in the central square of Tejeda we started the climb to the campsite El Garañon, where we had our drop bag. It was the first climb in the race where I felt it was no longer working. The brain wanted me to go at a pace, but my legs couldn’t. We had a few breaks without rain and even sunshine, but once we reached the ridge, the strong wind, rain and fog started again.

The drop bag helps in the ultra both logistically, with equipment and food, and psychologically. I left the El Garañon campsite with new, dry shoes, and some of the fatigue and wear was left in the drop bag, with the old equipment. I did a reset and started the last marathon. The weather was already much better, it was really hot, and the mud was replaced by dust and dry boulders. All that remained was the strong wind. The most emblematic point of the route followed, Roque Nublo.

Roque Nublo is a 67 m high volcanic rock, located on a mountain peak, being the third-highest peak on the island. It is a magnet for tourists and is visible from several points on the island, especially from the south. I saw it from a distance and started the loop that went around it with a descent that went well, then a torturous ascent on strong winds.

The passing of Roque Nublo was a new psychological threshold. This is where my plan ends, this is where I set out to be. If until now my only goal was to cross the mountains, once I managed that, I was a little confused. The accumulated fatigue caused all the determination and motivation to melt as soon as we reached the hydration point at Roque Nublo. Another problem was that from here I did not know very well the profile of the route. I knew that only a descent would follow in the sea, but I missed the fact that there were 3 more climbs which, although not very big, at the stage of fatigue accumulated until then, became the heaviest climbs in the race.

Another thing that has been constantly deteriorating over the days has been nutrition. The gels and sticks were getting harder and harder to eat, and I started eating chorizo bread and cheese from the check points.

It was a mistake because, although they tasted good, they were not digested at all, as I would find out later in the evening.

After Roque Nublo we climbed to the highest point of the route, then began a long and stony descent, as if placed there to chop finely what was left whole of the muscles and ligaments.

As after 100 km of the race the judgment is not the clearest, I was sure that there is only one intermediate point, at Ayagaures, and then the finish. I knew that the last point on the dam was an accumulation lake, a lake that could be seen in the distance at the base of the mountain.

But the road took a completely different direction, and I couldn’t explain why. I only realized when I got down to the village that I had forgotten about the Tunte supply point. I got there so tired and demoralized that I couldn’t eat anything. I stayed very little and took it on.

This was followed by the climb that consumed me the most psychologically, crossing a ridge between Tunte and Ayagaures. In addition to the extreme fatigue, it was already getting dark, I could not see where the road passed the ridge, and my body was listening to me less and less. I tried to think a little, clench my teeth and squeeze out what energy I had left. When I reached the top, I put on my headlamp and had my first equipment problem in the race. Although the battery normally lasts 16 hours, due to the extreme cold of the previous night, it was now almost discharged and was operating in emergency mode. So, in addition to being tired, I was also blind!

After a few swear words and a few “God help!” I started the descent. I strategically positioned myself behind a girl who was constantly running and had a better head lamp and I set out to hold on to her as much as I could. Because I was running on a very rocky path and I couldn’t see anything, I hit my feet in every way they could hit. That girl got acquainted with the darkest corners of the Romanian language..

In the end it was a good descent, of 7-8 km, run slowly but steadily. I arrived at the dam at Ayagaures dizzy, as if I were floating. I don’t remember what I did at that point, I just know that I wanted to go with the sticks of a German, forgetting that I had mine folded back in my waistcoat. I had about 15 km to go and I was not well at all. My legs were moving at their own pace, I couldn’t control them too much, my brain was in a panic, and my stomach was completely blocked, I couldn’t even drink water. A theoretically easy climb followed, but for me it was the hardest in the competition.

I was lucky enough to clear my stomach on the side of the road at the beginning of the climb. I mentally noticed that the ultra no longer eats chorizo and cheese and I went on a little better. From there until the end I at least managed to drink water again. I passed the last peak and started the descent towards the finish. What was supposed to be a pleasure run became a final torment, because the route did not lead to a road or a path, but through the dry riverbed, full of boulders. It didn’t help that I had almost no light at all.

I forgot about all at the entrance to Maspalomas, the lights in the Parque del Sur and the applause of the spectators at the finish. In the cheers of the crowd, I was surrounded by a bunch of locals, I was congratulated by the race director and the mayor, and the local press crowded to say a few words to me. A few girls, probably local models, were crowding around to take pictures for Instagram, and a few kids were asking for my autographs!

Or maybe I don’t remember well… After the finish line, after the spotlights on the last 50 meters it’s dark. The race announcer can still be heard, but it’s quieter. I found two chairs that I sat in with Lutz, the German with the sticks from Ayagaures with whom I had run the last 10 km together. We took our medals and finisher’s vests, we also took water in flasks and, for the first time in 24 hours, we were without any specific purpose. I just stayed.

Technical part for runners, with questions from Robert:

What went well (to be able to reproduce next time)?

My brain helped me the most in this race. I finished it out of will, nerves and determination.

What can we improve?

Two things need improvement, nutrition and core strength. I need more strength in my torso and I need to learn to eat at ultra.

What changes can we make so that we do not encounter the situations in point 2?

Practice nutrition during long runs, test several types of gels. Maurten, no matter how good they are, there are only 2 types of gels.

What was the hardest moment of the race and how did you get over it?

Probably the night running through a totally anti-running weather. I passed because I had a time horizon ahead, I knew it was just a stage, I had to go through it and get to an area where it is no longer cold and not raining.

What did you say to yourself when you reached the middle of the race, what was your feeling, your general condition?

I finished the race only because halfway through it I had the revelation in the first paragraph. It was a good time. I was still resting, the real fatigue started around km 70-80.

What piece of equipment will you not take at the next contest, what piece of equipment was very useful in this contest?

I didn’t use the external battery at all, but I should have charged my headlamp. I took too many gels and bars, I don’t know if I should have taken less or eaten more. The clothes were the most useful, the cold blouse I bought last year from Chamonix became my favorite coat.

Echipament Transgrancanaria 2022

- Altra Olympus 4 shoes on the first 90k, then Hoka Speedgoat 4 to the finish
- HG T-shirt, Compressport blouse, Uglow raincoat
- Nike tights, Decathlon trousers
- Salomon 10L running vest with 3 Salomon 500ml flasks of which I used 2
- Compressport Pro Racing socks
- Leki Carbon sticks
- Petzl Nao headlamp + Reactive Lighting
- Maurten, SIS, Decathlon gels
- Isostar electrolytes

*) Anime champion! you hear from spectators lined up on all roads, in all villages and at all intersections, at night, day, wind or rain. The people you most likely meet once in a lifetime are there to encourage you. A remarkable level of civilization and sports culture.

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Posted on 29 April 202229 April 2022 by Robert Hajnal — Leave a comment

First Edition of Rarau Everesting

The first edition of Rarau Everesting takes place on 30 April. 130 runners will attempt between 1 and 10 climbs on the summit of Rarau.

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At the end of each month we send out a newsletter that keeps you up to date with important events in the running world, gives you training ideas and motivates you for your next competition.

The idea behind the Everesting concept couldn’t be simpler: run up a hill until you reach 8,848m – the height of Mount Everest.

The reality is a relentless endurance battle that will push you to your physical and mental limits.

Achieve a level difference equal to Mount Everest and you’ll become a member of the RARE Everesting 8,848+ Elite Club.

For your Everesting attempt to be approved, you must:

Accumulate +8,848 m level difference;
Follow the marked route to the summit of Rarau;
Descend the marked route from the summit of Rarau (same)
No sleep – you must complete the challenge in one period;
Breaks (eating, drinking, recharging) are included in your time;
You must reach the summit each time;
You must get down safely and return to base camp;
Time limit 30h max;

Everyone who makes at least 1 ascent will receive the FINISHER medal

Between 2 and up to 9 climbs, you will receive an engraving on the FINISHER medal with your name, time, and total accumulated elevation in the competition.

For 10 climbs you will receive the above + the special RARAU Everesting 8.848+ Elite Club trophy.

For the first edition of Rarau Everesting 130 participants are registered.

Leave a comment on how many athletes will climb 10 peaks of Rarau in less than 30 hours?

Running coach?

Let me teach you training, nutrition and competition tricks!

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UTMB roller-coaster

The emotions and experience of TrailRunning Academy athlete Valentin Bălănescu during the 170 km of the UTMB.

The 10 Magnificent of the UTMB 2022 Podium

I had the chance to share the UTMB 2022 podium with 10 of the best endurance athletes in the world. Here’s how I met them, how they competed and my thoughts on them.

I ran to Cluj for the Wizz Marathon

I never thought I would end up having a road marathon, the Wizz Marathon, as a training session for an ultramarathon.

Posted on 23 April 202223 April 2022 by Robert Hajnal — Leave a comment

New World Record at 100 km 06:05:41 by Alexandr Sorokin

Alexandr Sorokin set a new world record for the 100km distance at Centurion Running in the UK.

Robert Hajnal

Alexandr Sorokin from Lithuania sets a new world record for the 100km distance.

He ran this distance in 06:05:41 in the Centurion running event. The old record was 6:09:14 and belonged to Nao Kazami.

About a year ago in CarbonX, Jim Walmsley missed this record by less than 10 seconds.

Alexandr Sorokin is also the world record holder for the 24-hour run, running 309.4 kilometres at the end of August 2021.

Romania’s record holder for the 100 kilometres belongs to Iulian Filipov.

He ran the 100-kilometer distance in 06:41. Like Sorokin, Iulian also holds the national 24-hour running record with a distance of 277.47km.

Looking for a Running Coach?

Let me teach you training, nutrition and competition tricks!

How to make a proper checkpoint for your next ultramarathon

Do you have a support team for your next ultramarathon? Here’s what you need for a successful race and a ‘full’ Check-Point.

UTMB roller-coaster

The emotions and experience of TrailRunning Academy athlete Valentin Bălănescu during the 170 km of the UTMB.

The 10 Magnificent of the UTMB 2022 Podium

I had the chance to share the UTMB 2022 podium with 10 of the best endurance athletes in the world. Here’s how I met them, how they competed and my thoughts on them.

I ran to Cluj for the Wizz Marathon

I never thought I would end up having a road marathon, the Wizz Marathon, as a training session for an ultramarathon.

Posted on 20 April 202223 April 2022 by Robert Hajnal — Leave a comment

Boston Marathon results: Updated list of 2022 winners from all eight divisions

Robert Hajnal

April 20, 2022

The 126th Boston Marathon will took place on April 18. Last year’s event was pushed from April to October due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while the 2020 iteration of the competition was held virtually.

Last year’s champions were Benson Kipruto (men’s open), Diana Kipyokei (women’s open), Marcel Hug (men’s wheelchair) and Manuela Schar (women’s wheelchair), Zachary Stinson (men’s handcycles), Wendy Larsen (women’s handcycles), Chaz Davis (men’s para athletics) and Misato Michishita (women’s para athletics).

Romania’s National Running Records +50k

Men’s Wheelchair

Finish	Racer (Country)	Time
1	Daniel Romanchuk (USA)	1:26:58
2	Aaron Pike (USA)	1:32:49
3	Johnboy Smith (United Kingdom)	1:32:55
4	Kota Hokinoue (Japan)	1:34:06
5	Patrick Monahan (Ireland)	1:34:38

Women’s Wheelchair

Finish	Racer (Country)	Time
1	Manuela Schär (Switzerland)	1:41:08
2	Susannah Scaroni (USA)	1:46:20
3	Madison De Rozario (Australia)	1:52:48
4	Yen Hoang (USA)	1:55:27
5	Jenna Fesemyer (USA)	1:55:59

Men’s Handcycles

Finish	Racer (Country)	Time
1	Alfredo Delossantos (USA)	1:08:40
2	Dustin Baker (USA)	1:15:52
3	Steve Chapman (USA)	1:21:33
4	Edmund Pires (USA)	1:24:34
5	John Masson (USA)	1:26:50

Women’s Handcycles

Finish	Racer (Country)	Time
1	Wendy Larsen (USA)	1:35:10
2	Devann Murphy (USA)	1:48:23
3	Dianne Leigh Sumner (USA)	2:03:43
4	Corey Petersen (USA)	2:12:42
5	Jessica Hayton (USA)	2:20:32

Professional Men

Finish	Runner (Country)	Time
1	Evans Chebet (Kenya)	2:06:51
2	Lawrence Cherono (Kenya)	2:07:21
3	Benson Kipruto (Kenya)	2:07:27
4	Gabriel Geay (Tanzania)	2:07:53
5	Eric Kiptanui (Kenya)	2:08:47

Professional Women

Finish	Runner (Country)	Time
1	Peres Jepchirchir (Kenya)	2:21:02
2	Ababel Yeshaneh (Ethiopia)	2:21:06
3	Mary Ngugi (Kenya)	2:21:32
4	Edna Kiplagat (Kenya)	2:21:40
5	Monicah Ngigi (Kenya)	2:22:13

Para Athletics – Men

Note: These are the top five finishers from all para athletics categories.

Finish	Runner (Country)	Time
1	Michael Roeger (Australia)	2:25:42
2	Marko Cheseto Lemtukei (USA)	2:37:01
3	Chaz Davis (USA)	2:45:45
4	Ary Carlos Santos (Brazil)	2:46:37
5	Andrew Thorsen (USA)	2:49:46

Para Athletics – Women

Finish	Runner (Country)	Time
1	Lisa Thompson (USA)	3:47:25
2	Liz Willis (USA)	3:56:31
3	Melissa Stockwell (USA)	3:58:36
4	Jennifer Herring (USA)	4:04:29
5	Jennifer Byers (USA)	4:28:03

Click here to see complete results from the 2022 Boston Marathon.

ABOUT THE B.A.A. AND THE BOSTON MARATHON

THE B.A.A. HAS ORGANIZED THE BOSTON MARATHON SINCE THE EVENT’S INCEPTION IN 1897

The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon and ranks as one of the world’s most prestigious road racing events. The B.A.A. continues to manage this American classic, which has been sponsored by John Hancock Financial since 1986. The Boston Marathon has distinguished itself as the pinnacle event within the sport of road racing by virtue of its traditions, longevity, and method of gaining entry into the race (via qualification).

THE MODERN ERA OF THE BOSTON MARATHON

When Guy Morse took the reins of the B.A.A. in 1985, he was given a rotary phone and an empty office in the old Boston Garden. The days of the B.A.A. Games at the Boston Garden and the B.A.A. clubhouse were long gone, but the organization held onto its marquee event, the Boston Marathon, and the B.A.A. Running Club as the only two visible pieces of its illustrious past.

As race director, Morse and the B.A.A.’s Board of Governors attracted a principal sponsor for the Boston Marathon in John Hancock Financial and, with John Hancock’s assistance, instituted a prize money structure to help bring the world’s fastest runners to Boston. The change not only brought faster runners to Boston; it brought more runners to Boston. Since 1986, the men’s and women’s open division course records have improved a combined eight times and the field size has grown from 4,904 entrants to 30,000 in recent years. The Boston Marathon also attracts approximately 500,000 spectators each year, making it New England’s most widely viewed sporting event.

For the 100th running of the Boston Marathon on April 15, 1996, the B.A.A. worked for years ahead of time in cooperation with the eight cities and towns along the Boston Marathon course to appropriately commemorate the milestone. Through a one-time exception to field size constraints, a record 38,708 runners were given entry into the Centennial Boston Marathon. This single-time field size stood for seven years as the largest in marathon history.

Ten years later, the Boston Marathon partnered with the London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City marathons to collectively launch the Abbott World Marathon Majors. This series links the world’s most prestigious marathons and offers a $1 million prize purse to be split equally among the top male and female marathoners in the world each year. In 2013, the Tokyo Marathon joined as the sixth event in the Abbott World Marathon Majors series.

The progressive actions of the B.A.A. throughout the years have been reflective of the vision of the B.A.A. Board of Governors. Since the B.A.A.’s inception in 1887, the Board of Governors have voluntarily led the organization through good times and bad.

Through its dedicated leadership, the B.A.A. has demonstrated its commitment to and support of the Greater Boston area, especially the eight cities and towns along the Boston Marathon route. In 2013, the B.A.A. renewed its financial commitment to the towns of Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, and Brookline, the cities of Newton and Boston, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, pledging a total of $2.7 million over a three-year term, with contributions increasing annually.

OFFICIAL CHARITY PROGRAM FOR THE BOSTON MARATHON

The runners of the selected charities of the B.A.A.’s Charity Program for the Boston Marathon raise more than $15 million annually and serve areas of need within Greater Boston. The funds and positive impact are important to the success of the B.A.A.’s mission, and the B.A.A. is proud to support these charities and their fundraising endeavors. With special regard to the field of Boston Marathon qualifiers, the B.A.A. has integrated its charity program into the race in an effort which recognizes the running community in and around the Boston Marathon, and the year-round philanthropic endeavors of the Boston Athletic Association. The Charity Program for the Boston Marathon began in 1989 when the American Liver Foundation became the first charity to receive official entries into the Boston Marathon. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute came aboard in 1990, and since then the program has grown to support at least 30 charities each year.

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Citește și:

How to make a proper checkpoint for your next ultramarathon

Do you have a support team for your next ultramarathon? Here’s what you need for a successful race and a ‘full’ Check-Point.

UTMB roller-coaster

The emotions and experience of TrailRunning Academy athlete Valentin Bălănescu during the 170 km of the UTMB.

The 10 Magnificent of the UTMB 2022 Podium

I had the chance to share the UTMB 2022 podium with 10 of the best endurance athletes in the world. Here’s how I met them, how they competed and my thoughts on them.

I ran to Cluj for the Wizz Marathon

I never thought I would end up having a road marathon, the Wizz Marathon, as a training session for an ultramarathon.

Posted on 5 April 202218 April 2022 by Robert Hajnal — Leave a comment

ISTRIA 100miles by UTMB®

ISTRIA 100mileS by UTMB®

Are you ready for a 170-kilometer adventure in Istria, Croatia? We’ve put together a series of photos from the 100-mile route around the Croatian peninsula. The route goes from sea level to 1400meters, through villages paved with cubic stone, vineyards and olive trees hundreds of years old, picturesque hills.

• Live update

Am ajuns la Finish #1! (18:26h) Mulțumesc tuturor pentru suport & susținere!

Suntem aproape de final! Ultimul CP pentru Robert a fost la BUJE (155,4km) și apoi ne vedem direct la finish cu #1! Mai mult de 60 minute are avans față de locul 2, Roberto Mastrotto. Hai, Robert! Have a good pace!

Robert se simte mai bine deși a fost nevoit să mai vomite o dată. A solicitat pâine în următorul punct de la LIVADE. Din păcate nu avem pâine și nici în checkpoint nu găsim așa ceva. Sperăm să-l „păcălim” cu niște grisine. Cântecul păsărelelor și dimineața ne oferă optimism pentru următoarea porțiune din traseu. Se pare că Robert nu este singurul cu probleme la stomac, MASTROTTO având și el dificultăți similare.

În CP Buzet a stat 5min20, dar nu se simțea prea bine, i-a fost rău până aici. Sperăm să își revină, are un avans considerabil față de locul 2.

PS. Robert nu a vrut să-și schimbe încălțămintea. A zis că preferă să rămână în noul model Altra Mont Blanc pentru că se simte bine în ei, renunțând astfel la schimbarea cu modelul Olympus.

Robert a avut și primul moment mai dificil din cursă. Între M.DRAGA și POKLON a rămas fără apă și i s-a făcut greață. Astfel la ieșirea din CP POKLON a decis să înlocuiască un flask de isotonic cu unul de apă. Dacă până acum a avut câte un flask de iso, apă și carbo.. acum a luat două de apă și unul de carbo. Urmează două CP fără suport. Ne mai vedem cu Robert abia peste aproape 5 ore.

Robert a intrat primul în CP POKLON (km 52). Nu a petrecut prea mult timp nici aici, doar 2 minute si 40 de secunde i-au fost suficiente echipei sale de suport pentru a-l pregăti de luptă. Între timp s-a oprit și ploaia. Robert are 14 minute avans față de ocupantul locului secund - Sange Sherpa. Hai Robert!

Supa caldă pregătită de echipa de suport (Maria & Paul) e acum în mâinile lui Robert. Așteptăm mai multe informații, stay tuned!

La km 35 Robert este în timpii lui optimiști..deci puțin mai rapid decât era programat. Probabil stă aproape de Sherpa. Urmează cea mai dificilă urcare din cursă, cu peste 1400m diferență de nivel în 16,6 km. Între timp a început și ploaia...

Robert intră primul în CP MOŠĆENIČKA DRAGA urmat de SANGE SHERPA. Stați aproape, urmează info & foto 🙂

Robert a ajuns al doilea în checkpointul Plomin cu doar două minute în spatele lui Sange Sherpa #4

3, 2, 1 ..Start cursă! Vremea pare perfectă pentru alergat!

Zile

Ore

Minute

Istria100 by UTMB – Race Recognition – TrailRunningAcademy by Hajnal

Antrenează-te cu Robert!

Stabilește o video conferință gratuită!

Posted on 2 April 20223 April 2022 by Robert Hajnal — Leave a comment

How a running coach improved my training process

Starting with December 2021, I chose a coach to work with for a more efficient process. How did I get to him? What benefits did a coach brings me? What is and is not a coach? Why you should do this step?

Robert Hajnal

The first memory I have of myself is running in the schoolyard.

The first running competition I took part in was 10 years ago, in the Retezat mountains. It was 28 kilometers with 2200 positive level differences.

It was painful, but I was caught up in this sport of suffering even though I told myself I would never do it again. Since then I have started and finished more than 50 running competitions on different distances and on different surfaces.

Some of them did really well, especially those in my “niche” of ultramarathons on the 100 kilometers on the mountain.

All this 10 year span period I structured my training plan on my own, I chose my races and I had a continuous desire to improve my process. Both, to train and to train.

I think a change is welcome for a while, especially since I’ve been running for 10 years.

Starting in December 2021, I chose a coach to work with for a more efficient process. How did I get to him? What benefits did a coach bring me? What is and is not a coach? Why you should do this step, I will detail in this article.

I wouldn’t have taken that step in 100 years because too often I was saying to myself, “No one else will know what’s best for me,” especially since I’ve been doing this for so long.

What I was really saying was that I was not prepared for such a commitment and I would not want to disappoint anyone in my training and competition process. It sounds familiar? That it is my right to choose when to run and to suffer or to take a day off.

Spoiler alert! Even though I now have a coach, I still have this right and I have more days off than I would have given myself.

Enjoying myself in an easy long run near Tășuleasa Social with Cristian Bilegan

How did I decide to have a running coach and where did I choose him?

I was in Bucharest on Mihai’s massage table. To my left, on another massage table, Florin, a triathlete talks about his today’s cycling workout. Cadence, watts, pulse, everything seemed very, very accurate. I asked him who was his coach and he told me that he had a training plan from Training Peaks that he was following.

When we met, one of the first conversations I had with Maria, about running, was about a coach. If I have one or not. I told her that I am my own coach and that I prefer to make my own training plans, and without lack of modesty I told her that if I took a few podiums I was good at it.

He confirmed to me that I am good at this (ego boost), but that I should still have someone to guide and motivate me.

Besides, she told me I should just run and not bother with other things like my own training plan. And she said that it’s very easy to be biassed when it comes to your training plan. It’s easier to make the right plan for others, but it’s harder to make your own plan and follow it exactly. Smart girl, from the start.

This discussion was a recurring one, especially on the days when I used to say “today I will have a soft day because I don’t feel ready for an intense workout” and these days have been more and more frequent lately.

The year 2021 was a year full of competitions for me but a year that could have been better in training. After MIUT, where I took 5th place, I told myself that I had to take another step forward, to fight for a place on the podium (top 3) at every ultramarathon I start.

Listening to Maria’s advice, and remembering the discussion with Florin, I told myself that for the next competition, I will take a training plan that I will follow with holiness from TrainingPeaks.

After about two hours of scrolling through training plans, I find a plan that suits my needs. “16-week training plan with 18-20 hours of training for 100-mile competitions on the mountain”

It sounded very appropriate for what I needed.

In addition, I liked how the “demo” week looked like. It was very well structured and shared the same the principles after I train and considered healthy to have. Enough volume, enough intensity, enough recovery. Not not too many not too few of each.

The plan was not perfect.

It was a 16-week training plan and there were only 12 weeks until Transgrancanaria. I bought the plan and gave an email to the coach who made the training plan to ask him how can I adjust the plan Transgrancanaria how It should be adapted, to cut the first weeks, cut the weeks of volume, and what to cut, how much to cut? I wouldn’t have thought that maybe I should add something,

The coach responds to my email congratulating me on 2nd place at UTMB and told me that he knows me and that he could restructure my plan, but at the same time, if I am interested, we can start a collaboration in which he will supervise my training process. In addition, he can give me a 50% discount for the first month.

We made a call after MIUT and I was caught.

What benefits did a running coach bring?

Testing. Consistency. Diversity. Volume. Focus. Recovery. Attention to detail. Progress.

The biggest plus I have felt since I have a coach is that I can share with someone the successes, the difficult moments, a race plan, and a nutrition plan. I have someone on this journey looking in the same direction, with the same vision.

Testing. After a week of lightly running recovery after MIUT and setting goals for 2022, the plan began with flat running, treadmill tests, and a strength test. Because it was the end of the season, and because I had eaten a lot of pastel del nata in Madeira, orange cakes, and egg sandwiches, I felt heavy and out of shape from the beginning. I was not discouraged knowing that if I keep working hard it is very difficult to go lower than that. I said it to myself.

Consistency. I did more work than I would have done if I trained alone. I went out of the house more often even if I didn’t feel like it, which is a bonus from the start.

I have done all of that not because someone was following me but because once I took that step, I had to stick to the process. If I have done the same thing as before, I would have had the same results. Even Andrei Ivănescu was surprised to see me at the gym, in the evening after a running workout.

Diversity. I ran on the track, on the trail, on the treadmill, on the road. I did cross-country skiing. I used the weight vest, I cycled on the trainer, and I went to the gym. During all these 4 months I did all the job without feeling that I was losing the fun that winter offers me, without feeling that I was training too much or that I will be injured.

Volume. Not only did I train more, it was more fun, but I also ran longer this time of the year than I would have done with my own schedule.

Focus. Each training had its precise purpose and the Vertix2 watch confirmed to me that the training goal had been achieved.

Recovery. Often the coach informed me that I had to recover that day or not too pedal or run hard or too much. I remember running downhill at the first weight lifted west and the coach told me not to do that anymore. Or when I had an indoor cycling session on the trainer, I made it too intense and the coach told me to make it softer and pull when needed.

Attention to detail. After the TGC I was put in the practical situation, to write down what went well, what worked, what didn’t work, and what steps we should take to improve the pre-race process. For Istria, I have taken these aspects into account and I hope for an improved result.

Progress. From the first test to the last test a few days ago, progress has not stopped. Both in speed, and strength, and in my perception of effort. As long as we have progress in process or result I am delighted and “better” can be more often.

What does a running coach is and what a running coach is not?

A coach will not take you out of the house, but if you are a person who feels motivated when supervised then this service may be for you. I know that many people feel the need for a coach to be more motivated, productive, and communicative about training and goals.

A coach will not argue with you because you did not run, but he understands your reason.

A coach will adapt your training plan to your needs and unforeseen moments.

A coach understands the “struggles” you go through, he will motivate you to overcome them.

Under no circumstances should a coach punish you. He is with you, he shares this process with you. A coach sees the potential that you have and the negative passes are transient.

A coach (re)gives you confidence.

After 16 weeks of training, a few days before the start of the race, I thank Maria for sticking to the idea of having a coach and motivating me to take this step.

A few days before a hundred miles I find myself fitter, more motivated, and more prepared than ever to make a successful run.

And it’s good because I’ve never been alone in this, but now I have another person with me to share this journey with.

Join us!

We have personalized training plans,

unique race advice

and a great community!

Also a good read:

How to make a proper checkpoint for your next ultramarathon

Do you have a support team for your next ultramarathon? Here’s what you need for a successful race and a ‘full’ Check-Point.

UTMB roller-coaster

The emotions and experience of TrailRunning Academy athlete Valentin Bălănescu during the 170 km of the UTMB.

The 10 Magnificent of the UTMB 2022 Podium

I had the chance to share the UTMB 2022 podium with 10 of the best endurance athletes in the world. Here’s how I met them, how they competed and my thoughts on them.

I ran to Cluj for the Wizz Marathon

I never thought I would end up having a road marathon, the Wizz Marathon, as a training session for an ultramarathon.

Posted on 30 March 202230 March 2022 by Robert Hajnal — Leave a comment

Let’s get to know him a little better: Hannes Namberger

A little preview of Hannes Namberger’s mindset, training philosophy, and how he became one of the best ultrarunners in the world.

Interview by Robert Hajnal

My name is Hannes Namberger. I am 32 years old and I am from the south of Germany, close to the Austrian border. I started trail running in 2015. I love running over 100km.

2021 has been a very good year for me. I won the Lavaredo Ultra Trail in Italy, MIUT 115, and I took part in the UTMB 100-mile race. It was my first time there. I finished in sixth position.

It was a spectacular experience.

Ultrarunner // Dynafit Athlete

The first interaction

Hannes is one of the friendliest people I’ve ever met. Not only from the running community but from all the people you will have ever encountered. I think this is a very valuable asset for a a person, I envy him for that.

The first time I met Hannes, was at kilometer 25 at UTMB, where I caught up with him, he was in a difficult moment of the race.

I congratulated him for the Lavaredo race, wished him a successful race, and told him to take it slow. He did so until the 90th kilometer when he slowly overtook me and reached Chamonix 6th.

From ski to pubs to Trailrunning

I must admit that I first heard about you as a runner at Lavaredo Ultra Trail in 2021, where you won the race, even though your running career started years before. Before talking about running, can you tell me more about your life, where were you born, where do you live now and what is the most frequent place you go out to have a beer?

I am 32 years old, I am German and I live in Ruhpolding. It’s between Munich and Salzburg, so directly in the Alps.

I work as a policeman on the border to Austria but I feel more like a Trailrunning Pro then a police officer. Since last year August I am engaged with my girlfriend Ida, so my season highlight will be my wedding in June .

Sorry, but I have to say you don’t find me in a bar for a beer, I don’t like to go out for a drink and it’s difficult to find the time for that.

I like it more to be in the mountains.

I also admit that I stalked you after your 1st place at Lavaredo, scrolling through your Strava profile, interviews and so on. I know that you were a professional skier. Can you tell us more about your transition from skiing to running and why did you stick to ultrarunning?

I finished my skiing career in 2011 and started running in 2015. In the years between, I had a cool time partying, freeskiing, backpacking in Asia, and enjoying my life.

I did all these things that I couldn’t do as a skier. But when I started with running, I had to lose some weight. I was really heavy. I had 16kg more then now and my legs had the double size then my running legs.

I Never planned to make races or ultras, but I enjoyed the time in the mountains. The beginning of my transition was cool because the progress went so fast and then I heard about a 52km race in Austria.

I signed in, trained hard, and enjoyed every second of it. After this race, I said to myself “Let’s do this again!”.

From that moment on, running was my new sport.

HANNES AND HIS FIRST COACH

Your first ITRA races were in 2015. Did you have a coach from the start of your running career?

No, I only listened to my body and did what I wanted. Fun was the most important thing at the beginning of my running career.

Your first 100km race was at CCC in 2019 and only two years later you had your best running year (1st Lavaredo, 1st MIUT, 6th UTMB). What have you done differently in 2021 and in the past 2 years?

The years before I trained without a plan and without introduction. I went out the door and had fun in the mountains. But after 2019 I wanted to be more professional and contacted Micha Arend, my Trainer of the past 2 years.

My longest day in running shoes 101k in 11h 48m. Yesss i did it!! I finished my first k race with many ups and downs…. but at the end i made the 12th place. Thanks to all who watched this race at the livestream.

Hannes after CCC in 2019

What is the name of your coach and how did you two meet each other?

In 2020 & 2021 it was Michael Arend, he had a company for endurance Athletes. He was a trail runner too but in December of 2021, he sold his company to his employers which are also great trail runners, and quit his job. From January this year, I train under the rules of Lars Schweizer who learned everything from Micha Arend. So it’s a little bit of a change for me, but I am actually very happy with my trainer.

Do you coach other athletes or do you focus mainly on your running career?

I focus only on racing. I do not coach other athletes but I am happpy when a young athlete writes to me and seek for advices, I will give my advice happily.

What is your favourite anaerobe training? And what is your favourite training for improving lactate threshold?

I don’t like anaerobe training because I am really bad at it. But you have to do it. The most time I do 5 times 3minutes or 4 times 8 minutes.

Sometimes I do 4 times 20 minutes uphill training which are really hard but necessary for the Ultra Races.

We all have lows during an ultra event. What do you tell yourself to lift you up? Do you have a mantra for the hard times?

I only try to push myself forward. Racing is for me only a fight against myself, that’s all.

You are now an Elite Dynafit athlete. Can you tell us more about the brand and what is required to be an elite athlete for your team?

I am in Dynafit since 2018 and it’s the perfect brand for me. This are products from athletes for athletes. I am in the Pro Team what is perfect for me, because I can do what I want to. I don’t have to run any series or special races. I wanna select my races by myself because I want to be on the startline with the best athletes in the world.

And Dynafit gives me the perfect equipment to perform on the highest level. An extra plus is that since this year they organized an endurance studio, it’s like a gym, but more for endurance athletes and I train there my body for stability.

What competition do you visualise yourself winning while you are training?

All my 4 big races. To win it’s not the most important thing for me, but more important is that I give my best and show my best performance!

What races will you do in 2022 and what is your main focus now in training?

My season opener is a short race on La Palma with 29km.

My main goals are Penyagolosa, Mozart100, Utmb and the World Championships in Thailand. Those are 4 big races plus my wedding

My focus in training is on 3 parts, uphill, flat and downhill because at all I am okay, but not really good. I have to improve more and more.

Did you like what you have red

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Posted on 14 December 202119 April 2022 by Robert Hajnal — Leave a comment

13 running competitions of 2021

The stories, in a nutshell, of this year's competitions. From the "Ioan Soter" gym tour to the mountains of Bucovina, the Mont Blanc passes and the race across Madeira.

It would be great to be able to take 1st place in every competition you enter, but success can be defined in more ways than just taking the top step on the podium. Success, in running, can be defined as finishing an injury-free season motivated and energized for the next season.

For me 2021 was a very competitive year. I trained less (near the end of the year I ran about 4000 kiometres), but I didn’t lack to take start to competitions. I enjoyed running with my pulse racing events ranging from 10 minute events to ultramarathons lasting over 20 hours. In conclusion, I will always prefer the longer ones, because I’m better at them and because they involve more food.

And I always enjoy running “for all my money”.

3000m National Championship

Bucharest, 6 February
09:24:31, 20th place

3000m

I started the competitive year very early, choosing to run the 3000m indoor event. It was a first for me. If you get to start this kind of competition at 30, chances are you’re the oldest athlete on the line or in your wave.

I was lucky with Damian that he took my place as the “oldest” athlete in our wave.

For me it was my first 3000m track race, so however I finished, the final result was a personal best.

Right from the start I relied on the experience of Bogdan Damian who has run this event before. The strategy was simple: “don’t start (too) hard and stay as long as you can with him, don’t overtake in the turn and try to have the fastest last kilometre”.

I sat at the start with a pair of Altra (XC Racer) while all the other runners had pegs. The laps went by very quickly, although during the 9 minutes I had my heart rate at record levels.

Without much specific training, the incline of the tower gave me a headache and a sore glute post race.

The intermediate times “shouted” by Sergiu, the CSM Cluj coach helped me realize that I was slowing down on the last mile instead of speeding up.

I finished in 09:25, a true parameter of the form I was in.

10 km Road National Championship

Timișoara, 04.04.
34:11, 28th

10km

In Timisoara I had a difficult day.

A bumpy 2.5km loop and a pain in my right side prevented me from doing my PB for the 10km distance. I don’t know exactly what caused the pain that almost brought me to my knees.

Maybe I left too little time between breakfast and the run, maybe I drank too much coffee, maybe I started too hard.

I finished the race in 34:11 and with a desire to do better.

50 km Road National Championship

București, 17 april
3:08:43, 7th place

50km

The ultramarathon is my home. It’s the event I feel best at and have the best results at. In ultra running you need to be patient, you need to know your strong and weak sides, you need to save your energy reserves for the end.

You don’t have to give everything from the start. You need to have a strong finish, something I’m very good at.

For the first time, a National Championship was held at this distance in Bucharest. The competition was a qualifying event for the 50km World Championships in China – a competition that was eventually cancelled, but I’m glad that the FRA organised this race.

New national records were set in various events, and I did my PB for the marathon distance (2h:34min) because I had the opportunity to constantly fuel up and be encouraged every 4km.

I ran almost the whole distance with my teammate from CSM Cluj, Andrei Crainic. It was also a good day for the CSM Cluj team with whom I took 2nd place.

I was impressed by Corneschi who won all 3 events I started in the last months 3000m, 10km, 50km. It seems you can be good at everything!

Transilvania Legends

Putna, First stage
42km, 1st place

Transilvania legends

I made a trip to the place where the map hangs on the nail to run the first 42 kilometres of ViaTransilvanica, at Transilvania Legends.

It was a day full of mud, beautiful scenery and good cheer. A day where a good training earned me 1st place in the first stage of the first edition of Transilvania Legends, a multistage race of over 650 kilometers on ViaTransilvanica.

After the stage, I left for Tășuleasa Social where I spent the next week.

Feleacu Running Hills

19+ 9 km, Cluj Napoca,
1:59, 2nd place

Feleacu Running Hills

When I think of Cluj, I think of the friends I’ve made over the years there: Peter, Paul, Bogdan, Florin, Răzvan, Mișu, and how delighted I am when I see them again and how we sit around chatting over a (too) spicy dinner or a bottle of wine.

I happily come back to this city for them, and if there’s a competition, all the better.

From Feleacu Running Hills I didn’t have very high expectations. Especially since it was 3 days away from Transilvania Legends. It’s true that I didn’t pull myself hard at the 42 km race in Bucovina, but I didn’t want to kill myself at the two start race in Cluj either.

I remember that the first race, the 9 km race, started very hard and the front runners were getting lost one by one. I was on the lookout, following the correct route. I was like a sly old fox.

Surprising even to me, I finished the short race in 2nd place and the long race also in 2nd place, finishing – you guessed it – 2nd overall.

The winner was Andrei Ivănescu, who beat me by 1 minute and some change in the overall standings.

After the race, I peeled off the best pizza, which also seemed endless. I think pasta party should turn into pizza party.

ViaTransilvanica Maraton

Tășuleasa,
18 Iunie
3:07min, 1st place

Via Transilvanica Maraton

After almost 10 days of “settling in” to a place I hoped I wouldn’t end up in anytime soon (military trauma), I started the competition which took less time than I would have liked, but which brought me 1st place.

This competition was like a running celebration. The bright raw green woods, runnable climbs, delicious burgers at the finish and endless beer were some of the bonuses provided by the organizers.

I had the opportunity during these 10 days to wander the ViaTransilvanica, spend a few good days with Tibi, drink a few bottles of wine, do the cypress, sauna and plan for the year that promised much.

It was like a mini all inclusive holiday where Mrs Aurica took care of us from sunrise to sunset.

Ultramarathon
National Championship

Suncuius, 3rd place

Primavera TrailRace National Ultramarathon Championship - Șuncuiuș

Since the beginning of 2021, I have done almost every run with this competition in mind. A competition that was postponed in the first phase and that gave my plans to participate in Transgrancanaria and Lavaredo upside down .

The reason: a possible qualification for the Ultramarathon World Championships in Thailand. That’s why I chose to participate in the National Championships and give it my all.

We expected it to be a hot day and to suffer because of it. The first part of the race was quite hot, but then a rain came and cooled us down.

With a bit of luck, I came 3rd after Andrei Preda and Toma Valentin.

We had an exemplary check-point and a great accommodation at Victor’s hamlet.

Brașov Maraton

38 km, 2200+
3rd place

Brașov Maraton

Only 6 days have passed since the 80+ km race in Șuncuiuș. However, I also decided to run the Brasov Marathon. Because it’s 1 km from home, because it’s on the trails where I train, because I would have been sorry not to do it.

It wasn’t an easy day here either. Maybe because I’m not as trained as I think I am, maybe because the time allotted for speed was unproductive, maybe because I’m tired, I found it hard to even run the serpentines to the top of the Tâmpa.

What’s clear to me is that things can turn out better than you expect.

I was around kilometre 16, before Postăvaru peak, and I was thinking of abandoning because I was in 5th place. Besides, knowing all the trails, I knew how to get straight home, on the Old Road. However, I told myself that I had to take the run to the end, turn it into a long run, if I couldn’t be a bit more competitive.

But soon, the runners in front of me started having problems: cramping, dehydration, dropping off the pace. So over the next few miles, on the downhill, I came in 3rd place, more than happy that in 7 days I “maxed out 2 races”.

Bucovina Ultra Rocks

Câmpulung Moldovenesc
85 km, 5400+, 1st

Bucovina Ultra Rocks

I was undecided until the last minute. I didn’t know which race to choose: 85, 110 or 180.

I chose to run a shorter race – 80km – in which I would gather maximum elevation. Oh, and that the start was at a decent hour.

It was the race that I went as hard as I could from the start – not something I’m known for. I wanted to see how long I could last. I think I managed to keep a pretty good pace until mile 60, when the heat came on and I found out I was over 30 minutes off 2nd place.

It was the race where I ran out of gels and took a longer rest break before climbing the Runc.

Ultra Trail Du Mont Blanc

Chamonix, 25 August
170 km cu 10100+
46th place, 27:45

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utmb

I went to the UTMB for the 5th time. 4 times I ran the 100 mile race. This time I suffered the most and chose to continue. This year I missed the longer 15 hour races and an altitude training camp, so when I got to 1800+ my strength would fail me.

On the bright side, there will be an edition next year and I will definitely be at the start line wanting to get a great result.

I’ve written a detailed history of the UTMB.

Sibiu International Half-Maraton

Sibiu, 21 km,
1h19, locul 4

Sibiu International Maraton

On a cool autumn day in the centre of Sibiu, we set off on a race that took us through the streets of the city, through the Village Museum, through Subarini Park.

It’s hard to get up to speed after a 100-mile race. Even though I felt like I had my engine revved to the max, I could barely run 3:50/km.

The run went by relatively quickly and left us plenty of time for pizza.

Would it have been a good idea to run the Marathon event? Maybe at the 2022 edition.

Penyagolosa Trails

Castelon de la Plana
110 km, 5400+, Locul 3

Penyagolosa Trails

After the UTMB I felt I still had energy for two end of year competitions. I chose Penyagolosa and MIUT.

In Castelon I ran the 105km race which starts in the middle of the town and finishes below the Penyagolosa peak. Three years ago, when I was training for the World Championships, I promised myself that I would come back to run the longest race of the event.

It surprised me that I was the second favourite, after ITRA points, and I told myself I had a chance to be at least in the top 3.

I started the race slowly and, to my surprise, after 50 kilometres I was in 4th place. At kilometre 55 I was in 3rd place and that’s how I finished the race. I pulled myself up for it, but it was worth it.

Penyagolosa Trails is a very runnable race, but very difficult because of the technical terrain, rocks and cliffs on the course. If on paper it looks like a fast race, at the time you think you’ll do it you’ll need to add at least 10%.

It was a delight to place 3rd in this competition. Three years ago I spent about 30 days in Vistabella, a village on the competition route, and this year I made the podium.

MIUT - Madeira Island Ultra Trail

Porto Moniz - Machico
115 km, 7200+, Locul 5

Madeira island ultra trail

Maria. MIUT. Madeira.

This was the plan for which I returned to this place for the 4th time.

When I left Porto do Sao Lorenco in the spring, I told myself that I would come back and ask Maria to marry me, right there.

6 months later I found my voice trembling as I popped the question.

Euphorically, after Maria said “I do,” the outcome of the race came to matter very little. I resolved to “suffer” as little as possible, thinking that a top 10 would mean a good result, a top 5 – very good, a top 3 – exceptional, and a 1st place – extraordinary.

I started the race with a problem with one of the sticks, ending the first CP in 30ish place. I still had time for another 110 kilometers to get through. Which I did.

I had a huge advantage in that I knew the course by heart and all I had to do was be patient and eat and run to the finish.

5th place was the bonus of this trip.

I see running as a journey, as a pleasant means of navigating everyday life. It’s what gives me meaning and gives me the feeling that I was born with a purpose. I’ve been lucky enough to turn this hobby into a lifestyle. However, my participation in these competitions would not have been possible without the help of Altra, Uglow, Datacor, Gold Nutrition, InfinityRun.

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Posted on 19 October 202111 September 2022 by Robert Hajnal — Leave a comment

UTMB 2021 – Suffering is the Way

este calea
povestea UTMB-ului din 2021

The story of the UTMB 2021 race. How I chose not to quit even though I lost any chance of a podium finish.

Articol scris și trăit de

Robert Hajnal

I’m in Bucharest. I’ve been sitting on the oversized wooden bench at the Steam coffe shop for an hour. I’ve had a filter and a medium with a shot. I’ve been sitting in the shade, but at 09:37 the sun comes out on Uruguay Street. I can feel it warming me through my thick jacket received as a gift from M.

Most people would just strip off and enjoy the morning chill. But for me the warmth relaxes me. I’m overcome by a state of bliss. It’s the opposite of the state I get during an ultramarathon. Or at least at the end of one.

In the ultra, from one point on, you have every muscle tensed and it seems like every thought is against the desire to continue. Here, on the bench, I would sit for hours.

On August 27, another Friday, I was at the start of the UTMB with the sun warming me up. I got the state of bliss, and in not 20 hours I got the opposite of that, I think during an ultramarathon it is an absolutely natural state.

Jordi, Xavier, me, Germain, Jim, Dmitry, Francois – front row.

Behind us several hundred other runners. I feel we are no different from each other and our chances of finishing first are equal.

Ahead of us we have 171 kilometres, over 10200 metres difference in level. We all set out to run or walk them. That “communicates” us.

The start is on fast-forward, but from the first steps of the run I’m at the front with the leading pack. I have a thought of running ahead of everyone for a few metres, but I tell myself that this is something only an unconscious beginner would do. I refrain.

I get into the rhythm of the pack and enjoy running side by side with runners who have invested a lot in this race, at least as much as I have.

I cover the first 8 kilometres to Les Houches in 33-35 minutes. They were almost flat kilometres and I have a smile on my face, a few people who recognise me are cheering me on by name.

At the first CP I fill my 2 flasks with water, as planned, and am ready to run the first climb. I’m within a minute of the first 10-15 runners. The effort seems easy, and I’m right on schedule with my target times.

UTMB - Saint Gervais — © Romain Bourven – UTMB 2021, Saint-Gervais

I reach Saint-Gervais, kilometre 21, in 1h55, taking care not to accelerate too much on the descent, then Les Contamines, kilometre 33, in 2h55. Exactly the times I set myself.

At the check-point Ergo was waiting for me, who was ½ of the support team completed by Maria. Ergo had just entered the check-point, and I, not two minutes later, and I’m off.

In Les Contamines (km 33) in the CP it is crowded and chaotic. If the support team isn’t on their toes, they can miss you. When I arrived, I didn’t see it and shouted loudly “Ergooo!”. Like a genie out of a lamp, he appeared in front of me and pulled me by the hand to the little piece of bench that had all the makings of an ad-hoc checkpoint.

I load up with food for the next 50 kilometres, while Ergo says “you’re 10 minutes early”. I look at my watch which shows 2h55. That’s exactly what I planned. I don’t understand what he means.

I put on my headset and exit the checkpoint 83 seconds later.

I don’t know what place I’m in, I don’t know who’s in front, but after I get out of CP I’m running side by side with other runners ahead of me.

By Les Contamines they were a few seconds ahead of me: Diego Pazos and a Compressport athlete with blond pigtails. Fuelled by Tuc biscuits, mint tea and Maria’s smile that I caught out of the corner of my eye for a few seconds, I run to the next CP.

After mile 33, on the flat, I run a little harder, even as I feel the weight of the bag full of goodies. Without much effort, I catch up with the runners behind.

I catch up, say hello and cheer on Tom Owens. Within a kilometre, I catch Xavier. I pass him and see that he’s having trouble climbing, wobbling, looking dazed.

Before this I was having an inner monologue and wondering how many years and how many times I have to go around Mont Blanc to run side by side with him?

It took 4 entries and 7 laps of the loop.

This was the year, but he had some health issues. I preferred it to be different. To be fully healthy and run with a smile on our faces, side by side. I preferred the duel to be fair. Now the “duel” seems unequal.

I reach kilometre 50, Les Chapieux, in 5h 25, still fresh.

Jordi a few seconds behind me. The miles went by so naturally, like pouring a beer in a glass.

Here comes the first section where I like to speed up: Les Chapieux (km 50) – Col de la Seign (km 60).

After Les Chapieux follows a one kilometre section of asphalt on a slight climb. Who can still run this section in the race, it’s still fresh. I run it and decide to catch Jordi behind, who has a two minute lead. I catch him and quickly gain the lead.

After another 3 kilometres, uphill, I get my first low and start looking back at the lights that are haunting me.

I hear a voice that wasn’t just in my head and asks me in Romanian: “Can you still go?”. Even though I’m a little dazed and confused, I realize it’s Cristi Manole.

I thought he was ahead of me, because I didn’t pass him in the race. It turns out that I’m ahead of him in the CP at Les Contamines (km 33). I reply “yeah, sure” and we continue a stretch together.

From the altitude, the exertion and the force feeding I feel like throwing up. Deaf vomiting. No spitting anything out of my mouth, just an abdominal tightness followed by a “bleaah” from all my guts.

That’s a sign that I need to ease up on the food poking and get more into the running part. Cristi takes the lead. I put a shirt on and try to get closer to the front.

I’m on the most technical portion of the race and for the first time regret starting with a pair of road trainers. I can feel the edge of the rocks I’m stepping on in my cleats and it makes my quads tighten more than they need to.

I arrive at Lac Combal and find I’m in 9th place. Better than I expected, but worse than 2 years ago when I was in 3rd place.

The second stretch I like to speed up: Lac Combal (km 66) – Col Cheruit (km 75). I accelerate without looking back. It’s all over the climb, quite fast, even though I walked it.

Only the descent remains towards kilometre 80.

I’m still fresh and no one is on my tail, but no one is in front of me either. It’s a feeling that makes me happy.

It feels like I’m all alone in the forest and the whole globe is asleep. It feels like the end of the world has come and I have nothing better to do and choose to run.

Do I run for pleasure or do I run to find a home with other human beings? I can’t tell if what I’m thinking about is fiction or reality, but after a few meandering runs, through dust and forest, I arrive in Courmayeur to “real people” and leave my fiction.

Coming a kilometre ahead of me on the trail, Maria and Paul wake me up to reality. They fill me in on where I am, what the runners in front of me look like, how long they’ve been in CP, and I tell them how I feel, what my problems are, “the gels don’t really fit anymore and I’m going for ‘natural, smoothies. I tell them half-heartedly. The other half I lost somewhere on the way down.

The low voice tells me I’m more tired than I realise.

I arrive in Courmayeur (km 80) at 02:25. I’ve been running for more than 9 hours and everything feels natural. It feels like I haven’t put in much effort. I’m like at a race in Romania where I know I’m going to speed up. The second half is harder, but should be done in less than 12 hours.

The first 80 kilometres went by easily and because I had planned every time, every gel. Now, in the 2nd half, I have left room for the unknown. Although I had all the food planned, I didn’t know exactly the times I needed to tick off to meet the goal at the next CPs.

I pass the floodlit CP in the Courmayeur gym on the streets over which the night has poured. My thoughts are racing ahead. I’m on the next climb, close to Bertone.

I’m in 8th place and ahead of me is Cristi Manole. Even though I’ve done 100% of the climb on foot, I reach Bertone at almost 4am.

It’s the coldest point of the night and I feel it. I get to the CP and ask them for soup. I put TUC crackers over it, but it’s too hot to spoon down my throat.

Soup too hot, outside too cold.

I walk into a room and there I see Cristi cramping and wanting to give up.

I’m disappointed, it seemed like we were fighting a common battle.

Now it’s like I’m alone in the race. Cold, I put all the clothes in my rucksack on, grab some more soup and leave. I could use a hug from Maria as consolation for his abandonment. If I were a puppy, I’d have my tail between my legs, dreading being left alone.

Two minutes later, 3-4 runners come along and overtake me. Their metronomic pace seems powered by the stars of the night. They run so easily, if they were running on the beach, there would be no sole.

After another 10 minutes of walk-run, I feel the urge to pull over and “take a picnic”. Jordi passes me and seems to speed up when he sees me. I stay sitting on my butt and try to get as much gel and Tuc bits into me as possible.

After a few minutes I resume the run, then I pace it because I’m sleepy and feeling the effort too hard. I am overtaken by 6-7 other runners as I try to survive.

I’m at mile 60.

Utmb 2021 - Courmayeur - Robert Hajnal — © Romain Bourven – UTMB 2021, Courmayeur

I rub the back of my neck with the palm of my hand, like a piece of Fontina cheese in a grater, and think about what to do. I tell myself that I have time to recover from the biggest low I’ve ever had in a competition and to overtake the others in a few hours.

But I still feel like I’m barely moving. I do 10 kilometers in 2 hours. I’m thinking of stopping at Arnouvaz, kilometre 100, where Paul, Bucovina Ultra Rocks organiser and part of my crew, is waiting for me. The thought that in a few moments I can stay warm in the car is tempting.

At that moment, however, it’s as if someone cuts through the sky and it starts to brighten. Little by little, like when you wake up and pull back the curtain, and the room gradually-gradually-becomes light. Suddenly, I start running.

I feel like I’m on a film set, like the director said “action” and that got me moving. I feel reborn.

Ten minutes later my phone rings, it’s Paul. He asks what’s wrong with me and tells me he’ll pick me up if he has to. I tell him I don’t need it, “I was sick, but I’m back, see you in Arnouvaz”.

After 20 minutes, I see Paul and Mateo, Paul child, their first words were encouraging: “Jim and Pablo Villa have retired”.

I tell them I want soup at the next checkpoints and then I realize how good it is to have a man at each checkpoint, he can inform the support team to prepare me exactly what I need.

I also have soup with TUC here and am grabbed by the 2nd girl, Mimi Kotka. I’m happy for her, but hurry out of the check-point.

I fill up 2 flasks with water (although I was planning to have 3) and come out with fresh strength.

I turn off the front. We are at mile 105 at 2200 meters altitude.

I see 4-5 runners who have passed me at night and who I am about to pass in the next kilometers. Next up is how many sections where I like to speed up?

Gran Col Ferret – La Foly.

I catch up with 4-5 runners who are suffering from the cold. I still have all my clothes on. And the hunter’s eye activated. I hydrate and fuel myself to the brim until I put in a gel that I throw up instantly.

The moment you come to is magic. You feel like you’ve vanquished a creature that’s had a hold on you for hours. For these small victories it’s worth continuing, no matter how fierce the thought of quitting.

I start running and catch other runners behind. The wind picks up, a sign that we are nearing the top of the climb. Even though I’ve done over an hour on this climb, it felt like it went by very quickly.

In total, I’ve done TMB 7 times, in competitions and training. This climb to Col Ferret about 10 times.

This year my mind has shortened the distances. This year I felt how the miles seemed to shorten. The mind no longer makes an effort to encompass this distance entirely, instead it’s divided into segments. Some to be tackled faster, others slower. Some I run, others I hydrate or fuel.

2-3 kilometres before La Fouly (kilometre 114), my race begins.

I start to peel the layers of clothes off me. I enjoy the morning coolness. I stuff my hat, gloves, rain jacket, wind jacket into my trouser pockets. I make two gussets on my quads so that when I get to CP I just take off my pants and stuff that pair into my backpack, with the rest of my gear in my pockets. I’m excited about the idea.

Before the CP, Maria tells me that I’m 20 minutes faster than the app said, that I look better and run faster than the other runners in front of me, that I’m 12th overall and 11th male.

I still had 55 kilometres to go. I was feeling so good that I thought I was going to run like this all the way to Chamonix. My mood is also fuelled by the fact that I had also caught Jordi behind. All the runners I passed were damaged, none of them responded to my pace and none of them kept up with me.

I was running like I was at the start of a marathon, and not in the middle of an ultra. I’m euphoric!

A few miles later, I stop to pee. I’m alarmed by the color of it, dark brown. Strange, because it was also cool and I think I had drunk enough water.

I look back and don’t see any runners.

I keep walking-running, but the euphoria wears off. It lasted me about 3 hours.

The climb to Champex-Lake comes and I start to feel my quads aching. I’ve been running for 14 hours. I haven’t run that long in over 12 months, it’s normal to feel tired.

I arrive in the CP at Champex-Lac and not a minute later the runner I’m racing against for 10th place, a Korean, shows up.

I eat well, change my shirt, let myself be encouraged by the support team and leave the CP after about 3 minutes. My quads are getting sore and I combine fast walking with running. At this stage of the race, even those fighting for a top 10 are pacing it out, even on the flat stretches.

They also take 9th place from last. I pass him at a run. As soon as he sees me, he activates and starts running too. I let him go to the front and the Korean passes me.

The climb that made me drop out twice in previous editions follows. I knew it would go by quickly if I hydrated and fueled up. I get near the top and see that the 2 athletes who had overtaken me have a maximum of 5 minutes ahead. It’s the “most dangerous” portion (close to 2000m) where I feel weak.

More than overtaking them, I want to reach the check-point and get obliterated by the team. By Trient I am overtaken by 2 other runners on the descent. I still miss a competition longer than 14 hours.

In Trient (km 145), I am spoilt for choice. I change my running shoes, change my shirt again, eat and drink well. I am already 17 hours into the race. Six hours longer than my longest effort in 12 months. I’m already writing it down as a lesson for the next UTMB – “an 18-20 hour effort is required 12-14 weeks before the race”.

It’s getting hotter and hotter, and I’m finding it harder and harder to sustain the effort. I’m in 15th place and the battle (this time with myself) is getting harder and harder.

I’m thinking of finishing the race at the next point, in Vallorcine (kilometre 154). When you’re fighting for the top spot, when you’re constantly overtaking people, you have a few allies and hormones to keep you in the game.

When those hormones leave you, you’re on your own, facing the demon inside you.

I’m 25 kilometres before the finish, when the competitiveness leaves me. I feel disarmed, like a warrior without a sword. I can only keep my body moving by walking. Runners pass me on the run. I’m frustrated that I can’t do this. The descent is more painful than the ascent and more difficult than the last descent.

The thought bubble of abandonment grows. I mentally project myself towards the next few miles. I have at least 6 hours to go until the finish. 6 hours of crawling.

I knew it would be hard, but I had no idea how hard. Between Vallorcine and the finish I felt like I was reaching my body’s limits. I’m moving as if in the Vallorcine CP I stuck my fingers in the socket and left them there. Every step is a step out of my comfort zone. My muscles ache, I’ve run out of energy in my body.

The altitude of over 2000m at La Flegere makes my effort considerably harder. I did 3 kilometres in 80 minutes. In which I put all my clothes back on and tried to sleep for 5 minutes, curled up on a rock.

On the last descent I try to run in small steps, to overcome my pain. I had no idea walking could be so painful.

I slowly peel off my raincoat and feel the coolness energise me. I change my walking stride to a running stride and head with the last of my strength to the finish.

Maria and Ergo come my way with 2 miles to go and we run together on the last descent.

The only muscles that don’t hurt are my facial muscles.

I can smile without pain. Even though the sun is hidden somewhere in the mountains I’ve been running through, I get a warm feeling.

It seems that at the other end of suffering is the feeling of bliss

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13 running competitions of 2021

3000m National Championship

Bucharest, 6 February09:24:31, 20th place

3000m

10 km Road National Championship

Timișoara, 04.04.34:11, 28th

10km

50 km Road National Championship

Bucharest, 6 February
09:24:31, 20th place

Timișoara, 04.04.
34:11, 28th

București, 17 april
3:08:43, 7th place

Putna, First stage
42km, 1st place

19+ 9 km, Cluj Napoca,
1:59, 2nd place

Tășuleasa,
18 Iunie
3:07min, 1st place

Ultramarathon
National Championship

38 km, 2200+
3rd place

Câmpulung Moldovenesc
85 km, 5400+, 1st

Chamonix, 25 August
170 km cu 10100+
46th place, 27:45

Sibiu, 21 km,
1h19, locul 4

Castelon de la Plana
110 km, 5400+, Locul 3