UTMB Chamonix

Racereport UTMB

Let’s start 3 weeks earlier. I’d just started Transcania an old Swedish Ultramarathon with only 20 spots each year, I’d gotten one of them, before I got lucky in the UTMB Chamonix draw. 

So I decided to do both races. After all even if Transcania is a bit longer (246k) it have much less elevation compared to Chamonix. 

My goal was to set a new course record, and I almost did, finishing in 31h 56m. (CR 31h45m) with a 4,5h margin to the runner in second place. 

The weeks after was filled with rest, massages and visits to my chiropractor. Thanks @arenaklinikenhalmstad @arheden @donquiro

Now it was time for UTMB and I had an ambitious goal. SUB 30h which felt both manageable and inspiring. 

I would be supported by @springmedstina throughout the race, which was amazing, to get to share this with her ❤️🙏🏾

I managed to get a spot at the start only 15 meters from the elite so there was never any queues that slowed me down. 

I took it nice and easy the first hours. But even so after the first longer downhill, some 1000m descent I felt that something wasn’t quite right with my quadriceps. They felt like 2 days after a tough leg session with domesday DOMS :/ 

I couldn’t understand why. (But it would eventually turn out that I had the flu and this would almost make me DNF). 

So new plan. Now it was not about sub30h anymore it was instead only trying to finish the race. 

I’d met an old ultra friend @magnushjelmer with whom I’d ran the last 2/3 of  @kullamannen_trail 2022. We ran together until

It was some 40k left then split because since I couldn’t run downhill and I didn’t want to make him miss the cut offs. 

But before we went out separate ways we tackled the highs and lows together pushing hard uphill and running on everything else but not so fast on the downhills, my legs hurt too much. 

Around 09:00 on Saturday we reached Courmayeur and half way. And our dropbags. 

We had been up over 2500m above sea level but besides the pain in my quads I hadn’t had any other problems. There was lots of people feeling nauseous and shortness of breath but I think my adaption training saved me from this. 

During the second half of the race I did start to feel that the hard work of going uphill and downhill for over 30 hours started to take its toll. During one of the last climbs when I was on my own, a 1k vert of continuous uphill for more than 1,5h I’d got my first ever disorientation during an ultra. I suddenly thought I was in a small village in northern Sweden called Åre and I couldn’t understand why @springmedstina had me trying out this tedious loop of going uphill and downhill. I’d had all forgotten about the UTMB and that I was in a race. Luckily I snapped out of it when another runner passed me and asked “are you OK?” To which I replied. “Yes!” That’s was a lie 🤪 

But I started to follow him downhill and after a while I got into the motion again. Still angry about @springmedstina 🙂 but this part of the course still went quite fast. Maybe channeling some anger into my quads made me able to keep some pace even going downhill. 

Reaching the second to last aid station and @springmedstina I got a place to sit (thanks to Stina❤️🙏🏾👊🏽) and I told her that. “I know I’m not in Halmstad. I really need to sleep for a bit” and I took my first ever powernap during an Ultra. 

30minutes later Stina woke me up. And after some snacks I sat off towards the last aid station above Chamonix. 

My legs or quads was still broke but I managed to get to the last aid station which was amazing. 

Did as I had done during the entire race, thanking the volunteers for them being there for us runners. Without them there would be no race 🙏🏾❤️

Then it was “only” 7k downhill 😬 and some 500m flat through Chamonix to the finish line. 

The downhill didn’t go fast or actually it didn’t even go slow but I got down. 

The running along the river in Chamonix and through the city was amazing, just as I’d seen on television from earlier years. People all the way cheering you on. Emotions running amok through your body, happiness for being able to complete the race. Sadness for it to soon be over, feeling sorry for all the people who had to dnf. Grateful towards all the people along the entire course who cheered me on. So I laughed and cried smiled and gave as many high fives as I could, even went back and took an extra pass along the other side of the last 20m to high five the spectators on that side. 

42h3m later and I finished the race. 

As I said to a friend after the race.”all in all everything worked but I made a small error in the beginning which made me finish 12h and 4 minutes later than planned. (I didn’t know about the flu at the time). 

The days after a got a terrible flu and fever. Then I understood why my quads had given in so early. During the race I thought a lot about quitting, which is uncommon for me. But I felt no reason to continue when I couldn’t reach my goal. Then I thought about all the people who was with my in spirits and on the course, all the preparations and that we even had striped the car with UTMB and our names. Can’t quit when it’s on the car right 🙂 

A big thank you for all the messages and texts and to all of you following me during this race. 

Thanks to @umarasports and @altrarunning_europe and @altrabrian let’s run together again soon 🙏🏾❤️

And thanks to @springmedstina I wouldn’t have done it without you. 

See you on the trails #getoutthere