Saying that ultrarunner Courtney Dauwalter is on a summer winning streak is a vast understatement. The trail racing queen broke the course record at the Western States Endurance Run in Olympic Valley, California, before heading to Silverton, Colorado, and collecting another one at the Hardrock 100 just three weeks later. Now, she’s decided to squeeze in one last 100-mile race before fall: the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB).
“I have no idea how this will go or what I’ll be able to squeeze out of my body and brain in one more 100-mile race this summer, but that makes it even more interesting to try! Mont Blanc, here we come!” wrote Dauwalter regarding the September 1 race.
Created in 2003, UTMB spans 171 kilometers (about 106 miles) across Italy, Switzerland, and France, finishing in beautiful Chamonix. The course includes a punishing 10,000 meters of positive elevation gain. According to the race website, UTMB is known as “the most mythical and prestigious trail running race in the world.”
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Dauwalter set the course record of 22:30:55 in 2021. “I’m pretty wrecked,” Dauwalter said after finishing the race. “I’m a total train wreck. But it was so fun.”
Notably, New Zealand ultrarunner Ruth Croft—who won Western States last year—will also join the field. Americans Taylor Nowlin, Leah Yingling, Abby Hall, Clare Gallagher, and Sabrina Stanley will race, too.
Kells McPhillips is a health and wellness journalist living in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in Runner's World, The New York Times, Well+Good, Fortune, Shape, and others.
