Champions of the Trail

This chapter explores the dedication and professionalism of elite trail runners as they prepare for prestigious races like UTMB and Western States. It highlights remarkable performances, strategic race planning, and the emotional journey of athletes, particularly focusing on the impressive accomplishments of female competitors. The narrative underscores the intensity of competition, the dynamics of fearlessness, and the community's supportive nature amidst high-stakes events.

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What a race! The top athletes of the 2024 UTMB have completed the historic lap around Mont Blanc and this year’s race did not disappoint. Our team recounts the top stories, breakout performances, upsets, and more from the 2024 UTMB.

In a breakout performance, Vincent Bouillard took the men’s win in blazing fast time of 19:54:23, the third fastest time in the race’s storied history, behind Jim Walmsley and Kilian Jornet. Vincent is a HOKA employee and unsponsored racer, making this an extra special performance.

Katie Schide won the women’s race in a time of 20:09:31 course record time of, breaking Courtney Dauwalter’s record from 2022 by over 20 minutes. After her win at Western States this June, Katie has solidified herself as one of the best ultramarathon runners our sport has ever seen.

Come back Sunday for our full week recap of the race and champion interviews with the winners of CCC & UTMB.

Our 2024 UTMB coverage is brought to you by our good friends at HOKA. We're grateful for their generous support and belief in Freetrail.

HOKA is a proud presenting partner of the UTMB series. And sponsor of this week’s Freetrail coverage.Check out the Freetrail coverage all week to learn more about their new release of the Tecton X3. AND if you are here in Chamonix, go experience the HOKA basecamp and join in all the Tecton demo opportunities across the week. Named after the earth’s tectonic plates, which inspired its parallel dual carbon fiber plate design, the Tecton X franchise has revolutionized the trail racing world – propelling athletes to new heights.

The Tecton X3 features an upgraded midsole featuring two layers of PEBA foam, with one softer layer on top for cushioning and impact, and a slightly firmer layer underneath for agility proprioception on technical terrain. The propulsive parallel carbon fiber plates have evolved – now featuring winglets, the wider plates wrap strategically up the sidewall for additional control in key zones. In the upper, a new knit collar acts as a gaiter to help mitigate trail debris from entering the shoe.

Launching just in time for the UTMB Mont Blanc World Series, The Tecton X3 will be seen on HOKA elite athletes competing at the highest level in Chamonix,

France. Inviting consumers and fans of the sport to learn about the innovation behind the brand’s most pinnacle trail release yet, HOKA will be opening their FlyLab™experience dedicated to the Tecton X 3 in celebration of UTMB, located at the HOKA Base Camp in Chamonix Village, and open from Tuesday - Friday of race week.

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