UTMB Finisher - Lucja Leonard's race story

Trois, deux, un, GO!! A sea of 2,543 runners start moving through the iconic starting archway in Chamonix.  Emotions are running high through the field of runners taking on the UTMB (Ultra Trail Mont Blanc) of which 40% will not finish; the streets are lined with thousands of supporters all cheering us on and the sheer volume of people means we’re walking for the first 500m but I savour the moment as it gives me a chance to high five friends I recognise in the crowds and soak up the atmosphere hoping it will spur me on during moments of darkness to come.

I’d experienced FOMO the last 2 years of watching the race, online one year and in person last year, and now it was my turn to take part and I was so excited.  Since finding out for certain I was on the list in January my mind and training was focussed towards this race.  I’d trained consistently since May, finding it hard to get going in the early part of the year due to the ongoing winter and snowy conditions in Chamonix making it difficult to get on the trails as early as I would have liked or envisaged in my preparations.  My big preparation race was Gran Trail Courmayeur in the middle of July and I was filled with confidence from completing this event which spurred me on to really give a strong final push in the 6 weeks leading up to race day.  I’d focussed on running 50-60 miles per week with 5,000-10,000m per week ascent.  One session I wish I’d done more of was downhill repeats which I felt was really beneficial in building leg strength and sharpening up my downhill running technique as well.

After registering on the Wednesday I’d hoped to go into pre race hibernation from then until the start, not doing anything except having my feet up; however this was far from reality.  My sports massage services were in high demand and this combined with a few interviews for Claire from Wild Ginger Films and for Dutch TV program ‘De Kennis Van Nu’ there wasn’t much time left for relaxing.  With a 6pm start time it can be hard to plan your day and nutrition, I opted to have a bit of a lie in with pancakes for breakfast and then napped from 1-3 (which was more laying down resting than actually napping) and ate some Salmon, avocado and quinoa as my pre race meal. 

The rain came down hard just as I was about to leave to head to the start so I delayed that to hopefully get the worst of it out of the way and miraculously squeezed my way in to the rammed start line right beside my friend, Paul, who I would later end up running with for quite some time.  The rain abated and with jackets put away the excitement was ramped up with the UTMB theme song ‘Conquest of Paradise’ as our send off.

Don’t go out too hard was the advice from Dion and try as I might to control myself I found myself in Les Houches a little faster than I would have liked, but I felt good.  It was encouraging to see a lot of familiar faces in the crowd there to spur me on for the first big climb.  It was still light and I’d hoped to reach St Gervais before needing a head torch, but I had to give in and put this on for the last 15mins before getting there.  The checkpoint was crazy, a mad rush of runners all squeezing in to replenish and I was glad to get out of there as quickly as possible.  

Climbing into Les Contamines-Montjoie I thought back to this point 3 years ago, it was on this section I’d decided I was pulling out (DNF-Did Not Finish); I didn’t have the emotional, mental or physical capacity to carry on after having run #500kin5days only 4 weeks prior; compounded by the fact that Dion was in China having just found Gobi which had caused insurmountable levels of stress and anxiety.  This year I was stronger and Dion and Gobi would be out on course to support me, but first it was time to see my first crew of the race with friends Jo and Jana waiting for me once I squeezed my way through the rugby scrum that was Les Contamines-Montjoie checkpoint, where pizza and warmer night clothes awaited me with hugs and cheers.

My chest started to tighten as I began the climb up Col du Bonhomme, I was finding it hard to breath and with every attempted breath I felt more and more nauseous.  Eventually I succumbed to the discomfort and sat on the side of the trail and eventually threw up.  I felt a bit better afterwards and my chest didn’t feel as tight so as much as it was a blessing it also meant I’d lost valuable energy and had to focus on restoring that through energy drink and trying to eat a little bit.

The runners started to thin out after the climb which was a relief as it was so congested though I was far from alone at any point.  The night was long and it took me much longer than I’d hoped to finally reach Courmayeur, the halfway point.  It was shaping up to be a warm day and I was roasting in long tights and a long sleeve too so was super keen to see Dion, Gobi and Jana at the checkpoint and get out of those clothes.  Dion & Gobi met me just outside and ran the last 300m in with me as only one person is allowed inside the designated checkpoints.  It was great to see them and it really lifted my spirits.  Jana was super charged and ready to get me fed, watered and on my way until we realised I hadn’t put a fresh pair of shorts in the crew bag!  What to do?  I was already sat there in my knickers having removed my sweaty tights so Jana literally gave me the skort she was wearing and put my sweaty tights on, true friendship right there ? Jana updated me that my friend Paul had only just been through and my other friend & neighbour Zoe was on the table opposite so we decided to leave together.

Heading to Courmayeur

Feeling fresh and energy restored it was time to try and crack on, still 50 miles to go!  Zoe decided to sit and have a gel before the next clime to Bertone so I pulled ahead to keep moving.  I was pleased to see Paul when I reached Bertone and we decided to head out together from there.  It was nice to have some company as I hadn’t really  had anyone to talk to long the way, so it helped pass the time.  It was a long stretch to reach Arnouvaz where I was surprised to see Dion, Jana & Gobi waiting.  This wasn’t a support spot so they could only say hi but it was great to see them again.

One of the biggest climb of the race, Grand Col Ferret at 2,490m loomed ahead of us and we were keen to get up and over it before darkness descended for our 2nd night on course.  The weather started to close in on us as we ascended and just as we reached the summit huge claps of thunder sounded and lightning crashed all around us.  With big raindrops starting to fall we quickly put on our waterproof jackets and ran as quick as we could, this was not the best place to be in a storm, super exposed and great for attracting lightning.  The raindrops quickly tuned into a torrential downpour and the path became a sloshy mud pit.  Waterproof or not we were both absolutely drenched by the time we reached the midway down pint of La Peuty.  The next section had become diabolical with the path submerged in ankle deep water and mud making the downhill quite treacherous underfoot and slow going.  We reached La Fouly just on dark; cold, wet and in need of warm, dry clothes but we still had another couple of hours to get to Champex-Lac to meet our respective crews.  

The climb up to Champex-Lac was long and boring, but dry, the rain had stopped and I’d dried out completely by now.  I got changed anyway as we were now going into the night again so it’s wise to put some layers on as it can extremely cold up high especially when you’re tired and your body is starting to shut down so body temperature management is not up to par.  Dion & Jana we’re armed with fresh pizza & chocolate milk, some of my favourites, both of them acutely aware we were now in the force feeding stage of the race.  I also downed a can of orange soft drink which was so tasty I proceeded to ask them to get me some more for Trient which laughingly they both told me that at 2am in the middle of the mountains I had no chance!  Joined by Paul’s crew, wife Lucy, we all walked out of Champex-Lac together and chatted.  We’d see them again in Trient.

Paul and I made an effort to jog the downhill out of Champex-Lac as quickly as we could at this stage of the race before the climb up Bovine.  An arduous and rocky climb that was as unrelenting as the last, our head torches picked up shapes on the sides of the trail, it was runners, sleeping! I’d never seen so many runners taking random trail naps before, they were literally everywhere up the trail.  I was feeling it too, my eyes were heavy and the temptation to rest was strong but I kept shaking my head awake and soldiered on upwards.  Paul was struggling too so we kept checking in on each other to make sure we weren’t sleep walking.  Reaching Bovine I was renewed, I’d run from here a few times on training runs and I now felt like we were just running home.  I knew from here that I would finish and this just filled me with a new found energy.

We wasted no time at Trient, with only 2 more climbs to go we could start to smell the finish line and wanted that more than anything.  Dion & Gobi met us on the road into Trient and filled our heads with positive motivation before Jana ensured I had more food and sent us on our way. The climb up Tseppes is steep and we paced ourselves with a promise of a short rest stop at the top before flying down to Vallorcine, the last supported checkpoint before the finish.  

We arrived half an hour before we were anticipated so we really did fly!  Jana helped me into yet another change of clothes as it was now daylight again so back into shorts for my 4th outfit of the race, Dion had found me some fresh coffee and a quiche; and we were off to tackle the final climb.  Not before a quick hello, pompom & cowbell cheers with extra friends, Sam & Nikki, in the group at Col des Montets.  

False summit after false summit and the climb is done, but I’m not fooled, it’s still a long way to the final checkpoint Flegere which is winking at me in the distance.  It’s all downhill from Flegere and the trail is scattered with supporters, including my friend Sasa, who meets us just above La Floria where there’s more friends and a whole party going on, I shout “We’re bloody well going to do it!” as we run through the crowd.  3 miles now to the finish and I can feel it, the excitement is coursing through my veins and I can’t stop smiling with intermittent welling up as the gravity of what I’m about to achieve starts to hit.

I feel like a rock star!  The streets of Chamonix are lined with people, they’re all cheering for us, high fives are being handed out left and right, and as we turn onto the Main Street the whole town is one big party.  The cheering is so loud I’m looking left and right as I hear my name being shouted.  I spot Dion, Gobi, Jana and Paul’s wife Lucy who join Paul & I to run the final 50m together. 

This was my dream come true, tears well in my eyes as we all hug and kiss and congratulate each other.  It was all worth it; the time & commitment it had taken to prepare with the sacrifices along the way.  I’d been driven to this moment since 2016, that DNF had been weighing heavily on my shoulders for 3 years; a big monkey on my back that kept chattering away to me trying to convince me I wasn’t good enough to do it, but I am good enough and that monkey will forever be quiet.  Ultra’s are a team effort from the time spent training to the actual race and I couldn’t have done it without my amazing crew.  The cold beers in the sunshine together afterwards never tasted so good as we all shared stories of our combined adventures of the past 42 hours.

@runningdutchie www.runningdutchie.org

Feeling inspired to experience the Tour of Mont Blanc and run the UTMB? Then run it with us, not at race pace but over 6-days on our Mont Blanc Ultra Trail route or over 3-days on the 'CCC' from Courmayeur to Chamonix.