Matthieu Girard returns for the 2020 Ultra Tour

Our 2018 winner of the 170 km Ultra Tour, Matthieu Girard, is returning for 2020! Here’s what he thinks about UTMR. Thank you Matthieu & best of luck, see you in September! 

N.B Matthieu is co-president of Trail Verbier St-Bernard a beautiful set of races at the beginning of July at the other end of the Valais. Well worth a try!

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I’m looking forward to coming back on those trails. I discovered the trail 2 years ago when I did it in 3 days to prepare for the race and I was amazed by the toughness and the wildness of it. I had just finished Hardrock some weeks before and I thought it would be easier, but it turned out to be at least as challenging. I was surprised by those huge climbs on some passes and by how wild they were. Of course the altitude is less of an issue in UTMR but the trails are more technical and you have very long sections where you are on your own which makes it a real adventure. But it’s really worth it and I long to be there again this year. It has many common points with the race I organise, the Trail Verbier St Bernard, starting with a genuinely alpine and wonderful route. It has also been designed for the runners and by someone who really knew the place and wanted to share it with others. We can feel this when you are running and it’s the most important point for me.

Let’s just hope I can live a similar race in 2020 (now 2021!) than in 2018, less of the sleepwalking along Mattmark lake at dawn…