Swiss mountains see huge victories at Eiger Ultra Trail by UTMB as UTMB World Series heads to the USA

• German runners, Hannes Namberger and Katharina Hartmuth victorious in the E101 while E51 celebrates Swedish success for Petter Engdahl and Emelie Forsberg.
• 16-year-old Lorick Buclin (CHE) takes the win in the E16 race in second ever race.

Eiger Ultra Trail by UTMB® welcomed a star-studded line-up over the 12-16 July, including Kilian Jornet (ESP), Robbie Simpson (GBR) and Dani Moreno (USA) who both secured an all-important Running Stone to verify their spot at the UTMB® World Series Finals next month. With over 4,200 runners from 85 different nationalities taking on one of the four distances on offer, German runners Hannes Namberger and Katharina Hartmuth were victorious in the queen E101 race, battling hot conditions in the Swiss mountains.

Crossing the line in 11:38:35, Namberger established a strong lead ahead of Raphael Sprenger (CHE) and Josh Wade (GBR) who rounded out the podium in 12:04:17 and 12:17:15 respectively.

“It was a very hot day, and I was suffering a lot, but I am super happy with the success. Now I will start to focus on the UTMB training, and we will see what happens in Mont-Blanc,” said Namberger, who will be looking for redemption in Chamonix after suffering a DNF in the UTMB® race in 2022.

Hartmuth also had a tough day out, despite finishing 25 minutes and 6 seconds ahead of second-placed Virginie Quinodoz (CHE) and Jocelyne Pauly (FRA). She said, “I felt bad in the first five hours because I couldn’t really eat as my stomach was bad. I had some problems with my glute muscle at 60km and then had the most massive blisters, so it was actually not my best day.”

The CCC® 2022 winner, Petter Engdahl won at the E51 this weekend adding to his recent third-place at Marathon du Mont Blanc 50K and 13th at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships last month. He finished ahead of a strong Stephen Wenk (CHE) and Andreas Reiterer (ITA).

“I felt really good today and made it hard for the others from the beginning but then the heat started to kick in from halfway and it was a real fight. I have never been here before, but I have heard so much about it and it was an amazing race. I will now spend the rest of summer in Chamonix, to prepare for UTMB World Series Finals,” said Engdahl.

It was win-win for the Swedes, with Emilie Forsberg also taking the tape in the women’s race and dipping just under the six-hour mark in 05:59:10.

“I heard Eiger Ultra Trail by UTMB was really beautiful and I think this is one of the most beautiful races I have ever done. I am very happy we came here! I knew the uphill was probably going to be in my favor and that the last 7km was on the flat and in the heat which is where I would probably suffer a lot,” said Forsberg who now turns her focus to the CCC during UTMB World Series Finals in just over a month’s time.

Eleanor Davis (GBR) was happy to return to the race that saw her first fall in love with trail running two years ago. Her talent and success continued, finishing in second place behind Forsberg in the E51 despite not feeling great in the first half of the race and having to conquer her fear of heights on the cliff walk section of the course. Anne-Cécile Thévenot (FRA) rounded out the podium in third.

In the E35, Great Britain’s Robbie Simpson came out victorious ahead of Stian Dahl Sommerseth (NOR) and Gian Marchet Schicktanz (CHE), with just 7 minutes separating the top three.

“I did Comrades Marathon a few weeks ago, and I’ve only done a few mountain sessions since then so I wasn’t sure how I would feel. I felt really average but got stronger and stronger and managed to hang on during the descent,” said Simpson.

Having finished third at OCC in 2022, Danielle Moreno just needed to finish the E35 race to earn a Running Stone to validate her place for the UTMB World Series Finals in August. She did more than just finish, smashing the course to take a comfortable win and provide a confidence boost ahead of the target race in August. She was joined by Bianca Tarboton (ZAF) and Julia Peter (CHE).

While Kilian Jornet took to the start line of the E16 Pleasure Trail, there was a surprise and unforgettable victory for 16-year-old Lorick Buclin (CHE) in his second ever race. It was a sprint for the finish however, with Buclin finishing just 19 seconds ahead of Raphaël Devantay (CHE), with Armin Reif (GER) following closely behind in third.

It was a tough race for Jornet, who suffered an injury just a few days before, but who needed to finish in order to gain a Running Stone and verify his slot for the UTMB World Series Finals. He said, “Grindelwald is an amazing place, and it is a beautiful surrounding. Training was going very well until two days ago when I got an injury. I am happy with my shape and how training was going, so I just need to recover from my small injury.”

With just over one month to go until the first ever UTMB World Series Finals in August, the UTMB World Series will take to America next weekend with Speedgoat Mountain Races by UTMB®, before returning to Europe for KAT100™ by UTMB® in Austria at the beginning of August.

See all results here.

The UTMB® World Series heads to America this weekend ahead of one of the toughest endurances races in the country. Taking place at the stunning Snowbird Ski Resort in Utah, the iconic Speedgoat Mountain Races by UTMB® offers four race distances, with Running Stones also on offer for those taking on the 50K or 20K categories.

With the 50K race covering a staggering 11,800ft of climbing - via the likes of Snowbird, Baldy and Hidden Peak - it will be a testing day out. While Race Director, Karl Meltzer warns it is “not the race for the first timer”, the course promises beautiful views and immersive mountain trails interlaced with vibrant wildflowers and rocky terrain to both delight and distract the senses.

“Not only is it a physically demanding course at altitude, but it is also a mental nightmare as the race gets tougher the further runners get into it. This year’s event will also present a unique challenge with a lot of snow on the course. No areas will present difficult or dangerous situations, but it makes it more fun, and I am looking forward to hearing stories of cold snowslides. We hope our runners enjoy the event and take in all the views that the Wasatch Mountains provide,” said Meltzer.

With the first ever UTMB World Series Finals at UTMB® Mont-Blanc fast approaching, the race has attracted an impressive field of elite athletes looking to test themselves out on the steep climbs and tough terrain. Willie Milam (USA, UTMB Index 890) and Jared Hazen (USA, UTMB Index 882) are amongst some of the favorites in the 16-strong elite men’s line-up, as well as Adrian Macdonald (USA, UTMB Index 880) who has already qualified for the iconic UTMB race (100M) at the end of August.

In the women’s race, reigning champion Addie Bracy – who will also race in the CCC® (100K) at the UTMB World Series Finals - returns to defend her title (USA, 766). She will be joined by second-placed Jennifer Lichter (USA, UTMB Index 776) who was hampered by a wrong turn after leading the race in 2022. Lichter will also lead a strong American contingent in the OCC race (50K) at the UTMB World Series Finals at the end of August.

Finishing 4th at UTMB Mont-Blanc CCC in 2022, Jazmine Lowther (CAN, UTMB Index 773) could also be one to challenge the top spot.

Alongside elite runners, an inspiring array of amateurs will also take to the start line, including 72-year-old Alireza Beittoei (CAN, UTMB Index 418) and 70-year-old Judy Meisner (USA, UTMB Index 374), the oldest male and female competitors in this edition of the race. From oldest to youngest, the race has also piqued the interest of young talent Max Kilcoyne (USA, UTMB Index 516) and Elisa Miles-Colthup (USA, UTMB Index 411) who are two of the youngest competitors in the 50K race. _ “I first discovered the ultra-community when my dad completed his first ultra in 2019. I ran the last mile of the race with him and got to see first-hand the physical and mental strife the race put him through, alongside the exhilaration and pure euphoria. My family have always encouraged me to ‘go out and do it’, to accomplish any goals I set no matter how insane or crazy they might seem and that is what brings me here three years later, about to take on one of the hardest runs of my life,”_ said Miles-Colthup.

When asked what she is most looking forward to about the race, she added, “While I hope to be able to fully appreciate the gorgeous setting in which the race takes place and get to talk to the amazing community of people out racing, I am mainly looking forward to crossing the finish line and seeing my dad cross it too. I also look forward to meeting the crazy mastermind behind this race, Karl Meltzer who I will either be telling I love or hate him depending on how the race goes.”

Another example of runners proving they can do whatever they set their mind to is Kevin Sell (USA, UTMB Index 616). A former drug addict, Sell turned his life around after taking a lethal overdose which saw him suffer nerve damage in his leg.

He said, “Six years ago I was out for a walk as part of my walking rehab and was listening to a podcast with a woman who had covered over 100 miles in ultramarathons. I didn’t know that was humanely possible, but I also didn’t know it was possible for me to quit drugs, so I was already existing in the realm of impossibility. I needed a goal and a purpose to wake up for, and running ultra-distances became that purpose. Nearly every day for the past five and a half years I have been training for that purpose, while also remaining sober.

“In 2021 I completed my first 100-mile race as a qualifier for the CCC, one of my bucket-list races and my first in the mountains. It was an incredible experience and left me hungry for more mountain challenges. The Speedgoat 50K then caught my eye with its history, its remarkable founder, and its notorious difficulty and so here I am. I also feel I have unfinished business in Chamonix, so I hope that the Speedgoat 50K will help me get back to the UTMB start line.”

With 1,356 runners taking on one of the four courses, it promises to be an unforgettable weekend as the community comes together to take on the mountains and exceed their previous mental and physical limits to defy the odds. With a new start location and finish line, it will be new territory and new experiences for all the runners with the stunning Snowbird Ski Resort providing the perfect backdrop.

Follow all the action live here.