I stood among a hundred umbrellas on the steps of Église Saint-Michel, staring down the streets of downtown Chamonix, France. They are lined with shops and apartments in hundred year-old, stone buildings. The rumor is the mayor lives in one just above me. There is also a gigantic blue arch right in the middle of the street, with a herd of cameramen and yellow construction vests milling around. “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira is blaring and it is raining hard.

This was the worst part of the week at UTMB, the aptly-named Super Bowl of the ultra-trail running world. For an event that has become the biggest flashpoint of controversy in the trail community, enduring Shakira in the rain was not all that big of a deal. Even if I was purposefully looking for something to complain about, all I really found was the long line at the coffee shop.

Sure, the criticism of the organization is unavoidable and lots of times warranted. It is always the biggest entities that draw the most disapproval, no matter how they behave. Additionally, corporations always deserves a little hate, I think. It just comes with the territory. Yet, this is also why it still creates the most hype. There are always the “bummer” posts from creatives and athletes that don’t go, and the “can’t wait” posts from those that do. These don’t exist in opposition as much as they exist because of each other. This dichotomy also comes with the territory. 

I start with this narrative mainly to get it out of the way, to acknowledge that it exists, and then to say that I essentially forgot all of it while I was there. The town, the course, the people, and even the production around it all was compelling. In other words, there is an event happening that clearly predates an organization. And it didn’t take a lot of digging to find that there was a lot to love. 

Andy Perkins, for example: The semi-reclusive local artist who crafts 40 unique trophies for the winners from metal scraps he scavenges from the receding glacier around Mont Blanc. Atop each trophy is a running figure made from these these scraps, depicting a person moving in agony or difficulty. It’s apt, he says. A lot of running in the mountains is as difficult as it is beautiful. You have to accept both. It’s supposed to hurt - a man after our own heart.

You’d never know any of this if you didn’t ask him, though. For such a unique perspective on the weekend, he is quite content to not market any of this.“Hell, no”, he responded when asked if he’d be attending the Awards Ceremony, “…way too many people”.

It is also impossible to deny the raw beauty of the place. The scale, the drama, the absurdity of having an espresso downtown one moment and then hitting a 5k climb within minutes. It was practically impossible to take a bad shot at an aid station. Close your eyes and shoot. 

Finally - the racing is still top notch: Lauren Gregory’s legendary OCC finish, the absolute smashing that Ben Dhiman gave a modified UTMB course, and a mass of European talent throwing down. It was impossible to not leave feeling satisfied. 

As usual, the HLP team showed in full force. For some of our athletes, the weekend was a return to hollowed ground. For others, a debut. For all, a weekend to be remembered.

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Emily Hawgood was gunning for another Auburn to Chamonix repeat, having run both WSER and a UTMB race for 6 consecutive summers. This year she pulled off a top 20 at both, after a gutsy CCC finish. 

Alyssa Clark returned to Chamonix for a 3rd time and landed a 3rd place finish at TDS (Rumor has it she has TDS tattoo). It was a steady and impressive race from the start. No surprise - she was the top American female in what I heard over and over was the hardest race of the week.

Cole Campbell punched his Chamonix ticket after winning Kaçkar by UTMB last year. In typical Cole fashion, he moved up all day and landed the top American spot in a packed OCC field. 

In his European racing debut, Hans Troyer nailed 3rd place at CCC after trading the lead all day with a strong pack. He was, you guessed it, the first American over the line. Also worth noting, he secured a Golden Ticket to the ‘27 WSER. 

Thankful for those we got to see in the village and on the course, and looking forward to the next time we cross paths.

Until next year…

Chris, Art Director