INOV8 athletes Yannick Noel and Laura Mayniel both recorded outstanding top-10 finishes at the 2024 edition of the world’s most famous trail running festival.
As always, the UTMB event staged in Chamonix, France, drew thousands of ultramarathon runners from across the world. Each tackled one of eight races, ranging in distance from 15km to 300km.
The centrepiece was the classic 176km UTMB race, passing through France, Italy and Switzerland on a gruelling loop that includes 10,000m of ascent around Western Europe’s highest mountain, Mont Blanc.
French athlete Yannick went into the race having previously finished 3rd in last year’s TDS (145km), 15th in the 2022 CCC (100km) and 12th in the 2021 UTMB. He was also buoyed by high-profile race wins and podiums achieved throughout 2024.
Pacing himself superbly amongst a stellar field of top athletes, Yannick reached Courmayeur (83km into the race) in 32nd place.
From there the 38-year-old began to work his way through the pack, passing runners on the trail and also those who dropped out, including 2023 winner and pre-race favourite Jim Walmsley.
Upon reaching La Fouly at 116km Yannick had moved up to 18th. Just 42km later at Vallorcine he had capitulated himself up to 10th.
With huge support from friends and family, both on the mountain trails and in Chamonix itself, Yannick roared back into town side-by-side with fellow French runner Gautier Bonnecarrere, who took 9th place.
As well as landing a top-10 finish, Yannick – who balances his passion for running alongside family life and his job as a baker – was also 2nd in the 35-39 age category.
His time was a superb 21:45:18 – almost two hours quicker than he achieved when placing 12th in 2021.
The race was won by another French athlete, Vincent Bouillard (19:54:23), with fellow countryman Baptiste Chassagne second (20:22:45) and Joaquin Lopez, from Ecuador, third (20:26:22).
The brilliant Katie Schide smashed Courtney Dauwalter’s course record to win the women’s race in 22:09:31. It was the American’s second UTMB win, following her first in 2022.
There were 2761 runners in this year’s UTMB race. A total of 1760 made it to the finish within the 46:30:00 cut-off.
In the 145km TDS race, Laura – like Yannick in the UTMB – worked her way up through the field of athletes to finish in 10th place. Her finishing time for the brutal course – which packs in 9,300m of elevation gain – was 30:00:31.
Laura, who was 152nd overall out of the 1874 starters, said: “There was suffering, stupidity, the urge to vomit, moments of euphoria and disappointment, but I enjoyed myself and that’s what I needed.”
In the super-stacked 55km OCC race, INOV8 athlete Ludvik Fernandes finished 33rd man (06:06:18), with French team-mate Manu Gault 45th (06:33:12) and a fantastic 2nd in the 45-49 age category.
