2023 UTMB Males’s Preview – iRunFar

It’s August and everyone knows what meaning in path ultrarunning: UTMB is upon us!

What does this 12 months’s version have in retailer within the males’s race? Some fascinating storylines which might be certain to maintain us entertained, that’s what. Sadly, final 12 months’s champion, Kilian Jornet, has lately withdrawn from the race as a consequence of a bone damage, from which we want him a speedy restoration. However for the second a minimum of, that also leaves 9 of the top-10 males from final 12 months on this 12 months’s entrants listing.

Subsequent we’ve quite a few 100-mile debutants with all types of cred at shorter mountain ultras, a couple of guys with huge UTMB potential who’ve not but realized it, and an extended line of chasers who’ll fill within the gaps as some prime runners inevitably falter. All in all, we’re taking a look at a showy race.

The now-iconic course covers 171 kilometers (106.2 miles) and has virtually 10,000 meters (32,700 toes) of climbing because it encircles the Mont-Blanc massif in a counterclockwise course from Chamonix, France, by way of Italy and Switzerland, earlier than ending again in Chamonix once more. Whereas the UTMB Mont Blanc pageant has expanded to fill every week with eight races, three of which — the CCC, TDS, and OCC — are themselves among the many best path ultras on this planet, UTMB stays the queen race of the pageant and the crown jewel of the path ultramarathon 12 months.

Curiously, the race is beginning every week later than typical. What does this imply for its circumstances? Who is aware of, but it surely creeps the occasion nearer to fall, which could be wonderful at instances and stormy in others.

A particular because of HOKA for making our protection of UTMB potential!

Thanks additionally to Goodr for its help of our UTMB protection.

Tune in to our dwell protection of UTMB beginning at 6 p.m. CEST (10 a.m. MDT within the U.S.) on Friday, September 1 proper right here on iRunFar. Keep tuned!

You’ll wish to additionally learn our in-depth 2023 UTMB ladies’s preview for a have a look at the ladies’s race.

You may as well see the race group’s prime runners listing.

The 2023 UTMB Males’s Favorites for the Win

Let’s start this preview by wanting on the males who we predict have the perfect potential to win this 12 months’s race.

Mathieu Blanchard

When it was all stated and carried out, there was only one man who gave final 12 months’s UTMB champion an actual run for the cash, and that was Mathieu Blanchard. The Frenchman completed lower than six minutes again of winner Kilian Jornet to take second, and that was a follow-up to a third place on the 2021 UTMB. Whereas Blanchard was seemingly on the fence on whether or not he’d race this 12 months’s UTMB, he lately introduced that he’s in. Blanchard is a prolific racer who, since final 12 months’s UTMB, took sixth on the 2023 Western States 100 and third on the 2023 Marathon des Sables. In our minds, there’s just one factor a man who’s taken each second and third at UTMB earlier than might nonetheless need, and that’s victory.

Tom Evans

Tom Evans might very nicely turn into the 2023 UTMB champion. Whereas the U.Ok. athlete has been within the higher echelon of path ultrarunning for a pair years, he could also be coming into the height of his profession proper now. Ten weeks in the past, Evans received the 2023 Western States 100 with a methodical, skilled strategy. Final 12 months at UTMB, he used the identical preparation and race-day ways to solidly safe third place, although he was a bit distant at 45 minutes again from the winner. Whereas getting the Western States 100-UTMB double proper is hard, Evans has bought one other 12 months of constant coaching and racing below his belt and can absolutely placed on a great present.

Jim Walmsley

If you happen to’re not accustomed to American Jim Walmsley’s relationship with UTMB, get cozy. It started in 2017 when Walmsley debuted on the occasion with a fifth place, which he then adopted up with two DNFs in 2018 and 2021. Forward of the 2022 occasion, he went all in by shifting to France to provide race preparations his finest. What that yielded final 12 months was a fourth place. Since final 12 months’s UTMB, Walmsley received the 2023 Istria 100 Mile and the 2022 Les Templiers. A related reminiscence for us all, Walmsley is the Western States 100 course report holder, a report he earned by way of a multi-year dedication to seeing by way of the highs and lows that reaching such a consequence includes. His UTMB dedication appears to be like so related, and we’re so curious of what Walmsley can do after one other 12 months of residing and coaching within the French Alps.

Zach Miller

Whereas I’m sure that all of us race with our coronary heart and minds deeply dedicated to the trigger, Zach Miller of the U.S. wears his coronary heart on his sleeve when he races, which simply plain makes watching him race satisfying. Like countrymate Jim Walmsley, Miller’s bought an concerned UTMB historical past. He’s taken sixth and ninth on the 2016 and 2017 UTMB respectively, then he DNFed the subsequent two years in 2018 and 2019. He circled again final 12 months, after working by way of an extended damage interval that included foot surgical procedure, to take fifth place, exceeding his previous leads to the occasion. How will he fare with a full 12 months of constant coaching and racing? To date this 12 months, he’s had  some good success, together with taking sixth on the 2023 Path World Championships 80k and successful the 2023 Tarawera 100 Mile.

Petter Engdahl

Profitable UTMB as one’s debut 100 miler has been carried out earlier than within the males’s race, although within the occasion’s extra distant and fewer aggressive historical past. If there’s anybody who can do it on this fashionable period, we predict it’s Petter Engdahl. Final 12 months, the Swede who lives in Norway shredded the CCC historical past books in successful and setting a course report. He’s had another actual robust performances in recent times, together with successful the 2022 Transvulcania Ultramarathon and taking third on the 2021 OCC. Maybe greater than previous performances, although, is the assured, but affected person, mindset with which he’s raced a number of the longer ultras he’s carried out thus far. This mindset is crucial to success at UTMB and 100 milers basically, so Engdahl will likely be actual enjoyable to look at.

The Remainder of the Returning 2022 UTMB Males’s High 10

With so lots of final 12 months’s prime 10 returning, right here’s a have a look at the sixth- by way of Tenth-place males from final 12 months who’re again for the 2023 version.

Beñat Marmissolle

Beñat Marmissolle of France is making an attempt to tug off fairly the difficult 100-miler triple in 2023: the Hardrock 100 in July, UTMB in September, and Diagonale des Fous in October. Within the first of these challenges, Hardrock, he took second. In 2022, his prime outcomes have been a sixth at UTMB after which a win at Diagonale des Fous, which is in and of itself, fairly the double. If we return to 2021, he was third at Diagonale des Fous. As time goes on, we wouldn’t be stunned to see Marmissolle proceed to enhance at 100-mile racing. At Hardrock, we noticed Marmissolle as a happy-go-lucky, calm, and proficient mountain ultrarunner, all of the qualities wanted for this distance. Let’s see what he does at UTMB after a seven-week break since Hardrock.

Arthur Joyeux-Bouillon

In our UTMB preview final 12 months, we stated that France’s Arthur Joyeux-Bouillon “certain brings his finest self to the UTMB [Mont Blanc festival] races …” and he did it once more. He was the seventh man on the 2022 UTMB, and earlier than that he was third on the 2021 TDS, and ninth on the 2018 CCC. In 2023, Joyeux-Bouillon was seventh on the Path Andorra 100k behind a number of males he’ll see once more on this race, and he took second on the Istria 100 Mile, an hour distant from winner Jim Walmsley. Will he once more carry out extremely at this pageant?

Jonas Russi

On paper, Switzerland’s Jonas Russi is poised to be the lads’s breakout performer. His 2022 racing season represented a big enchancment over his prior years of racing and included taking eighth at UTMB along with successful the Tor des Géants and taking sixth on the Lavaredo Extremely Path. He adopted that up into 2023 with a win on the Lavaredo Extremely Path some 45 minutes sooner than in 2022. If he improves at UTMB to the identical diploma as he did at Lavaredo, this places him in 20:30 ending time territory, very probably a podium efficiency.

Robert Hajnal

We don’t assume our group ought to ever neglect when Robert Hajnal, of Romania, took second on the 2018 UTMB. It was a breakout race for Hajnal by an extended shot, however what’s most memorable was that he crossed the end line in pants (!!!) whereas thriving in that 12 months’s terrible climate circumstances which chewed up and spit out so many. Final 12 months, Hajnal completed ninth at this race, although sandwiched in between these two actually robust UTMB performances are a pair of DNFs and an off-potential end. Additionally on his resume from the final couple years are a second and a seventh place on the 2023 and 2022 Lavaredo Extremely Path, respectively, the previous behind winner Jonas Russi, who additionally beat him by a place ultimately 12 months’s UTMB. In 2022, he received the Istria 100 Mile.

Thibaut Garrivier

Frenchman Thibaut Garrivier rounds out the returning top-10 males from final 12 months’s UTMB. He additionally has loads of different outcomes from the UTMB Mont Blanc pageant, which embrace a win on the 2021 CCC and a second place on the identical race in 2019. He’s been largely on a roll since UTMB final 12 months, since then successful the 2023 Madeira Island Extremely-Path 85k and taking sixth on the 2022 Path World Championships 80k.

Potential High-10 Males on the 2023 UTMB

We predict these males have nice potential to complete within the prime 10 this 12 months.

Germain Grangier

At this level, Germain Grangier of France has an concerned historical past with the UTMB Mont Blanc pageant races. He’s bought two finishes, a fifth in 2021 and ninth in 2019 at UTMB, a fifth on the 2018 CCC, and a 3rd on the 2015 OCC. Whereas he DNFed UTMB final 12 months, that appears like a blip in his working radar as since then he’s received the 2023 Mont-Blanc 90k and completed fifth at each the the 2023 Transvulcania Ultramarathon and 2022 Diagonale des Fous. There’s no purpose Grangier can’t run into the highest 5 like he did two years again.

Hannes Namberger

Germany’s Hannes Namberger has two visits to UTMB in his pocket, a DNF final 12 months and a sixth place in 2021. Since UTMB final 12 months, he received the 2023 Eiger Extremely Path 100k, took 14th on the 2023 Path World Championships 80k, and shared the win on the 2022 Extremely-Path Cape City 100k. If we go into barely deeper historical past, we discover two wins on the Lavaredo Extremely Path in 2022 and 2021, one win on the 2021 Madeira Island Extremely-Path, and loads of different robust international-level performances. Namberger’s potential is inside the prime 5 of this race.

Jean-Philippe Tschumi

Jean-Philippe Tschumi, of Switzerland, involves the 2023 UTMB with a seventh-place end ultimately 12 months’s CCC. A pair months in the past, he tied for the win with Ben Dhiman on the 2023 Path Andorra 100k, and final fall he took second on the 2022 Diagonale des Fous, behind winner Beñat Marmissolle and forward of third place Dhiman. Amongst his different prime finishes by way of the years are a win on the 2023 Extremely-Path Snowdonia 100k, second place on the 2022 Eiger Extremely Path 100k, and two podiums on the Madeira Island Extremely-Path in 2022 and 2021.

Ben Dhiman

We love following the storylines of this sport, and may’t wait to see Ben Dhiman’s UTMB story unfold. An American residing in France, every passing race sees Dhiman bettering relative to the fields by which he runs. In 2022 on the Diagonale des Fous, he completed third place behind champ Beñat Marmissolle and second place Jean-Philippe Tschumi. In 2023 thus far, he tied for the win on the 2023 Path Andorra 100k with Tschumi and received the 2023 Penyagolosa CSP 106k. Dhiman’s potential at UTMB is excessive, so let’s see how shut he presses as much as it.

Ludovic Pommeret

We must always anticipate nothing lower than France’s Ludovic Pommeret ending within the prime 10. It’s onerous to summarize his profession accomplishments, however let’s strive. Starting with the UTMB Mont Blanc pageant races and dealing backward, he received the 2022 TDS, took fourth on the 2021 UTMB, was third on the 2019 TDS, was third once more on the 2017 CCC, received the 2016 UTMB, was twentieth on the 2012 UTMB, and took one other third on the 2009 CCC. Trying elsewhere during the last couple years, he’s been twelfth and sixth on the 2023 and 2022 Western States 100, respectively, he received the 2021 Diagonale des Fous, and he’s run on the French nationwide crew on the Path World Championships a minimum of six instances. Now 48 years previous, Pommeret’s longevity on the higher echelon of the game as a masters runner is historic.

Pau Capell

If we glance into Pau Capell’s working historical past, we see a deep set of outcomes on the UTMB Mont Blanc pageant, which incorporates his UTMB win in 2019 and a sixth-place end in 2017. The Spanish runner has a podium end on the 2018 CCC and in addition received the 2016 TDS. Final 12 months at UTMB, he DNFed, however we recall he was pushing up in opposition to a fairly quick restoration from knee surgical procedure. Since then, he was third on the 2023 Path Andorra 100k, fifth on the 2023 Transgrancanaria Basic 128k, and third on the 2022 Extremely Pirineu 100k. In all these races he was blended amongst a bunch of the lads he’ll see once more at this 12 months’s UTMB.

Jeff Mogavero

Everyone knows that the UTMB is a tricky nut to crack, and Jeff Mogavero, of the U.S., made it look fairly simple final 12 months when he debuted to complete sixteenth. He’s again and carrying with him one other 12 months’s price of expertise. His prime consequence since final 12 months’s UTMB was seventh place on the 2023 Transvulcania Ultramarathon, the place he completed amongst a number of the males he’s racing once more at this occasion. Amongst his different robust outcomes from the final couple of years are a pair of podiums on the 2023 and 2022 Damaged Arrow Skyrace in addition to third place on the 2021 Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile. Oh, and he simply took 14th on the 2023 Sierre-Zinal, three weeks earlier than UTMB.

Arlen Glick

Arlen has withdrawn from the race and plans to run Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile as a substitute. [Updated August 28, 2023] Arlen Glick of the U.S. is one other man within the midst of a difficult trio of 100 milers in 2023: the Western States 100 in June the place he completed thirteenth, the Hardrock 100 in July the place he was fourth, and now UTMB. Earlier than Hardrock, Glick was most recognized for excelling on the extra runnable 100 milers, however that Hardrock efficiency tells us he may transfer nicely within the mountains. His 26:43 Hardrock ending time, if in comparison with people who’ve run about that there, would possibly convert to one thing like a 22-hour UTMB. And a 22-hour UTMB places you within the second half of the highest 10, which might be one other glorious mountain efficiency for Glick.

Tim Tollefson

The place to place the U.S.’s Tim Tollefson on this preview? His potential is excessive, as evidenced by two previous UTMB podiums, third place in 2017 as in addition to one other third place in 2016. However since then he’s been below one thing of a UTMB curse, racking up 4 DNFs, together with final 12 months. A couple of of Tollefson’s prime outcomes from the final couple years embrace eighth place on the 2023 Transvulcania Ultramarathon, a win of the 2022 American River 50 Mile, and fifth place on the 2021 Western States 100. May this be the 12 months that reverses Tollefson’s UTMB pattern?

Daniel Jones

Daniel Jones is on a quick upward trajectory in ultrarunning. The New Zealander, like a couple of different males within the discipline, is trying the Western States 100-UTMB double, the previous of which he took fifth at some 10 weeks in the past. Jones’s credentials additionally embrace successful the 2023 Tarawera 100k, ending Tenth on the 2022 Canyons 100k, and successful his house nation’s well-known mountain race, the Kepler Problem, quite a few instances. This appears to be like to be Jones’s first time turning out to the UTMB Mont Blanc pageant, and we’ll be watching to see what he does with all that potential.

Nonetheless Extra Males to Watch within the 2023 UTMB

We’ll be seeking to these males to affect the race for the highest 20.

José Fernández 

Spain’s José Fernández has a string of robust performances over a minimum of a half decade in races with regional to nationwide stage competitiveness. A spotlight amongst these are a win, a fifth place, and a second place on the 2023, 2022, and 2021 Penyagolosa MiM 60k, an occasion that’s persistently nationally aggressive. Then, in 2022, he had an outlier efficiency when he took fourth on the Path World Championships 80k, beating a bunch of prime worldwide athletes to the road that day. It doesn’t seem he’s completed a 100 miler but, although it appears to be like like he’s began a minimum of one.

Miguel Heras

Properly, have a look at this, Spain’s Miguel Heras is again racing at UTMB! Heras was a prime ultrarunner circa 2010 to 2016, and in that point we imagine he had three begins and one end of the occasion, the latter being a second place in 2013. Longtime U.S. extremely followers may additionally bear in mind him as a two-time The North Face 50 Mile Championships winner — in 2012 and 2010. Whereas the years 2017 to 2022 noticed him working a pair path races a 12 months, it seems they have been extra informal outings. That modified in October of 2022 the place in the identical month he took second on the Transvulcania Ultramarathon, the place he completed a few half hour behind Petter Engdahl, and he received the Extremely Pirineu 100k, forward of a bunch of gents he’ll see at this race. Earlier this 12 months, he received the Valhöll Extremely Path 125k, exhibiting his type has continued into this 12 months.

Didrik Hermansen

Let’s preserve with the theme of longtime ultrarunners with Didrik Hermansen, who’s been working ultras for approaching 15 years and excelling at them for many of that. Naturally, for somebody who has been at this for therefore lengthy, there have been some ups and downs. Living proof, the Norwegian took ninth on the 2022 Path World Championships 80k however completed off his potential on the 2023 version of that occasion. In 2022, he was second on the Good Côte d’Azur 100k and seventh on the Transgrancanaria Basic 128k. For a fast reminder of his prime profession runs, he took second on the 2016 Western States 100.

Scotty Hawker

Scotty Hawker, of New Zealand, is a kind of examples of the place the UTMB Index algorithm doesn’t work appropriately. How is a man who took second on the 2021 CCC, third on the 2019 UTMB, and eleventh on the 2017 UTMB close to the underside of the UTMB Index-ranked prime runners starters listing? Anyway, whereas Hawker DNFed his most up-to-date try at UTMB final 12 months, he’s additionally taken fifth on the 2022 Doi Inthanon 103k and second on the 2022 Extremely-Path Australia 100k.

Thomas Joly
One other attention-grabbing contestant is the U.Ok’s Thomas Joly, who took eleventh on the 2023 Path World Championships 80k again in June, which was additionally actually a breakout race amongst a string of robust performances. Maybe the perfect of these has been a sixth place on the 2022 Doi Inthanon 100 Mile, which drummed up competitors from a number of continents.

Sebastian Krogvig

Sebastian Krogvig is a powerful mountain ultrarunner from Norway, along with his finest consequence being a win on the 2021 TDS. Final 12 months, he moved as much as the beginning line of UTMB, however DNFed. Trying amongst his different prime outcomes from the final two years, we see a 3rd place on the 2023 Val d’Aran 100k behind winner Raul Octaviu Butaci and a second place on the 2022 Path Andorra 100k behind winner Zach Miller.

Guo-Min Deng

China’s Guo-Min Deng could also be his nation’s most secure guess for a prime end. Deng, who’s been racing ultras since round 2016, has two earlier experiences on the UTMB Mont Blanc pageant, twentieth ultimately 12 months’s UTMB and an off-potential end on the 2018 TDS. He’s raced efficiently in his house nation and overseas over time, along with his most profitable outcomes being on the Vibram Hong Kong 100k, the place he took third this 12 months, third in 2020, and fourth in 2019.

Rod Farvard

Rod Farvard, from the U.S., is again for his second UTMB try. Final 12 months he yielded a powerful consequence, when he completed twenty second. He, too, is engaged on that Western States 100-UTMB double this summer season, and took eleventh at Western States some 10 weeks in the past. Trying again a bit additional, Farvard was fourth on the 2022 Canyons 100k.

Josh Wade

The U.Ok. runner Josh Wade appears poised to have a breakout race, in that his race outcomes are on a quick upward pattern of late. Trying backward, his prime outcomes of the final 12 months are third place on the 2023 Eiger Extremely Path 100k, a win on the 2023 Extremely-Path Snowdonia 100 Mile, and a ninth place ultimately 12 months’s Transvulcania Ultramarathon. Final 12 months, he had an off-par end on the CCC, in our minds that means he’s already paid his dues within the steep studying curve that’s the UTMB Mont Blanc pageant of races. All this looks like the muse of an awesome efficiency this 12 months.

Raul Octaviu Butaci

Hailing from Romania, Raul Octaviu Butaci appears to be like to be debuting at 100 miles, although he has loads of path cred at shorter extremely distances. Final 12 months, he took eighth on the CCC in his first go to to the UTMB Mont Blanc pageant, ending amongst quite a few males we’ll see on this race. Additionally in the previous few years, he received the 2023 Val d’Aran 100k, was fourth on the 2023 Transgrancanaria Basic 128k, and completed thirteenth on the 2022 Path World Championships 80k.

Baptiste Chassagne

Baptiste Chassagne is a prolific racer who seems to have competed on the UTMB Mont Blanc pageant thrice, taking Tenth and ninth on the 2023 and 2022 CCC, and ending sixth on the 2019 OCC. The Frenchman was additionally seventeenth on the 2023 Path World Championships 80k and fourth on the 2022 Lavaredo Extremely Path. Although he’s been working ultras for a minimum of six years, it appears to be like like that is his first try at a 100 miler.

Tyler Inexperienced

Tyler Inexperienced’s potential at UTMB is excessive, as evidenced by his prime outcomes at different lengthy ultras, together with a pair of second locations on the 2023 and 2021 Western States 100. That stated, the American has not but run to his potential in European ultras. Inexperienced’s been to the UTMB Mont Blanc pageant twice now, final 12 months ending UTMB off his potential and in 2021 taking Tenth at TDS. Inexperienced is a pupil of the game and has proven huge persistence within the face of aggressive stress, so it’s solely a matter of time till he strains up the puzzle items for an on-par end, which we predict is within the prime 10.

Jeff Colt

Jeff Colt, of the U.S., all the time contributes to an attention-grabbing race dynamic. He has two finishes on the Western States 100, eighth this 12 months and eleventh in 2022. He additionally took 14th on the 2022 Path World Championships 80k by way of an impressive late race surge. It appears to be like like he’s raced on the UTMB Mont Blanc pageant as soon as earlier than, DNFing the 2019 CCC, which undoubtedly means Colt is right here to place that consequence to its final relaxation.

Adrian Macdonald

We must always all be awaiting the U.S.’s Adrian Macdonald to make a splash at his first UTMB try. Macdonald is a two-time champion of the Leadville 100 Mile, in 2022 and 2021. His different prime performances of the final 12 months or so are third place on the 2023 Speedgoat 50k in July and a win on the 2022 Extremely-Path Kosciuszko 100 Mile.

Jordi Gamito

Jordi Gamito has a storied historical past with the UTMB Mont Blanc pageant. Let’s recap, working backward. Final 12 months the Spaniard DNFed the CCC. His finest profession extremely efficiency must be his third place on the 2018 UTMB. He additionally took Tenth on the 2017 UTMB and fifth on the 2016 TDS. Together with his working, Gamito both sticks the touchdown or abandons the routine someplace alongside the best way — he’s a cold and warm form of runner. A brief month forward of race day, he received the 2023 Grossglockner Extremely-Path 110k. And final fall, he took fifth on the 2022 Extremely Pirineu 100k, amongst some males additionally on this race.

Sure, Even Extra Males to Preserve Your Eye on on the 2023 UTMB

There are dozens of males to look at at this 12 months’s UTMB, together with all of those:

• Gautier Airiau (France) — sixth 2021 TDS; ninth 2023 Mont-Blanc 90k; sixth 2022 Les Templiers
• Philipp Ausserhofer (Italy) — sixth 2023 Maremontana Path 60k; 2nd 2022 Val d’Aran 100k
• Abel Carretero (Spain) — thirtieth & eighth 2022 & 2021 CCC; ninth 2022 Extremely Pirineu 100k; seventh 2022 Penyagolosa MiM 60k
• Francesco Cucco (Italy, lives in France) — 14th 2021 CCC; seventh 2023 Maremontana Path 60k; fifth 2021 Diagonale des Fous
• Matt Daniels (U.S.) — sixth 2022 JFK 50 Mile; 4th 2019 Western States 100
• Hugo Deck (France) — fifth 2021 CCC; third 2023 Mont-Blanc 90k; 1st 2022 Good Côte d’Azur 100 Mile
• Ji Duo (China) — 1st 2023 Extremely-Path Ninghai 100k; third 2020 Panda Path 100 Mile
• Tobias Dahl Fenre (Norway) — eleventh 2022 CCC; 1st 2022 Good Côte d’Azur 100k
• David Hedges (U.S.) — Males’s supported Nolan’s 14 FKT in 2023; third 2023 Extremely-Path Snowdownia 100 Mile; 2nd 2022 Breakneck Level Path Runs Marathon
• Moisés Jimenez (Venezuela, lives in France) — sixteenth 2019 UTMB; ninth 2022 Lavaredo Extremely Path; Tenth 2018 TDS
• Anders Kjaerevik (Norway) — seventeenth 2022 CCC; twentieth 2023 Path World Championships 80k; Tenth & third 2023 & 2022 Penyagolosa MiM 60k
• Ionel Cristian Manole (Romania) — nineteenth 2023 Path World Championships 80k; 4th 2023 Transvulcania Ultramarathon; 4th 2022 & 2021 Extremely Pirineu 100k
• Sergio Pereyra (Argentina) — nineteenth 2022 CCC; Tenth 2022 Extremely Pirineu 100k; eighth 2022 Lavaredo Extremely Path
• Min Qi (China) — 2nd 2018 CCC; fifth 2023 Chongli Extremely Path 45 Mile; 1st 2021 Mingyue Mountrain Extremely Path 50k
• Jason Schlarb (U.S.) — 51st, nineteenth, forty sixth, 4th 2022, 2019, 2017, & 2014 UTMB
• Yan-Qiao Yun (China) — sixth 2019 & Tenth 2018 TDS; 1st 2023 Chongli Extremely Path 45 Mile; third 2022 Eiger Extremely Path 100k
• Jia-Ju Zhao (China) — eleventh 2019 CCC; 1st 2023 Extremely-Path Mt, Fuji; fifth 2022 Eiger Extremely Path 100k

Males Beforehand Entered however No Longer Racing The 2023 UTMB

• Kilian Jornet (Spain, lives in Norway) — 1st 2022 UTMB; 1st 2022 Hardrock 100

Name for Feedback

• Who would you choose as your favourite to win?
• Who do you name for the lads’s prime 5?
• Which runner do you assume could be the greatest shock on this 12 months’s UTMB?
• Care to provide a shout out to a potential prime contender who isn’t on this preview? In that case, additionally share why you assume they’re poised to excel.
• Tell us if there’s somebody on this preview who’s positively not racing. We’ll be updating this text till the race begins.