If Ludovic Pommeret graces the beginning line of the 2024 UTMB, he’ll accomplish that on the twentieth anniversary of his first try on the revered race. And he positioned fifth at the latest, 2023 version.
There aren’t many athletes on this sport or any who can boast the 48-year-old Frenchman’s longevity, and nonetheless compete on the highest stage. We caught up with him to see if we might glean any insights to this, and to listen to among the story of his illustrious profession within the mountains.
Ludovic Pommeret coaching above the clouds. All images courtesy of Ludovic Pommeret, until in any other case famous.
Pommeret was born in Grenoble, France, the place he lived for 5 years till his dad and mom moved to the mountains. The household moved as soon as extra earlier than finally settling in Valloire, a ski resort within the Savoie area, the place Pommeret lived from the age of 10 till he returned to Grenoble for college.
It was in Valloire that he had his initiation to mountain sports activities, and he mentioned: “I used to be not mountain climbing, extra snowboarding and snowboarding. I used to be additionally performing some windsurfing on the lakes. However not likely operating till I used to be 25 at the least.”
Pommeret’s initiation to operating within the mountains was not by means of any formal teaching or coaching philosophy — however began out as a enjoyable problem with household. He shared: “My brothers-in-law — my spouse has two brothers — had been runners and so they had been doing a race in 2000. There was various climbing. They pushed me to take part on this race.”
Pommeret stunned himself and the others along with his pure capability, and cheerfully recounted: “As I used to be not working towards operating, they anticipated to beat me, nevertheless it was not the case!”
Later that very same yr, he set his sights on an even bigger problem — a neighborhood 107-kilometer path ultramarathon beginning in Valloire, however he didn’t end, and mentioned, “For the primary one, it was an excessive amount of.”
Quite than beginning with shorter races and build up incrementally, Pommeret was drawn to the problem of simply ending a really lengthy distance. He continued to coach and construct up miles, with the aim of someday ending his native extremely, however the race was canceled earlier than he had one other alternative to run it.
“After which I attempted one other race in 2004, it was known as UTMB, you understand this one?” he requested wryly. Right here Pommeret suffered one other DNF, having nonetheless not cracked the code on easy methods to prepare for lengthy races, and with little operating expertise.
Finally, it known as for a change in technique: “Then I began to run some shorter distances to coach, and began to have good outcomes.”
Among the many extremely aggressive shorter races he accomplished had been the 2007 Sierre-Zinal, the place he made the highest 20, and the 2008 Les Templiers, the place he positioned fourth.
Though nonetheless self-coached and coaching in a considerably haphazard method, Pommeret was accumulating expertise and miles-in-legs and continued to go from power to power. Additionally in 2009, he cracked the 100k distance in excellent trend, inserting third on the CCC.
He shared, “It was not likely coaching, I favored to go within the mountains for operating and I used to be racing rather a lot. I used to be racing nearly each two weeks in summer time, and I used to be additionally doing ski mountaineering within the winter.”
Ski mountaineering turns into Pommeret’s primary sport within the winter months.
To this present day, Pommeret divides himself between the 2 disciplines — pursuing path operating in the summertime and ski mountaineering within the winter. He attributes this steadiness partly to his longevity, saying: “I believe [skimo] is a sort of cross coaching throughout winter. It’s nonetheless an exercise that requires quite a lot of effort and it’s good coaching. It provides you extra energy, however there’s much less impression and it’s higher for the joints. It helps to recuperate a bit throughout winter from small accidents that you just decide up in the summertime.”
A turning level for Pommeret was when he was chosen to run for France on the 2015 Path World Championships, held in Annecy, France. Resolved to do one of the best he might with the chance to signify his nation, he mentioned: “This was once I began to work with a coach. I needed to have a extra structured preparation for the world championships.”
Pommeret positioned fifth, and operating on Workforce France on the world championships grew to become a staple on his calendar for a few years to return, with two extra fifth-place finishes in 2016 and 2018 being the excessive factors.
With Workforce France on the 2018 Path World Championships.
His improved coaching construction additionally led him to a win on the 2016 UTMB — a race that simply ending had beforehand eluded him. He shared, “I believe I’ve performed UTMB seven instances however completed solely 4. The 2016 race is one of the best reminiscence. Particularly as a result of I used to be somewhat bit sick at first of the race, and I couldn’t think about that I might win.”
One other occasion that has drawn Pommeret again repeatedly is the Diagonale des Fous on Réunion Island. He took second within the 100 miler in 2009, 2014, and 2019, earlier than tying for the win with Dani Jung in 2021.
In 2023, he was again, however with a unique function. He mentioned, “This yr I went there with my spouse. We had been operating collectively, and we needed to complete collectively. We tried final yr [and didn’t finish] and this yr, second try, we completed. It was her first 100-mile end.”
Pommeret talked concerning the distinctive tradition and atmosphere round Diagonale des Fous that retains drawing him again. He mentioned: “Everybody on the island is aware of about this race and everybody goals of someday finishing it … and to find the island by means of the race, it’s actually particular.”
Ludovic Pommeret (entrance), who finally tied for the win with Daniel Jung, within the early hours of the 2021 Diagonale des Fous. Picture: Grand Raid de la Réunion
All through his operating profession, and alongside household life, Pommeret has continued to work as a pc science engineer, and at present works for air visitors management in Geneva, Switzerland. Once I requested him if he discovered it troublesome to search out the time to coach alongside different tasks, he mentioned: “It was prior to now, as a result of I used to be working full time till final yr, and in Switzerland that’s 41 hours per week. However for the previous yr I’m working 60% of that, in order that’s way more comfy.”
He continued, “If you find yourself working full time and coaching, it’s laborious to spend time with the household and there are compromises. Now additionally my daughters are older, they’re 19 and 22, in order that they want much less of my time.”
Presently, Pommeret divides his time between his mid-week residence, near Geneva, and the household’s second residence within the mountains close to Valloire. He buildings his coaching round this, and mentioned: “In the course of the week once I’m working, it’s extra coaching on flat paths, and the weekend extra on the mountains.”
Having already raced extensively all through Europe, in 2021 Pommeret was first bitten by the Western States 100 bug — when he traveled to the enduring American extremely to tempo French teammate, Audrey Tanguy. The next yr, with a Golden Ticket in hand, he returned and positioned sixth in his Western States 100 debut.
Usually at residence within the mountains, the new and quick downhill race was a step outdoors of Pommeret’s consolation zone, and he mentioned: “You need to be ready to run 90% of the race. Even in UTMB, you’ll be able to stroll. In Diagonale des Fous, you run even much less, however the Western States 100 is totally different. You need to handle additionally the warmth, because it’s often actually heat, however for me probably the most troublesome half is to run on a regular basis.”
Pommeret then demonstrated his versatility by following up his sixth-place end on the 2022 Western States 100 with a win at that yr’s rugged and technical TDS.
Ludovic Pommeret celebrates successful the 2022 TDS. Picture: UTMB
In 2023, Pommeret returned to the Western States 100, however was much less happy along with his run that day, inserting twelfth. His season was removed from over, nonetheless, as an invite to tempo eventual winner Aurélien Dunand-Pallaz within the 2023 Hardrock 100 led to him extending his time stateside, alongside along with his spouse and one among their daughters.
He mentioned, “I prolonged my trip, and we took time to go to the western a part of the U.S. We went to Monument Valley [on the Navajo Nation] and the Grand Canyon [in Arizona]. It was very cool.”
Exploring Monument Valley in the summertime of 2023.
For Pommeret, the Hardrock 100 is a bucket record race — this was his fifth yr coming into the draw — so he relished the chance to expertise the race by means of pacing. He mentioned: “It was good to find the race in one other method. I paced the final half of the race and Aurélien was actually sturdy … It’s one thing totally different as there are only some on the beginning line, so it’s actually totally different to UTMB or Diagonale des Fous.”
Pommeret’s summer time of each operating and recovering within the U.S. stood him in good stead when it got here to the 2023 UTMB — the place he placed on a grasp class in persistence and consistency, holding tempo all race, whereas the remainder of the sector got here again to satisfy him, finally ending fifth.
He recounted: “Initially I used to be not feeling that good. The pacing was okay as a result of I used to be within the anticipated timing, however I used to be actually far again within the rating — round fiftieth. That was extra mentally troublesome, however my pacing was what was deliberate. I didn’t count on to achieve fifth place. What I took from this race was that I might hold the pacing constant from the start nearly to the tip. I believe it was probably the most constant UTMB of my life — probably the most Courtney [Dauwalter]-style pacing!”
He added that, “I believe the preparation for the Western States 100 helped me for UTMB this yr, as a result of there are some flat elements — there are some elements which can be actually runnable, the place I might run quick.”
Former UTMB and TDS champion Ludovic Pommeret appears completely satisfied along with his fifth-place end on the 2023 UTMB. Picture: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Though his 2024 plans largely hinge on the Hardrock 100 lottery, the 2024 UTMB does maintain some significance for Pommeret, who famous: “Subsequent yr it’s my 20-year UTMB anniversary. I began in 2004, so it will likely be 20 years. Perhaps I’ll go once more, I don’t know. First, I’m ready for the lottery for the Hardrock 100.”
Lastly, once I requested him if there’s a secret to his nice longevity, he candidly responded: “Sorry, no magical components. If I’ve one, I’ll hold it for myself!” I believe we have to have one other off-the-record dialog with him to find the answer to that query.
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