U.S. ultra-trail runner Corrine Malcolm mentioned in an Instagram submit Friday that she has been fired from her place as a dwell commentator for the Extremely-Path du Mont Blanc (UTMB) race, which she has held for 4 years, and won’t be on the mic for the 2024 version, which begins Aug. 30. She says she was fired for being “too oustpoken.” (Malcolm has expressed criticism of Ironman, which grew to become a minority associate with UTMB in 2021.)
“As of yesterday I’ve been knowledgeable that I can not be a part of the commentary crew that I’ve labored with for the final 4 years as a result of I’m too outspoken,” Malcolm wrote. “They usually’re not flawed, you’ll all the time know the place I stand.”
Malcolm, a veteran ultrarunner who took third place at this yr’s Cascade Crest 100 miler and who additionally commentates for Western States 100 (together with co-host Dylan Bowman), the place she has twice completed within the prime 10, stands her floor within the submit, saying she won’t be “quiet” and expressing solidarity with runners, versus giant race organizations like UTMB/Ironman.
Malcolm’s submit attracted many supportive feedback from ultrarunners together with Lucy Bartholomew, Amelia Boone, Arden Younger and four-time UTMB winner Kilian Jornet, who mentioned, “That is so unhappy and flawed. Even when I in all probability had a barely totally different imaginative and prescient of path working than @utmbmontblanc, their founders and crew had been all the time open to discussing with everybody in the neighborhood, changing into the largest promoter of path working and its values. Sadly because the acquisition of UTMB by @ironmantri, the actions inform in any other case and plainly path working as an exercise and its neighborhood is the final of their issues. I actually hope they hearken to the neighborhood and alter to change into once more a driver of the game and its values.”
Luke Nelson, who scored a Enjoyable Run on the 2021 Barkley Marathons, is one other path runner who has spoken out in opposition to the firing on social media. “This morning, with a mixture of feelings, I need to make it clear that @utmbmontblanc won’t be in my future,” Nelson writes. “I had a craving to return and expertise the complete course (it was shortened the yr I used to be there) however their latest actions in opposition to @garyrobbins and now the 2 individuals I contemplate the voice of UltraRunning on this livestream period of our sport have made it very clear that it’s time for me to publicly communicate out that these actions aren’t palatable. Apparently, @corrinemalcolm was too outspoken to proceed because the commentator for the UTMB races. That group is attempting to take motion to silence critique, and that’s one thing I selected to not tolerate.”
It’s the second time in latest weeks that UTMB/Ironman has drawn the ire of path runners; in late October, it introduced a brand new ultra-trail race in Whistler, B.C., on the identical time of yr as the previous Whistler Alpine Meadows (which introduced its closure earlier this yr). WAM founder Gary Robbins claims his group, Coast Mountain Path Working, was pressured out by resort operator Vail, clearing the way in which for a new deal between Vail and UTMB, although UTMB denies there was any dialogue of a brand new UTMB race in Whistler till after WAM’s departure.
📢ANNOUNCEMENT📢
Possession of the Whistler Half Marathon will switch to Coast Mountain Path Working following the 2024 version of the occasion! Full press launch within the pics.
Registration for the 2024 version opens on New Yr’s Day.
Particulars: https://t.co/Qu1MfLwbF1 pic.twitter.com/KbbGd5KcPc— Coast Mtn Path Working (@CoastMtnTrail) December 1, 2023
On Friday, Robbins introduced that Coast Mountain Path Working will take over possession of the Whistler Half Marathon after the 2024 version, scheduled for June 2.
