Just like in the previous years, the Mont Blanc showed little respect for runners’ rankings and reputations. Former champions Francesca Canepa and Xavier Thevenard headed home early, and with few exceptions, the names on the podium were not the ones that experts had predicted before the race.

Trail running is becoming more professional, but full-time athletes shared podiums with university students and runners with day jobs and families.

The 101-kilometre CCC was considered as the most competitive of all the races during UTMB week. The female champion – Marta Molist Codina from Spain, is a mother who works as a driving instructor.

She was overjoyed by her win. The Catalan told the Post: “I am in the clouds! I cannot believe it. I trained a lot, but I never thought I would win. To be in top five would have been good, top three – a dream.”

Molist Codina claims to be “very amateur”, but the driving instructor was third in the Spanish trail running championships and won bronze at the Skyrunning World Championships in 2021.

Her toddler son met her on the CCC finish line. “He finally understands that his mother is a runner,” Molist Codina said.

American Abby Hall’s second place in the CCC was unexpected for most experts. Hall was a graphic designer until this year when she made a switch to being a full-time runner. She says that there are no surprise podium finishers at UTMB.

“Usually, when a result happens and seems surprising, that person is known for a long time as capable of smoothing like that. My result (at CCC) did not surprise me. It is a culmination of a lot of hard work. My whole calendar was built around it.”

Hall’s fellow graphic designer, and surprise OCC podium finisher, Norway’s Petter Engdahl is a student at the Norwegian Institute of Science and Technology. He finished third, just behind two highly decorated British athletes – Jonathan Albon and Robbie Simpson.

“I was not one of the favourites, and ending up on the podium was amazing.” Engdahl told the Post. France, Italy and Spain dominate trail running, but Scandinavian countries that have much smaller populations, punched above their weight at this year’s UTMB.

“In Norway and Sweden, we have a good training culture and lots of knowledge about endurance sports. Killian (Jornet) now lives in Norway. Training, environment and knowledge about training – that’s why Scandinavians are good,” Engdahl explained.

“I don’t think we should speak of a curse for them at the UTMB,” Poletti joked. “I think this is more because of the (different) ways of practising trail running in the US and Europe.”

Poletti said the US runners may not be comfortable with the late start of the UTMB that quickly plunges the runners into the cold night high up in the Alps.

But American women seem to have no problem adapting. During the 18 years of the UTMB four different US women won seven titles, but Tim Tollefson managed two third-place finishes.

In Hall’s opinion, female runners tend to perform more consistently across different types of trail races, in different terrain and climates, than men.

Hall also says that men often start a race “running beyond their means”. This year, two male runners – from Australia and Peru, launched early attacks pulling away from their far more illustrious opponents. Both soon dropped out of the race.

“Women tend to run more measured races. From the first aid station to the last, there were a good 100 or so men that I passed,” Hall said.

Before the event, Michel Poletti said how excited everyone in Chamonix, the cradle of mountain sports, was about the return of the UTMB.

He was not wrong. Massive crowds gathered to cheer on the runners, not only at the finish line as is customary, but also high up on the Alpine trails.

“The people did not forget the tragedy, there is no question,” Poletti said, “but there was also joy to be together again, sharing the incredible moment with all the runners, family, crew and the public.”