UTMB Extraordinary Humans | Episode 3 | Tenerife Bluetrail by UTMB 2024

tenar Spain enter the tday national park a UNESCO world heritage site where 3,200 Runners from 66 countries will run from the coast to volcanic Peaks during the tenar Blue Trail by UTMB an event part of the UTMB World Series the world's ultimate trail running circuit Fernando oron race director I live here on the island of ten I'm a mountain Runner I work on the Blue Trail because it's a personal challeng it's the biggest production on the island of ten it involves mobilizing 700 people for a long time to ensure everything goes perfectly coordinating this entire team is an exciting [Music] challenge ten is an island of contrast with volcanic terrain there are beaches there are mountains lots of greenery and the tday National Park which is our emblem with its vastness and its volcano T the highest in Spain the island has a variety of climates the south is warmer and the north is more humid Greener we asent a 3,555 m in altitude over a volcanic terrain where athletes and sports equipment are put to the test [Music] we're very happy because our partnership with UTMB has borne fruit and we have elevated the race to another dimension we are now at the Forefront of the global Mountain Running Scene [Music] [Music] I gcia Deon I 40 years old I'm a professional athlete and I come from a village called in Northern Spain the previous competition we were preparing for went completely wrong I got injured and sick I arrived at the competition totally out of shape I didn't enjoy it and had bad feelings so for me coming to tenar after managing to get roughly a month of good training in terms of competition it's clear that I'm reconnecting with myself in the sense of I'm in shape again I feel strong I feel competitive I can be fighting for the podium for winning the race and I'm going to try I want to recover those Sensations that I didn't have last time also I get rid of that frustration and feel good and have no problems of course I'm going out there to try and win like everyone else but but I want to cross the finish line I want to cross the finish line without any problems at Puerto de Santa [Music] Cruz for me Alvaro my husband is the fundamental pillar that allows me to do what I do he's part of the race without him it would be unfeasible he will be following me during these 110 km doing my assistance at a but not only that he's also there behind the scenes giving me emotional support when I'm lacking strength when I feel like I can't go on he's there I have to thank him for encouraging me to take the step to go professional which wouldn't have been possible without his help and for pushing me every day we are a team today it seems like we are black and white because he doesn't like running but we compliment each other perfectly I always think about the next aid station and seeing alv another 30 km and I'll see alv this way my race becomes much easier we're a team without him it would not be [Music] [Music] possible the people of the Canary Islands are very special to me they welcome you warmly my name is Jordi gamito I am dist runner for the Brooks team I balance my work with running which is my [Music] passion my main goal and the main reason I am here is to try to make it into the top three in the race this would give me direct entry to UTMB race I want to do again personally I don't like to focus too much on what other Runners are doing because I think it can drain my energy but it's true that in this race there are several Runners like Christopher Clemente who knows the island very well lives nearby and can come to train here also uel Ang who's very strong this year hi I'm Manuel Ango and I'm 33 years old I currently work as an online Endurance Sports coach in 2021 at the Spanish Championship I managed to secure fifth place in the 72 km Trail category it was a very beautiful race and I know it well I've run around tday and the landscape is stunning my name is CLA hop I'm from Canada so I'm happy with my training so far this year and this is the first big big event I've done this year I've done a little shorter race before but this is leading into the summertime it's nice to check in and feel that I'm on track done amp a couple of times um and the last last year I was able to come 11 so that was exciting I'm still hoping to break top 10 but the women's field gets more competitive every year which is amazing so it's just just fun to take part in in in a race that's continuously [Music] [Applause] improving the main race spanning 110 km begins at Los cristianos Beach at sea level it passes through a tunnel over a kilometer long and ascends through a nocturnal Aid landscape where Spectators enjoy a 3 kilm Vista of headlamps ascending a truly breathtaking sight continuing onward the race traverses deeper Vines until reaching the town of VF Flur here in mid-altitude zone abundant with pine trees the course continues its climb through volcanic terrain entering the national park a starkly Aid environment Runners Ascend to approximately 2,000 M before descending to the parador the last aid station before the challenging Ascent of te this peak demands over 1,000 M of positive elevation gain a defining moment of the race descending from tday competitors passed through Montana Blanca and poro Alto re-entering the forested regions of elinar and Laura Silva negotiating a descent through swirling clouds towards the Island's northern coast follows approaching the base of Asom Madero a daunting 2.3 km a second awaits testing even the most seasoned athletes finally the course descends to the ramla de Castro a Scenic Coastal Trail leading to the bustling tourist Hub of Puerto deac [Music] [Applause] [Music] Cruz the start of the 110 km is given from Los cristianos at 11:00 p.m. the pace is fast on this initial section along the coast a long night of running [Applause] [Music] begins H conad where do your here and what is your walk can I take 10 years away my name is um easb I'm from Germany living in Munich and in the mountains in garish I'm 44 years old I'm a psychologist and I do some mental training also with professional athletes I love to have this job and I think i' it goes into the racing um it helps me with the mental side of the racing I try to focus a lot on the things I can control not to focus too much on things I can't control I'm also a hypnotist I know the practice of self hypnosis and I always try to use some Expressions which help me a lot to get through the race I'm having these in mind all the time and TR and try to talk to my body and yeah really be kind to myself [Music] hey come on good [Music] job I would say my best race I've ever done was the uh gusna Ultra Trail in Austria there I was first and had the course record I was third on the man's Podium so I think this this was my greatest achievement and also last year I won the restonica Trail on kosa which also was a big achievement and for sure um to finish you be at the top 10 was also very good achievement for [Music] me I would say was a quick start so I felt pretty good in the beginning but maybe started already a little bit too [Music] fast I was very happy to to take the lead and this also pushes you a little bit maybe too much going to make the countdown in Spanish of course are you [Music] ready while the 110k runners will spend the night on the trails early in the morning Amy Winters is preparing to take on a major challenge over 73 km and 3,150 M of elevation gain the Blue Trail is one of those races that I think will be a great partnership and it will be a great teammate and I think together that we will get to the finish line and we will get the running stones that we need need to stand at the starting line of shamoni and everybody wants to be on the world's stage and that's what UTMB is it's the the world's stage this is four years now four years that I've worked and focused on getting to that finish line [Music] [Music] Lu Amy follows her pre-race routine collecting her race bib preparing her equipment and her prosthetic leg nothing is left to chance to succeed [Music] Christoper I am Christopher Clemente a runner from the Canary Islands specifically from the island of legoa I'm 38 years old and I am semi-professional on the trail running world [Music] in recent years like 2023 I achieved a fifth place in TDS won the ten Blue Trail and won the UTMB in Puerto Vara in the end great experiences and continuing to enjoy as long as my body can endure my goal is yearby year to try and have a decent season for my body to allow me to run and well this year 2024 I can't complain I finished the Costa to Challenger in third place and the 100 miles of Patagonia ramp in second [Music] place at the beginning of the race the elite men stay close to one another [Music] after 33 km and 3 hours 30 minutes of running top Runners arrive at VF FL the first aid station with assistance Manuel anguita is in the lead 1 minute ahead of his [Music] competitors solo running alone at night is very difficult when we started my idea was to stay in a group to get through the night and I constantly had to look at the track with the headlamp to find my way after two hours of racing I was tired of leading the way for everyone I told Jordy hey you take the lead or Alexi and we gathered s or eight again but I was still leading [Music] my main idea was to start strong I had an extra gear and I wanted to push to see if I could catch up with Manuel the guy who was with me didn't have that extra gear so he told me Jordy go ahead Jordi gamito Cam lesnak and Manuel Alexi Martin Lorenzo are together at the Aid Station [Music] [Music] Christopher Clemente now arrives at V Flur injured he's forced to withdraw no my ankle's in bad shape can't run any further V Flor marks the beginning of the comeback for Ruben Diez Quiroga in 12th position on the ascent I fell a bit behind because I didn't want to go up soaked and risk getting very cold at the top I went up gradually catching up with people one by one that atera she went out of the race I heard [Music] that favorite among the women Azara Garcia is struggling and makes the tough decision to [Music] [Music] withdraw I didn't know um where I was or how much time I have so I tried to push and be fast yeah [Music] Eva marberger leaves Villa floor in first position in the woman's race she is followed by jitana AK V actually uh I lost the like Elite rers first ones organizators they told that you are the second so I knew it so I just wanted to keep this position because I didn't know how far is the third [Music] one a regular at the me for several years Nepali s Sherpa is back on the island of tenifa my name is I am nepales I've been living in B France for more than 15 years now I discovered this race in 2016 and won the landscape the atmosphere and playground here I loved it and I don't want to miss it I try to come every year in fact because I love it [Music] I don't really train regularly but I go running every weekend well so that also serves as training actually I participate in races almost every weekend last year I ran 100 km Ultra marathons every weekend in fact I did 10 Ultras in 11 weeks [Music] I lived in Nepal until my teenage years and had quite a difficult life in the mountains every day a physically demanding life and that's what helped me Reach This level but I don't really have the level of the elite athletes it's just for my own pleasure and that's all I love [Music] as I said I had a pretty difficult childhood with very little comfort and today I have a better life here in France and when I go back there even 15 years later it's the same there haven't been many changes actually [Music] there's an association called konga we created it in 2011 with the aim of raising some funds raising awareness and providing some support to the villagers there in particular we help with the schools education and health with this Association we raise funds here in Europe and bring support to the Village [Music] now we go back to Amy who is taking on the Camino Real de chesna a Rocky Trail with over 500 years of history that crosses the island of tener from south to North I'm nervous for what the the Blue Trail will hold for me I'm out here for my kids and for everybody else maybe thinks that this is something that they can't do we're out here to show that you can do it [Music] [Music] the race is special because it starts from the beach at Los cristianos reaches the top of and then has a very long descent to Puerto [Music] deuz we start below we climb up and then descend to the other side the climate is completely different from the south to the [Music] north we start at sea level and then climbed to almost 3,500 M at the summit of tday [Music] I really like this Trail the idea to go up to T it has a special Essence because you don't just go up and down you have a very direct Ascent to over 3,000 [Music] M for altitude is very important it's not something to take lightly because as you ascend if you're not somewhat acclimated you can feel worse and even experience altitude sickness I was very aware about the altitude the oxygen level goes down you know you breathe a little more I live at sea level it's true that I should have a more specific training regimen especially at higher altitude [Music] I think it's a race that needs some specific training I tried to have some sessions in uh the height and sleeping going to the mountain sleeping there so I hope to be prepared for that I've done a lot of altitude training over the last 3 months and knew it would give me an advantage [Music] entering the tday national park at parador in first position Manuel angita increased his lead of over 15 minutes when I reached the parador national base I changed to lighter shoes because it was all uphill with few descents [Music] up to 3,000 M I decided to push hard and gained 20 [Music] minutes climbing Spain's highest peak is a challenge that must be earned Runners are facing a strong wind at the summit of tday culminating at 3,555 [Music] M on the top section of T I was well wrapped up if you go up to 3,500 m it's not going to be warm it's going to be cold especially at night so you go dressed warmly with gloves a hood and then you run in second and third place Jordi gamito and Manuel Alexi Martin Lorenzo must adapt to the altitude while chasing [Music] Manuel for me from 3,200 M onwards UD and high race paace can mean less oxygen reaching your brain causing dizziness so you need to be careful I took it a bit [Music] easier if you're from Spain you want to CL doing it in a race is even better Crossing ten and cling is a un experience it's [Music] incredible achieving an impressive feat in the ascent of tday Reuben reaches the summit in fourth position Camille lesnak is on his heels only 2 minutes behind I was very happy to to take the lead and this also pushes you a little bit maybe too much AB to T wow it got really tough with the altitude and it was so cold up there and it took a lot of time hours or it feels like ages [Music] but then when we were like it was becoming Sunrise we were approaching the volcano and it was just magnificent and then the landscape out of the volcano is like walking on Mars it's [Music] amazing this was a very nice moment to to be up there at the top but also I felt the the altitude I got dizzy I I heard that it's it's going to be like this but I couldn't imagine how bad I feel that you can't breathe normally and you go very slow each kilometer very long and I was waiting just to to go up and to go down suddenly [Music] Elite athletes and amateur Runners alike are profoundly moved by the beauty and difficulty of the tday and its wild Terrain [Music] on the 7 73 km course Amy arrives at parador and continues moving forward one step at a time how you feel Amy I feel great yeah yeah it's absolutely beautiful out there it's such a beautiful course and physically all is okay all good [Music] oh are you okay yeah [Music] yeah do you need the help something no we very strong [Music] [Applause] you see admiration in the eyes of people yes it it gives you more stronger yes absolutely yes [Music] [Music] with 50 km to go her motivation remains [Music] intact I got emotional seeing that I was the first runner to reach day I felt strong but at the same time I felt small I thought to myself I still have 36 km to go 2,000 more meters of descent and then the climb up to the base of as I said to myself I'm dead I didn't fall at all during the race it was very easy to follow our twist because of the desense [Music] phew only 40 km of descent [Music] in the running sections I took advantage keep a good pace and went [Music] fast I wanted to know at all times how much time was left and see if I could catch [Music] him and I think that's what made me and I fell three or four times I suffered a lot because my own pace was very strong [Music] when they tell you you're third you don't expect it you think how can I be third when you're third you feel like [Music] crying I've won races in auras I've won several but well not at the UTMB level Elite people for me I saw them on TV recently on YouTube or Eurosport having managed to maintain his lead Manuel anguita secures victory in 12 hours 54 minutes and 22 [Music] seconds I've had very tough moments I've pushed myself to the Limit many times but in the end convinced myself that I had to finish and I did it it's been crazy my [Applause] [Music] goodness my name is Ruben Koga and I work in a [Applause] factory when I started running I saw the UTMB and when I saw it I said one day I have to go there and I started running to one day go to the UTM but I didn't know they were giving away spots today and I never imagined I would come third and to continue this is a dream for me a dream of a working man [Music] eighth overall Eva Maria spurger Begins the final stretch towards the Finish Line in Puerto De La [Music] Cruz she takes the tape in 15 hours 18 minutes and 55 seconds it's inul thank you [Music] [Music] [Music] what a day long day jitana akav vich pushed to the Finish to cross the line in second place third woman from the summit of today Claire heslop maintained her position in until the [Applause] Finish yeah I've seen other Island races and I think this one had the perfect combination of incredible scenery but also very runnable enjoyable Trails they were connected perfectly and it was incredible variety and then the singular element was the mountain the The Volcano tape so that I think it's just something you have to see and experience I've never seen a landscape like that and here are the men's top five finishers of the 110 km race and here are the women's top five finishers of the 110 km [Music] race still on course Amy is pushing her limits fighting against the train and the clock to keep going and reach the finish line [Music] [Music] you help So Many Stones you know the terrain just like life right life's not easy you just keep going all right [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] uh what is your feeling now wow what is my feeling now [Applause] [Music] um I honestly feel proud of myself it was it was very difficult out [Music] there but you don't go into these knowing that they're easy you know that they're difficult and when I was out there a gentleman had said to me that he was running with someone and they stopped and they wanted to quit because they were tired and he said hey did you see that girl out there who is missing her leg if she can do this then you can do it [Music] the people were amazing and I'm very proud of myself you know I I don't ever say that very [Music] often but I'm proud that I got through it and I'm proud that I kept pushing [Music] another guy was complaining and wanting to quit and he was like did you see that girl who was missing her leg and obviously he started running again [Music] [Applause] Amy Winters another finisher in the same distance Amy Winters in pain but still finishing the race with a prosthetic leg that didn't stop her from completing the 73 km let's applaud her with a prosthetic on one leg and a serious injury on the other she has finished 73 km that loud Applause is for you Amy why we're out here is because it is hard it is difficult and just like life you will fall down but it's important that you get back up and this race proved just that it was about getting knocked down and getting back up and having a dream and and I have a dream and my dream is UTMB but a dream is not a dream unless you fail along the way I can't wait to get to that starting line but more so cross that finish line for my family and for everybody else out there [Music] to just show them what is possible [Music]