Chasing Legends - The Outside @ UTMB 2023 - Chamonix-Mont Blanc. Walmsley, Dauwalter, Miller... Wow!

[Music] [Music] during August of 2023 after lengthy planning we visited ran and hiked in the European Alps after some amazing experiences in the most scenic places we've ever visited we finished in our Target destination of Shaman France in the shadow of Mont Blanc whilst all of our travels took us to exceptionally beautiful places this was our purpose and the reason for us traveling to Europe to experience the magic of UTMB we were not [Music] disappointed after running many of the trails ourselves we turned our attention to UTMB race day and the dedicated Runners from all walks of life who were taking on the challenge whilst we couldn't be everywhere we covered plenty of ground all over the shaman Valley chasing Legends [Music] arriving in Shaman a few days before UTMB was perfect we checked out the town and the UTMB Expo ran some cool trails and even tried to chase some OCC Runners downhill that didn't last very [Music] long the 100 mile race was set to start at 600 p.m. on the Friday so in the morning we found a nice Trail and pet ral's parents it's amazing who you meet when you're running in the mountains the excitement built all day and before long it was race time CR really starting to build now it's about 20 minutes to go till the start so we're just awaiting the start here UTMB 23 it's about 5 minutes to go till they start they'll start about 700 M up there then they'll bang straight down this straight where all of these people are waiting to watch including us it's a big crowd and what a backdrop not a bad way to finish today watch these guys come through and then we're probably going to have to move a little bit and get out of our apartment here and head down to the finish line for the end of the 100K race the Triple C they should be coming through if they do it fast at about 700 p.m. so this thing starts at 600 p.m. 5 [Applause] [Music] minutes wow this is just um an epic [Applause] [Music] [Applause] event watching the lead group come through was amazing the pace they were setting was insane considering what lay ahead of them picking out a few favorite Runners was difficult but it's hard to miss the really recognizable faces like quickly we a screaming Yahoo just like the rest of the crowd it was impossible not to it was just far too exciting [Applause] L then came the rest the volume of Runners was incredible each with their own story of how they got there the massive training commitment and the challenges they may have faced in the leadup [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Bravo [Music] [Applause] W how ridiculously ins sign was that it just went on and on it was like at least 10 to 15 minutes of stream of Runners through the street and now it's just back to business for everyone on the street hey the light C I think he must have forgot it was on he about 10 minutes for the runners anyway better late than never all right Saturday morning we've hopped the train from shamon up to Bine to see some of the runners come through so we hear that Jim wsy and Zach Miller are leading and then there's a few others coming through as well reing there're about an hour away it's just after 10: so they should come through this aid station which will be the 155 km Mark in about an hour or just maybe just over an hour so that'll be pretty exciting so it's they've run all night we've slept and now we get to see them again the runners will come up from this this direction down here and then now we'll take it underneath here underneath this underpass put out here all the course around up through here and then I'll go down through that Treet there and strating behind into the Ice Station through there that'll be their path this is where they'll enter this aid station from they'll come down this shoot just down here and then basically they'll scoot in there there's the eight station get whatever help they need then they'll scoot straight back out here and I guess they head up that way oh yeah there's the course Mark there so they will go straight up here and then up there and off they go up towards that mountain so that's how it's probably what we've seen on the TV before that's how it's going to go down have France Wane coming in to help someone Legend it's all starting to happen now they're all starting to show up probably about 25 minutes away from the the leader coming into the station yes that's Franchesco poopy so just waiting for him to come through now she'll be only a few minutes away Jim wamsley's leading by about 16 minutes from Zach Miller and there's a crowd starting to develop just up behind here it's looking pretty cool into the a station so pretty much as i' sort of eluded we come straight up this this shoot here and we'll follow him through hope play he is looking good here he comes bravo r on Jim great [Applause] legs enjoy it man great legs doing a great job man you're strong man super strong keep the [Applause] PA right come on come on [Music] you got this buddy come on come on that's it enjoy it enjoy [Applause] [Music] [Applause] it wo [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] on come on come on [Applause] [Music] looking good he's looking good he's looking fresh he's looking great that's amazing small Applause down here so sounds like Zach Miller's on his way come on Z guys Zach right leg right EV it looking strong man good enjoy behind let's go buddy behind you man you got this we're right with [Applause] you you got it man you can't pushing man you're strong buddy you're [Applause] [Music] strong strong he's a GI [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] you're strong [Music] strong keep going buddy enjoy this everyone's here for [Applause] you go get him man serious Fanboy going on here but completely unashamed this is amazing Jamal graier came in next in third place not too far behind Zach Miller and was looking really really strong [Applause] [Applause] so I've seen the top three men come through now there's a bit of a gap probably maybe half an hour 40 minutes through to the next group I think there might be a group of two or three so we're going to have to belt and get the train back to shiman so we can actually see the finish I think but um cool to be out lots of people getting around see France Jason CP who's a top end Coach bumped into kafui had a bit of a chat he's the YouTuber pretty prominent Runner looks like he's wearing the craft shoes anyway here what's good to chatsu and so now we're going to leave valis and head back to Shaman seven catch end of this race looks like Jim WS he looks really really strong Zack Mill looked a little bit cooked but he always looks like that he's just an absolute battler so we'll see what happens over the top of the next hill we got a train to catch so we're back in town we made it back in Shaman for the Finish Jim wsy is probably about 15 to 20 minutes away and he's going to win and possibly get the course record as well and the crowd's gone crazy [Applause] come on come on come on come on come on come [Applause] on for [Music] [Applause] he the chief w a 2023 UTB world champion come on Duck you can do it let's hours next through came Zach Miller finishing like an absolute train to get under the magical 20h hour mark [Music] [Applause] year he's going to be second this [Applause] [Music] [Applause] year for the USA USA [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] cour me water is on our way to a historic travel so we've left the finish in jam and got back on the train and we're going to catch well hopefully a cable car up to lafier that is how you say it I've been saying it wrong the whole time and hopefully see well Courtney dwta coming through that' be awesome and a few of the Australian Runners including Lucy bartholomy hopefully so that's our plan we're going to get up there and spend the afternoon which is not there [Music] [Applause] so we're on the Gondola chair heading up to ler at rymes and new night rymes admitt it and it's about4 to 3 we've got until 5:00 and that's when the last Gondola comes back down so hopefully in that time we should see a heap of Runners come through particularly Courtney dwalter and hopefully Lucy bom you so we'll see how we go otherwise we're probably going to have to ditch and bail by that last lift otherwise we're running down this and having done that yesterday I'm not doing it again today and neither of us on that as an [Music] outcome tonight all right we've done a little bit of a time check and it seems that we're here in good time because based on estimated arrival time at laier Courtney dealta should be in in about an hour and 40 minutes so that makes it my brain's not really working very well but before 5:00 half 4 something like that and the next one through is Scott Hawker who's a New Zealand Runner and we think this is I think this is him here no maybe not we're not sure anyway let's have a look see who we [Music] got [Music] [Applause] bra Baptist French Runner didn't catch his last name name but I'll put it on the bottom of the screen Baptist Baptist Baptist yep is that his first or last name uh come back to on that one doesn't matter we'll put it down below so that was a 10th Runner through that French Runner first name Baptist last name shasan chassen or recent if that and the next Runner will be Scott Hawker from New Zealand so southern hemisphere interests all around here [Applause] Al looking strong bravo bravo [Applause] so up to lafier is the lafier is the last climb so down there is where they come Runners come from they'll zigzag their way up around here up into here all the way up here and then once they get to here they'll power H this out get around to the corner and once I get around this corner this is the eight station at laier once they're there that's it their climbing is done we got about a 6 and 1 12 km run down into town and some of which I did in the previous video you'll said that down then into town and then they're done so that was the 11th Place person might have been Spanish might have been Estonian not sure name was Yak yakin anyway we're still waiting for Scotty Hawker who says he's imminent but we can't see him anywhere on the track just yet so we're still waiting you got this [Applause] right job [Applause] so we found him that was Scott Hawker coming up so he was in sitting in 12th Place looking pretty good so hopefully he's uh got the legs ofar him down the hill now there's no one close behind him the next Runner is just down here so he's got a he's got a bit of a gap which is nice you got it man you got it man that's it good job [Applause] power looking strong man looking great another one for the keyways get it done over that H get it done Daniel so that's 30th Place that's Daniel Jones from New Zealand looking pretty good so it's a kywi double in 12th and 13th and he's got a fair gap on the next Runner which is cool so he'll get over there and he'll charge it down and hopefully get a l the top top 15 finish how awesome is that great work strong look at strong excellent Al Bravo you got it you got it you got [Applause] it down [Applause] down one last call [Applause] go go go go Al Al Al you got it she's right there Thomas right there looking strong looking [Applause] strong you got it you got it bravo bravo bra very strong looking strong look [Applause] strong [Applause] keeping [Applause] hero Bravo [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] h [Applause] Swiss and French connections right there Swiss and French connections then came the moment we waited for the next Runner needed no introduction at all on con you got this Cony you got [Applause] this you got this [Music] [Applause] [Music] you got [Music] this well done C [Applause] got [Music] h [Applause] [Music] [Music] look at this crowd they're just so amped so appreciative it's really cool she's taking a little bit of time in the eight station she's got like an hour up obviously that's going the world the most painful moment [Applause] go get himne go get [Applause] him the best and like that the world wins over what well that was pretty awesome she's come through it about 4:30 just a bit after 4:30 and that was just a magic environment to be part of everybody was just so excited it's really cool anyway she's got this in the bag all downhill from here 6 and half K is in the shaman and she is going to celebrate we won't see it we're going to jump the gondola now and get back down try and get to valine and catch up with some other Runners Been Everywhere today okay back in valine yeah that's all it's all going in the a station displayer we might get in there and get something to eat I think but um so it's about half 5 Lucy bomu is expected into valine probably a bit after 6:00 so we're going to make sure we're here for that there's definitely trains that we can get back but it's just stunning evening it's awesome and the crowd's obviously thin a littleit here now but there just going to be multitudes of Runners coming through now which will be really really cool I think the races have been run and one and we'll find out who finish where when we get back go Lucy killing it looking good seeing Lucy come into valine was a real highlight for us it's great to see and support Australian athletes doing amazing things on the other side of the world Lucy had also taken the time to chat to us in the street a few days earlier which was really generous and greatly appreciated she was clearly experiencing some challenges at this point and watching the interaction between the coach and athlete was also really really cool going great Lucy looking strong you got it Lucy you got it yeah you got it keep smiling and love it enjoy [Music] it she's smiling you got it Lacy you got it get it done Lou super proud of you super proud go get him go and he comes dressing C for some last minute advice so back on the train to Shaman again from scene for the second time today we saw Lucy come through she sat for a fair while in the eight station and looked like she was hurting a bit maybe gutsy or maybe foot problems not sure which he left pretty slow with a big smile on the face with Jason CP giving her plenty of encouragement and walked probably at least a k or half a k up the track with her so that was really cool so we'll get back to the finish line now and hopefully see her in a few others finish believe she's still in the top 10 oh she is 10th the 10th 10th female which is cool and then they go okay so we're just following the track back out of valis which follows the train line and seeing a couple of Runners so we'll see if we can pick a couple up [Music] don't [Music] [Music] that's awesome that's cute that's really cool see that from a train [Music] made our way back into town there a bunch of finishers still coming through now here comes another one bravo bravo [Applause] so we come back down we're expecting Lucy bolom in in about 15 minutes and she's still in 10th place and the Canadian Runner who Name Escapes I think her name is CLA CLA hop CLA hop is her name she's about 8 minutes she's about 8 minutes behind or at the the guate when they come through laier so she'll be imminent and that'll get her in the top 10 which is is awesome but it's yeah the crowd has DED off a little it's not as crazy as it was down here much much earlier at the uh at the first finishes finish and most people eating dinner having one at a time but now it's Qui so you can actually see the runners when they come in it's awesome bravo bravo St absolutely St and why wouldn't you [Applause] be yeah yeah most of the runners who are coming through now we saw at valis earlier on in the day so they're all in that that Bunch that Lucy's in so we really should only be maybe yeah probably somewhere less than 10 minutes away [Applause] Bravo y Lucy yo your [Music] [Applause] [Music] day TR [Music] TR wo [Applause] W oh she's [Music] [Applause] how is she running [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] fin [Applause] line go from USA [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] a little bit what it sounds like at the Finish [Music] [Applause] w [Applause] W PTL Runners they have to run in a team of two and they run for 300 km and I think they started on Monday it's near Saturday night so you do the math that's insane but Prett cool once the dust had settled from UTMB we ran the final section of the race between valine and Shaman it's a spectacular trial providing stunning views at every [Music] turn whilst enjoying the trial we reflected on what we'd experienced during the preading [Music] dies the elite athletes doing their [Music] thing the passionate Trail Runners who'd waited a lifetime for that opportunity the grimaces on the faces the battles with [Music] injury outweighing it all was the Jubilation at the Finish Line the accomplishment of running for over 170 km whether it be in 20 hours or 40 hours this memory is definitely stuck with me the most and it's the motivation to aim big and Achieve great things we'll be back to Shaman but next time we'll be part of the [Music] action we hope you've enjoyed this glimpse of UTMB 2023 feel free to subscribe to the channel as it keeps building so until next time keep running stay happy and I'll see you on the outside [Music]