UTMB 2019: Pau Capell wins – aggressive tactics pay off as he becomes first non-French winner since Kilian Jornet
- The Spanish runners wins despite an unusually fast paced start, as he takes the lead early and holds it through the entire 171km
Pau Capell won the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) in 20 hours, 19 minutes and seven seconds. He is the first non-French winner since his fellow Spaniard Kilian Jornet won in 2011.
The UTMB is one of the premier ultra trail races in the world. It is the culmination of a week long running festival, which sees the best in the sport compete for the coveted winners titles.
The brutal 171km course, with over 10,000 meters of accumulative elevation, favours runners who pace themselves conservatively – a common refrain is that “the race does not start until 100km”. But, Capell ignored the advice and set off at an aggressive pace, taking the lead in the first few kilometres and holing it until he ultimately won.
“Leading from wire to wire, in heroic fashion, it goes against common sense in endurance sport and everything you would expect given the field,” said UTMB commentator Dylan Bowman, who finished second in the 145km TDS at the UTMB week in 2018.
Bowman added it shows the sport is evolving, and to win at the top level, you now need to take risks.