Three-time winner and former course record holder Courtney Dauwalter has confirmed she will be returning for this year’s UTMB in Chamonix, trail running’s blue riband event.
Posting the announcement on her Instagram account, the GOAT of women’s ultrarunning said she ‘can’t wait’ to once again tackle the iconic Tour du Mont Blanc route.
Regarded by many as ‘queen of the mountains’, her victories in 2019, 2021 and 2023 are the stuff of legend as she set new standards for the stamina-sapping 106-mile race around the Alps.
Schide yet to commit
Having focused on – and won – the likes of Hardrock 100, Mt Fuji 100 and Transgrancanaria in 2024, Dauwalter bypassed UTMB that year – though she still turned up to cheer on the runners in a duck costume!
However, her social media revelation that she’s back this August has not only whetted the appetite for her return, but it has also thrown up the mouth-watering prospect of a duel with the woman who stole both her crown and her course record last year, fellow American Katie Schide.
Still to confirm whether she will also be competing next month, Schide – a two-time winner herself – could now set up a battle royale with her rival if she were to defend her UTMB title.
For Dauwalter, the focus for now is firmly on getting ready for August 29, although she did throw in a reminder of her past achievements when posting on Instagram – listing her years of Mont Blanc success as if to send out a warning to her friend and rival that she wants to win number four.
“Next up: UTMB! 🏔️⛏️,” she posted. “Can’t wait to try to bring my best to this 100-mile loop around Mont Blanc. See you in a month, Chamonix! 🥐 Race date: August 29. 🎥 2019, 2021, 2023.”
Courtney and UTMB
Dauwalter’s record-breaking time of 22:30:54 came in 2021 as she finished more than 90 minutes ahead of France’s Camille Bruyas. However, the record was beaten by a determined Schide last year when she crossed the line 21 minutes faster, in 22:09:31.
To add even further spice to what would certainly be one of the most anticipated ultra battles in years, the 33-year-old Schide also took Dauwalter’s course record while winning the Hardrock 100 in Colorado earlier this month.
UTMB circuits Mont Blanc through France, Italy and Switzerland, covering a distance of approximately 171km, and including a total elevation gain of 10,040 metres.
Dauwalter’s win in 2023 saw her become the first person in history to take the triple of Western States, Hardrock, and UTMB in a single year, and she remarked at the time how her victory, and the support of the crowd, was simply ‘insane’.
“It was the most insane thing I have ever experienced,” she said, “I’m so thankful for everyone who gave up their day to come out, cheering on all the runners… Ultrarunning is hugely mental, so if you can get that boost of joy, then it translates to energy, which can help your legs keep going. It was huge, I was so dead by then, my legs weren’t really responding anymore, and this was the jolt I needed to get back to Chamonix.”
She can be assured of similar backing come August 29 as she returns to the mountains, with or without the challenge of Schide.
