The Spanish mountain star Kilian Jornet, whose participation in the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) had been questioned by a positive test for Covid-19, got off to a good start in the 2022 edition which was given this Friday at 6 p.m. Earlier in the day, he said to himself “ready” and “eager” to start the race. “I feel fine, I don’t feel any symptoms (…), so the doctors gave me the green light to start the race”said the runner in English in a video posted on his Instagram account.
“I’m just going to try to run smart”, he continues, referring to the possibility of stopping if he feels symptoms or a fever attack. “But I feel ready, strong, my preparation has been good, and I can’t wait to go running around these mountains that I love so much”, he adds. “See you later @kilianj”, had announced earlier in the day the UTMB group in a tweet accompanying a short video showing the champion, wearing a mask and a hoodie, presenting himself at a registration stand, then greeting a comrade, against the background musical.
Jornet, once again a favorite
The queen event of the UTMB, an ultra-trail of 171 km with 10,000 m of elevation gain through three countries, starts this Friday at 6 p.m. from the center of Chamonix (2,300 runners). The fastest should complete the loop in about twenty hours and cross the finish line on Saturday around 1:45 p.m. Participants have until Sunday 3:30 p.m. to arrive and be included in the ranking.
Kilian Jornet, 34, is the big favorite for this event, which he has already won in 2008, 2009 and 2011. The Catalan, on the other hand, had to abandon halfway during his last participation in 2018 due to a bee sting, to which he is allergic. Among his possible challengers this year are the American Jim Walmsley, the Frenchman Aurélien Dunand-Pallaz, who came second last year, and the Spaniard Pau Capell, solo winner in the 2019 edition.