UTMB World Series: Inside the Minds of 4 Pro Trail Runners

Take a step in Brooks trail athletes’ shoes as they prepare for one of ‘the most mythical and prestigious trail running races in the world’: the UTMB event in France, Italy and Switzerland.

The Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) has been dubbed ‘the world’s biggest and most revered trail running event.’ This year, the week-long running festival takes place from August 26 to September 1. The UTMB unfolds across France, Italy and Switzerland, features seven offshoot races, including the ETC (15K), and culminates with the World Series Finals: the OCC (50K), CCC (100K) and UTMB (100M).

Completing any of these grueling races is a huge undertaking. Raw mileage and steep ascents aside, many sections require technical skills and hours spent running in the dark. For many participants, simply making it to the finish line before the cut-off is a triumph. But for a select few, their aim is not just to finish, it is to win. 

Roberto Delorenzi, Mario Mendoza, Luke Grenfell-Shaw and Hillary Allen are four such athletes. All are Brooks Running trail athletes and each one of them is participating in a UTMB race, aiming for a spot on the podium.

Meet the Competitors

Roberto Delorenzi (ETC 15K): Roberto is having a standout year. Fresh from victories in the European Championship in the Up & Down Mountain Race and a few skyrun races this spring, he’s eyeing another win at the ETC.

Mario Mendoza (OCC 50K): A four-time USATF Trail Runner of the Year, Mario brings a wealth of experience and numerous accolades, including 15 podium finishes in USATF Trail Championships. After a couple years of challenging the 100 mile and 100K distances, he’s focusing on shorter races for now, including the OCC.

Luke Grenfell-Shaw (CCC 100K): After being diagnosed with cancer in 2018, Luke channeled his energy into trail racing and has been on an upward trajectory. This year, he came first at the Val d’Aran by UTMB and sixth at the Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB. Now, he’s setting his sights on the CCC podium.

Hillary Allen (UTMB 100M): AKA ‘Hillygoat,’ Hillary is widely recognized as the trail queen of vertical terrain. To name just one of her accolades, last year, she set a course record at the Ultra Trail Cape Town 100M. This year, she returns to UTMB, motivated to outperform her previous 14th-place finish.

How have they been training for their upcoming UTMB races?

Roberto’s preparation for the ETC (15K) has been “very similar to last year, with a lot of volume, altitude training, quite a lot of interval sessions, races and some long bike rides. The only difference is that this year I’m fitter and I’m doing more altitude training.” His logged activities on his Strava profile attest to all of this. As for what helps him fly across so much mountainous terrain, Roberto swears by the Brooks Catamount 3 trail running shoes for his mountain training sessions and the Brooks Catamount Agil running shoes for his race days.

With all that training under his belt, he’s aiming to defend his title as last year’s champion, adding “a new Course Record” to his wish list.

Mario is excited to run the OCC (50K) this year, before returning to his usual, longer distances. “The nice thing about shorter races is you can do so many more! I love that you can recover faster and use each race as a great fitness boost,” he shares.

Training for the OCC (50K), Mario, who also trains in the Brooks Catamount 3 running shoe, emphasizes the importance of both uphill and downhill running. He suggests using a treadmill for trail runners without easy access to mountains. “We can get into decent mountain shape on a treadmill, using uphill and downhill inclines. The uphill incline allows you to specifically target your efficiency and the repetitive muscle power you need to go uphill,” he explains.

Training on a downhill incline is also crucial, because, as Mario explains, it simulates the fatigue of long descents. “In these mountain races it can put you in trouble because you have to run fast downhill and many times that’s where the races are won,” he shares. For runners using a treadmill without a downhill setting, he recommends transitioning immediately from uphill to flat and fast running.

Looking ahead to the OCC (50K), “The thing that makes this race extra special for me is that it’s truly one of the most beautiful courses I’ve ever run on,” Mario says. “For someone who loves mountains and steep trails like I do, this is the dream place to run in."

Luke shares Mario’s love for the mountains and he looks forward to multiple aspects of his upcoming CCC (100K) race. “It’s a stunning place to run and all the best trail runners in the world are there. Plus, the supporters on the course and the atmosphere in Chamonix are amazing,” he explains. 

This year, Luke has tweaked his preparation by working with running and trail coach David Roche. “It’s really changed the emphasis of my training. On one hand, there are more hills and the long runs are longer; on the other hand even the intense sessions are ‘relaxed.’  Undoubtedly the biggest difference is the amount of vert I’m doing this year,” he shares. As we speak, Luke is in Kazakhstan racking up more vert. 

Luke, like Roberto and Mario, turns to the Brooks Catamount 3 trail running shoe for all the vert he racks up. “I love the Catamount 3. It's a super trainer which can perform so many roles. On one hand, it's very comfortable, has good grip and protection - enough that I can race 100K in it! On the other hand, it's still pretty light and responsive so I can also run very fast in it and I've done everything from sprints to interval sessions in it too. It's definitely my favorite shoe!”

When discussing what keeps him going during long, hard runs, Luke mentions three key points. “The first is my surroundings,” he says. “I’m running through the mountains, they’re crazy beautiful, and I remind myself I am so, so, lucky to be doing this.” 

He also draws strength from personal trials. “Six years ago, I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer that doctors said was incurable. I remind myself that, when I was in hospital on chemotherapy, I would have done anything to be alive and running in the mountains. Thirdly, I also think about my brother, John, who fell to his death in the Lake District three weeks after I was diagnosed with cancer. However painful my legs are, I know that John would give anything to be alive right now. I’m in absolutely no position to complain.” These experiences have instilled in Luke a profound inner strength and gratitude.

Hillary is embracing an equally optimistic attitude this year as she gears up for the UTMB (100M). “I am motivated to see how much faster and better I can race [than in 2022],” she explains. 

In preparation, Hillary has “a new coach and [has] been working diligently with a sports psychologist - these two aspects are really important for [her] to feel like [she] has a team behind [her].” 

She has spent her whole summer in Europe preparing for the UTMB (100M), racking up vert while traveling and reconnecting with friends. “I got to run on the steepest trails in North Wales. Now I'm in Annecy, France getting in more vert, before I head to Italy to reunite with my Brooks team. The trails are really different over here, so it's important to get the specific training in,” she shares. “I also love testing out which running shoe suits me best and having the best gear out there. I’ve mostly been using the Brooks Caldera 7 running shoes, as well as their High Point collection of apparel.”

On top of training, “I love running, I love pushing myself and I love challenges,” Hillary explains her motivation. “For me running is a beautiful expression of the entire process of training - the ups and downs, the injuries, the setbacks and the highs - culminating in one day at a specific race.”

In her inspiring words, “Running is not guaranteed. I like to think about it as an opportunity to try my best and be my best, especially when it gets hard.” As the start lines draw nearer, we’re rallying in support of each of these Brooks athletes and all participants at the UTMB World Series. As Luke so eloquently puts it, “To live, run and race is the most immense privilege.”