Courtney Dauwalter has secured her third win at the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc 2023, crossing the iconic Chamonix finish line in 23:29:14 to an electric atmosphere. She breaks records yet again this season by becoming the first person to win the Western States, Hardrock 100 and the UTMB in one year – all 100 mile races.
She told fans before the race that her aim was to “make the entire loop and get [herself] back to Chamonix”, but she placed first in the women’s race and 25th overall – making trail running history in the 100 mile discipline in the process.
It appeared to be a strong race for Courtney in warm, dry conditions – albeit slightly slower than her 2021 pace when she set a course record of 22:30:54 – and she pulled away with an 8 minute lead on the other women as she arrived at La Balme. However, she revealed after crossing the finish line that the second half “was really, really hard” for her, and that she had “almost lost [her] lunch on the streets of Champex Lac.”
She was able to hold it together and secure her victory, however, no doubt spurred on by her family, including husband Kevin who crewed her, and the roaring crowds who responded to her like no other athlete on the course.
Aside from the heaving streets of Chamonix that funnelled her…
