Echappée Belle 2018 - 144K 11000m

RACE REPORT
3 years after falling under my radar, I was finally at the start of the Echappée Belle. Its 144K 11000m combines perfectly with its very technical trail and puzzling landscape.
At the fog was there to stay, they will be nothing to see. 5 min before the start I decide I need to actually race it and not "just run".
I pick my race strategy: keeping the same intensity from start to finish, with a sub 40h & top 100 finish. As the trail start to rise, I see A LOT of people in front of me. At the first aid station I checked in 194th... out of 550.
There is a 54h cut off for the race, most of the runners upfront will eventually drop the pace.
I keep quiet and moving. The fog is deep. Besides furtive glimpses of mountain sides, there is nothing to see but the trail itself.
100 meters in the first downhill, I take a big fall. I put a foot on a big grass bit which decided to come with me, making my left quad kiss the rocks. Half of it is now bruised. The fall makes more damage to the ego than to the body but it still hurt.
Check point 2, 154th. With fast refills below 4 minutes, I manage to cut a lot of people, and some more on the trail.
All is quiet, effortless. I am for once actually following the plan. I refuse to commit to any form of effort. No uphill push, no downhill rush.
It works. Check point 3, 111th. It has been 38K 2000+ since the start. 7h in and the sun was spotted for 30min overall. This was the last time I would see it during the race.
I keep on moving and passing few people while chatting with others. I am finally able leverage all those hours of pace management I got from the Pyrenees (800K 43000m 14 days ndlr). I am on cruise.
While chatting with a fellow runner, he does a double check look.
"Wait, you don't have poles?"
"Nope"
"Why?"
"I dropped the 3/4 years ago to get better quads. Worked pretty well so far.
The runner behind us stepped in.
"You've heard of the guy that did 10000 in Montmatre?"
I smile but don't say a word. The one in front answered.
"Yeah. I guess he didn't have pole either. But here it is steeple and technical. He will be using some here I think"
"I don't think so, that's him"
"Wait what?"
We just started to laugh.
Check point 4, 97th. As the dust finally starts to settle, all the speed rushers are passed and the pace across the field is getting steadier for everyone. Still fresh after 9h & 47K, I stay patient. I can feel the strategy is slowly but steadily working.
In ultras, a strategy as simple as keeping the same intensity all the time is a crowd sweeper. 99% of runners progressively drop their pace as the race goes by.
Not getting slower is enough to be faster.
Check point 5th, 93rd, the 1st base camp.
I have no business to do here. With my regular 4min stop, I switch to night mode, get 1800 calories in hit back the trail. Most runners don't which allowed me to be the 63rd checked in a check point 6th... only 9K later.
Night is my kingdom. People are dropping like flies while I just keep rolling. I spent so many nights fully running that my pace isn't affected.
Check point 7th, 56th. 20h40 for 98K 8300m. The cold part of the night is starting. I need put my warmer layers on to face the exposed ridge to come, swiped by wind and covered by deep fog.
I can barely see the next making. I find a Swedish man on the trail, lost. He team up to navigate. Our duo works pretty fine as we dive for the next downhill. While I still hold my pace, I know it won't be long before my body will start to derail. It is already a miracle it held that far with the same intensity.
Check point 8th, 56th. The top 50 is refusing to open its doors. Few minutes later, reaching 24h of racing, on a monster uphill, my body refuses to hold the pace any longer. I listen.
I am still moving but I know top 50 is no longer possible. I can still finish below 35, so I kept moving.
Check point 9th, 53.
Final check point. While fueling up, I asked for my position.
"51 runners passed already, so 52."
"Damn, I have been chasing the top 50 since Le Pleiney... 16h ago"
"But you are in the top 50. There is 9 pacers in front."
"Wait, you badge in the pacers too?"
I burst in laughers. I had been chasing for 14h something I already had.
I pushed the last 13K to finish 43rd in 33h15.
The race was flawless.
A perfectly executed strategy that, despite seeming more conservative, is actually diabolically efficient.
A strict no sleep policy that proved if needed to be that the 1st night of running no longer affects me.
A sharp pace control that perspire the Pyrénées learnings.
A full grind 0 poles rule that build up the trust in my legs for the coming Moab 240 (miles) in Utah.
A bliss from the seemingly effortless mental commitment to run 144K 11000m.
A perfect weekend.
A new trail running video every Tuesday.
See you on the trails and on www.runnexplorer.com
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[@AsselAdams]

Enfin une vidéo sans musique... Merci !

[@FuckAdds]

Cette course est superbe, j'ai fait le nord 85km mais l'integrale je vais m'y coller !

[@30stef30]

Félicitations

[@FuckAdds]

Alors tu en a pensé quoi de ce parcours ? Grâce à toi je vois mieux le genre de calibre qui forment les "échappés" entre podiums et peloton ! Bravo tu a eu l'air de beaucoup en profiter !

[@MiguelTorres-bp4ft]

Great video for a great ultra Guillaume ! Congrats ! I hope I can join sometime. Cheers from Barcelona Miguel.

[@runnexplorer]

Just try, the worse bit is the sign up. The rest is only training.

[@diachinnisoares1559]

Paysages incroyables! (french from google.kk)

[@runnexplorer]

Nice translation :)

[@gaelchanteux891]

Sympa cette sortie longue 😜. Tu as enchaîné sur quelle course le lendemain ? 🤪

[@runnexplorer]

repos ^^ j'ai fait un marathon au bar cela dit

[@fredtai8929]

wow congrats! how do you even train to be so strong??!!

[@runnexplorer]

takes years, but it is actually a fun process. :)