We were thrilled to sponsor ultrarunner Milly Voice over the summer as she took on the legendary Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB)! The mecca of mass-participation ultrarunning races, Base Camp Food was honoured to supply Milly with a selection of our growing product range geared towards extreme endurance events. Read on below to learn about Milly’s experience and how both mental and physical resilience are required when you’re pushing your body to the limit!
That startline.
Nestled amongst other runners, I nervously looked around me, feeling an affinity with the other athletes about to embark upon this crazy journey, whilst also mentally checking my kit, thinking ahead to the route… and just about remembering to breathe.
High-intensity stuff. But this is the reality of the UTMB 175km 10,000m ascent startline, arguably the pinnacle of mountain ultra-distance racing.
I remember when I first discovered I had gained a place at the Ballot. I was in the gym when my email notification went off, and I opened it leisurely in between sets, assuming I would not have been successful. It is not an easy race to get in: the requirement of a qualifying race in the 100km category and many Running Stones (collected from previous qualifying races), not to mention the sheer lottery that takes place should you meet these prerequisites.
What then followed was months of careful, strategic training (an interesting challenge after moving to the Capital of the UK from a Swiss mountain town) and, as the race day loomed at the end of August, a lot of careful planning for this beast of a Mountain Ultra.
This was always a race that I wanted to do, ever since I did my first ultra-marathon in 2014 - the OCC (standing for the towns it goes through, Orsieres and Champex-Lac in Switzerland, back to Chamonix), where I managed to finish in the Top 10 Women. The UTMB (Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc) series of races all take place around the French, Swiss and Italian Alps in varying distances. These are semi-self-sufficient races with strict time barriers; the actual UTMB, at just over 100 miles, has to be completed within 46.5 hours.
That’s right - while it covers multi-days, this is not a multi-day event. You do it in a “oner”.
As I completed my essential packing, kit bag checks and refining overall race strategy with my crew, I could not have been more grateful to have been joined by Base Camp Food and have had their unwavering support, especially when it came to helping guide my nutrition over such a feat. Ultra-distance running requires proper fueling, and it is clear to say they know their stuff. One of the team was part of my crew, and their advice, support and encouragement was a huge motivator.
The race began at 6pm in Chamonix, heading over to a nearby town Les Houches, then climbing to the ski town of Les Contamines before a long night section that takes you to the Italian Border. It was pretty warm, and whilst this took some focus to make sure I hydrated well, I was pretty overwhelmed by the amazing amount of support and community spirit on the trail, spurring me on. Sport brings people together, and this event is the definition of team spirit.
However, not all adventures go to plan. Pains from injury during training and having Covid before the race took more of a toll on my body than I had hoped. In the mountains, there is no room for pride, and you need to make sensible choices, even if they are heartbreaking. I made the decision to finish my race in Courmayeur, 80km or so from the start, after climbing 4600m of ascent.
Will I be back? Well adventure never, really stops. So watch this space…
One thing I do know for certain is that Base Camp Food is where I will be heading to, as I gear myself up for what’s next.
You can keep up with Milly’s running adventures by following her on Instagram and her podcast, ME and Sport.