France’s Baptiste Chassagne positioned second within the 2024 UTMB, an enchancment on tenth in final yr’s race. Within the following interview, our first with Baptiste, he talks about how he moved up the sector regularly, solely getting into the highest 10 previous the midway level; what it meant to podium on the largest race on his house trails; and the way he regularly constructed up over time to racing 100-mile distances.
For extra on how the race performed out, learn our in-depth 2024 UTMB outcomes article.
Baptiste Chassagne Submit-2024 UTMB Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Sarah Brady of iRunFar. It’s the day after the 2024 UTMB. I’m right here with second-place man, Baptiste Chassagne. Congratulations, Baptiste. How do you’re feeling?
Chassagne: I really feel tremendous nice. I really feel completely satisfied, grateful, and actually happy to be there. It’s fairly an honor to be with you, so thanks for the invitation.
iRunFar: We’re delighted to have you ever. So, you’ve a historical past right here at this competition. You had been high 10 at one of many UTMB races for the final 5 editions. You began at MCC in 2018, and also you labored your manner as much as OCC and CCC, and you then had been tenth at UTMB final yr.
Chassagne: Sure.
iRunFar: However then, that was fairly an enormous bounce to your efficiency this yr to position second.
Chassagne: Yeah.
iRunFar: So, did something change massively in your coaching within the final yr?
Chassagne: I don’t assume so. I believe that the efficiency of yesterday is simply the results of a complete course of that I began 5 – 6 years in the past. Yesterday, I simply had a very good day. Yeah, it’s a form of concretization of all the method. There’s maybe a change of mindset. Leaping within the Nike journey, it additionally change the way in which of your considering, or your ideas.
iRunFar: Okay.
Chassagne: Final yr, I used to be main the [Trail Running] World Championships [Long Trail]. I used to be first on the center support station. I’ve been actually anxious about main the race as a result of I used to be not designed for that. And to leap into the Nike mission, it modified the way in which of the way you see the efficiency. So, after I was second yesterday, okay, I can handle the tempo, I can handle the ideas.
iRunFar: Yeah, I believe the psychology of 100 milers is a key half to it. So, you had been saying simply earlier than we began, so that you had been tenth final yr, however you’re an hour and 20 minutes quicker this yr. On a barely longer course as effectively. However you stated your splits had been just about the identical till Courmayeur. So, you had a very good second half. And I seen you had been nonetheless in eleventh at Courmayeur. You’ve been regularly creeping up the entire race. Was that all the time the plan to run a conservative first half?
Chassagne: No, there was no plan. The one… I don’t know the way to say that, however I actually wished to be actually listening to my sensation, my emotions, and I by no means watched my watch, with regard to my watch. So, I used to be very specializing in the tempo. So, there was no technique, after which it was simply tremendous pure.
iRunFar: Cool. After which, within the second half, you’re regularly choosing off runners. And was it a sport to get the following one, and the following one, or did it simply occur naturally?
Chassagne: Yeah, that’s the factor I actually love in ultrarunning, it’s like enjoying chess. Each transfer is admittedly essential. So, I do know if I push on this uphill, maybe I’ll pay for that within the subsequent downhill. So enjoying chess with the opposite opponents is one thing I actually favored.
iRunFar: Excellent. And did you truly run alongside anybody for a big time, or had been you by yourself largely?
Chassagne: Yeah, with Hannes Namberger, who completed fourth.
iRunFar: Excellent.
Chassagne: We’ve, I don’t know the way to say that, however a sense and instinct with Hannes, which is an athlete I actually, actually recognize as a result of we share quite a lot of kilometers over the last World Championships.
iRunFar: Oh, superb.
Chassagne: And we share some companions collectively. So, it was actually cool. We jumped from the 9 place to the rostrum collectively in 50k, so-
iRunFar: Yeah.
Chassagne: … good firm.
iRunFar: I believe you’re each related runners in that Hannes could be very constant as effectively.
Chassagne: Yeah.
iRunFar: Yeah. And really affected person.
Chassagne: Yeah.
iRunFar: After which it was across the high of Trient the place you moved into second place. And the way did you’re feeling there?
Chassagne: I don’t know. It was like, final yr, I suffered loads in UTMB. On my mindset, my key phrase was, “Okay, I don’t wish to endure like final yr.” So, I all the time wish to maintain this little margin. I didn’t wish to go within the purple zone, keep within the orange zone. And after I jumped into the second place, I had nonetheless this little margin, and I simply wished to maintain the tempo with the little margin till the final uphill. So yeah… I felt confidence.
iRunFar: And he was all the time fairly shut behind you, however you had been nonetheless comfy with the hole you had?
Chassagne: Yeah, it was a very, actually huge struggle. In my goals, I believe that’s a dream of each path runner. It’s like crossing the roads of Chamonix-
iRunFar: After all.
Chassagne: … like, yeah, giving high-fives and all the things. So, I imagined one thing totally different for my UTMB, like dreaming end line-
iRunFar: Yeah, superb.
Chassagne: … as a result of I needed to dash till the last-
iRunFar: Oh, wow. Okay.
Chassagne: … 100 meters. So, it was not disappointing, however one thing totally different.
iRunFar: It isn’t what you anticipated.
Chassagne: Yeah, precisely.
iRunFar: That’s dramatic.
Chassagne: No, however that was actually cool too.
iRunFar: Okay. Excellent.
Chassagne: Stunning, however actually cool.
iRunFar: Yeah, good. After which, there’s one thing on the end that confused quite a lot of us, the paddle.
Chassagne: Yeah.
iRunFar: What was that about?
Chassagne: It’s like form of signature for 2 causes. First, I take into account myself not as a God-gifted athlete, extra like a tough employee, not with a lot skills. For my part, I’ve to row a lot-
iRunFar: Oh, okay.
Chassagne: … to attain issues and to attain my goals. So, that’s the primary rationalization. And the second is that I actually love soccer, soccer, and the signature of one among my favourite gamers is rowing when he scores a objective. So, the guy-
iRunFar: Okay. Who’s that?
Chassagne: Marama Vahirua. He’s a very small participant, in actual fact, not a small participant, however a staff participant. He’s not a star. He comes from a small island referred to as Tahiti.
iRunFar: Hopefully, he sees this.
Chassagne: Yeah.
iRunFar: Okay. After which, simply from taking a look at your development, even this previous yr, you’ve nonetheless accomplished quite a lot of quick path races, however you’ve accomplished extremely effectively on the largest 100-mile race on this planet. So now, are you going to try to focus extra on this 100-mile distance, or do you continue to love to do a little bit of all the things?
Chassagne: From the scratch, I imply, after I began to path, I actually wished to develop into an ultrarunner. However I’m actually, actually well-surrounded by my coach, my supervisor, my household, and everybody was telling me, “Okay, it’s important to be affected person. So, it’s important to construct this legs that can help you dream huge at UTMB.”
As you talked about for Hannes, consistency is a key. So, I simply wish to go passionately, and yeah, and my ambition is to develop into probably the greatest ultrarunner on this planet.
iRunFar: Nicely, you’re right here in second place on the UTMB podium, so I believe you’ve already achieved that. After which, simply lastly, so I do know you’re native to the world. Do you’ve a ski season or something in winter?
Chassagne: Sure. I believe that to be an area boy helped me loads yesterday, about two or three issues. First, I actually know each trails.
iRunFar: Excellent.
Chassagne: I imply, that is my playground, so I felt actually assured to run at house. After which, I additionally had quite a lot of, lot of affection and sharings from everybody. I actually felt the additional energy of being at house, operating at house.
iRunFar: And what’s going to you do now?
Chassagne: And about snowboarding season, I’m sorry. So, that’s why I dwell right here. I actually like to do a sport that the character imposes you. So, when it’s winter, I actually like to do mountaineering, snowboarding.
iRunFar: Okay. And the mixture appears to work very effectively for lots of athletes.
Chassagne: Sure.
iRunFar: Yeah. Okay. Nicely, thanks very a lot. It was nice to have you-
Chassagne: Thanks.
iRunFar: … to your first of many iRunFar interviews.
Chassagne: Thanks a lot.
iRunFar: Thanks.
