UTMB WORLD SERIES
TR facilitates a cultural exchange: a French runner takes on the wilds of Wales, while an Englishman tackles the Alpine Verbier Marathon...
When Julien Gilleron suggested he’d like to run the UTS Snowdonia by UTMB and almost in the same second Simon James suggested he return to the world of ultras after a seven-year absence with a run in the Verbier St-Bernard by UTMB, a plan started to hatch.
Let’s send an Englishman abroad but at the same time let’s invite a Frenchman to Wales. Now that would be fun. We all know about Brits abroad and how we enjoy traditional English fry-ups wherever we are, but do the French insist on croissants et café? There’s only one way to find out!
It was an interesting experiment for sure. Let’s say Simon was, as you’d expect, rather reserved about his amazing experience in the mountains. As you’ll read, he politely praised all involved, underplayed his own incredible run – atop 30 finish – and was generally very British about it all. Julien, however, wow this guy really loves poetry and has an unusual way (for us Brits) of describing the flair, passion, and drama that a weekend in Wales can provide. Who knew sheep and the Welsh language, let alone the locals, could be quite so interesting.
