When ultra runner Harry Jones signed up for his first 100-mile race in 2019, he went with the UTMB, which he admits now might have been an ambitious one to start. The famous course takes thousands of hopefuls on a circuit around Mont Blanc, passing through three different countries with a total elevation gain of 32,940 feet. To put things bluntly, it’s a lot tougher than runners like Jim Walmsley, Kilian Jornet and Courtney Dauwalter make it look.
Coming into the final aid station in Vallorcine, Jones remembers feeling really rough and disappointed with how the race was going. After a quick pep talk from his partner Louise, however, he managed to turn things around and even start running the last climb instead of hiking it. After 24 hours on his feet, he came in 15th out of over 1,400 finishers.
“It was a real lesson that when you think you’ve given everything, if you can tap into it there’s always more to give deep down,” he recalls.
This Friday at 9 a.m., Jones will be back in Chamonix for the CCC – fondly known as the "little sister" of the UTMB – which will see Jones and his cohort run from Courmayeur in Italy to Chamonix. With a total distance of 101 km, it’s less than two-thirds of the marquee race, but when we spoke to Jones earlier this summer, he confessed that he prefers these races over 100-milers.
“You can actually run at quite a good pace and you’re not out on the trail overnight, which makes a really big difference psychologically.”
Since 2014, the British runner has competed in eight UTMB events around the world, including the 50 km Ultra-Trail in Snowdonia in May, where he came third and the Mozart 11 km in Austria in 2022, which he won. This year will be his fourth attempt at the CCC and he’ll most likely find himself jostling for the podium among a crowd of over 1,600 elite runners, but he says, that’s exactly the point.
“The UTMB finals year after year bring together the strongest fields of trail runners on the planet, which ensures a deeply competitive race and opportunity to test yourself against your peers.”
To get ready for racing against the best of the best, Jones says he feels confident in his training and shares a few of his preparation strategies with us below.
1. Training
Doing much of his training in Wales might give Jones mountains and rugged beauty, but what it doesn’t provide is altitude training – the highest point in the country is a mere 3,560 ft. So this year, Jones made it a point to acclimate before he gets to the starting line.
“I’ve spent the past couple weeks in the Alps and been sleeping at a moderate altitude to try and develop some adaptations without over stressing the body during the build-up, so should feel fine on race day.”
Spending two weeks in the mountains can change your red blood cells for months, so he’ll keep the benefits through the fall.
2. Nutrition
Jones has been plant-based since 2013 and shared details of his vegan diet with us earlier this summer, which proved to be surprisingly simple – think baked potatoes, wraps and vegetable curries – and effective. But when it comes to pre-race nutrition, his approach looks pretty much like any other runner in the field.
“Plenty of carbohydrates as usual, my normal routine doesn’t change much coming into a race. With the reduction in training volume the energy soon begins to pile up.”
Good thing Chamonix is known for its cheese and potatoes.
3. Shoes
Naturally, we wanted to know what shoes Jones will be running in. Would he go for a big bouncy Hoka like last year’s champ Walmsley or a lower profile Salomon like three-time winner Dauwalter?
Turns out he’s picked one of my favorite trail runners, the Merrell Agility Peak 5 which came out last year.
“My most important kit is always my shoes. I have to have confidence in what’s on my feet.”
I tested these shoes out in Chamonix last summer when I was covering the UTMB and was instantly impressed by their level of cushion, which provides ongoing comfort over long distances, breathability and stability, while my colleague Pat Kinsella rated their excellent grip.
4. Mental prep
At the end of the day, you can have the best kit and training plan in the world, but often your biggest obstacle come race day is your mind. While Jones says he doesn’t have a specific ritual to get him into the right head space, he does prioritize psychological preparation.
“I do sit down about a week or so ahead of the race and write out a mental game plan. Kind of a like a pros and cons of the training block, as well as a few ‘what ifs?’ when it comes to race.”
With these ideas on paper, he can visualize different situations that could happen and how he can address them physically or mentally to move past them and keep the race on track.
We’ll be at the starting line on Friday morning to cheer on Jones and wish all of the runners a great race. Make sure to follow our news feed all weekend long as we report live on the main event.
