Trail Running Evolves: UTMB Embraces Data Alongside Instinct

The world of professional trail running is undergoing a significant transformation, with data and physiological analysis becoming central to race strategy, as highlighted by the 2025 Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) victories of Tom Evans and Ruth Croft.

Athletes are adopting advanced training techniques, including algorithms, lactate testing, and in-race sensors, methods previously more common in sports like cycling and triathlon. This technological integration is becoming indispensable for success in elite trail running.

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Winning the UTMB without this is impossible!

French trail runner Ludovic Pommeret noted that winning the UTMB without such data support is now "impossible." He described how athletes like Evans managed their races by combining instinct with data-driven insights provided by specialists like Joseph Mestrallet, who founded a company dedicated to analyzing trail runners' data.

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My work has led me to model the physiological potential of these athletes, monitor their training, optimize their race pace, and test it in the field.

Ruth Croft, the women's UTMB winner, explained that her data specialist "recovers all my race data to feed his algorithms and then calculates my split times during the race." This meticulous approach to data collection and analysis is becoming a hallmark of top-tier trail runners.

However, this increasing reliance on technology is creating a divide. While younger athletes embrace these data-driven methods, some veteran champions remain attached to the "feeling" and instinct honed through years of experience on the trails. This evolving landscape reflects the sport's growing professionalism and the ongoing debate between tradition and innovation.

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He's a bit of a geek. He recovers all my race data to feed his algorithms and then calculates my split times during the race.