Reigning UTMB champion Katie Schide demonstrated her incredible range with a podium place at the iconic Sierre-Zinal.
The French-based American has bossed the world’s top 100-mile races along with the GOAT Courtney Dauwalter in recent years.
The pair have between them won the last five editions of UTMB, trail running’s blue riband event – Dauwalter in 2019, 2021 and 2023, Schide in 2022 and 2024 (there was no race in 2020 due to the global COVID pandemic).
And they’ve notched record-breaking victories at the likes of Western States and Hardrock 100, Schide landing the latter on her debut last month.
Worlds the big objective
But Sierre-Zinal was a completely diffferent kettle of fish – ‘just’ 31km in the Valais Alps, though it does feature 2,200 metres of elevation gain as it takes competitors in sight of five peaks of over four thousand meters.
A stellar women’s field lined up, including Schide who has elected to give UTMB a miss this year as she focusses on representing Team USA at the Trail World Championships on September 27 in the Pyrenees for the long course race over 82km.
The remarkable Joyline Chepngeno defended her Sierre-Zinal title but few were finishing stronger than Schide as she overhauled four-time winner Maude Mathys for third late on in a time of 2:58:32.
‘Playing the game’
And writing on Instagram, Schide said: “I just love this game.
“Coming into the final checkpoint in 5th place, seeing a sub-3hr finish in reach… I really couldn’t believe it.
“But catching a glimpse of 2 women ahead of me right before the last little descent, making a move to empty everything and not knowing if it would stick until the finish line… all I could think was “this is exactly why I came here”.
“It actually didn’t matter that we were racing for 3rd. I’d look back and smile even if they’d both passed me back, even if it had been for 23rd. Because that’s the fun part, playing the game 🎮.”
