GTWS race four 2024 – Marathon du Mont-Blanc women’s results: Wyder makes perfect comeback

Switzerland’s Judith Wyder made a stunning return to the Golden Trail World Series with a thrilling victory in the Marathon du Mont-Blanc.

The former orienteering star was overall GTWS champion in 2019 soon after she had switched sports. And she almost added another title last year when she tied on points with Sophia Laukli last year, only to miss out due to Luakli winning three races to her two.

The first half of 2024 had largely been a frustrating one due to bouts of sickness but she showed she was back in form at the European Off-Road Championships in Annecy recently with a silver medal in the ‘Up & Down’ race.

And ‘Up & Down’ was the perfect description for the Marathon du Mont-Blanc both in terms of the terrain and how the women’s race panned out. Read on to find out more but the final result saw Wyder joined on the podium by Madalina Florea (ROM) and Yao Miao (CHI).

Final descent proves decisive

The attrition rate was high early on, so much so that we were soon down to a lead group of four which featured Wyder, Florea, last year’s Mont-Blanc Marathon winner winner Sophia Laukli (USA), also making her GTWS return, and Maude Mathys (SUI) who started the season with victory at the opening Kobe Trail.

At this point Yao Miao was just off the back of that front group, a position she would occupy for much of the race until the crucial final descent.

Wyder is arguably the world’s best descender and she made that count after the Aiguillette des Posettes climb just before halfway but Florea and Luakli were just able to cling onto her.

Indeed Florea then threw down the gauntlet as she moved into the lead and looked to be going best of all and on for a repeat of her victory in last year’s Grand Final.

But the long, often technical, descent back to Chamonix played right into Wyder’s hands and that was where she finally started to pull clear, crossing the line in 4:11:12 with a trademark air jump.

That was exactly two-and-a-half minutes in front of Florea, with Yao Miao making up more than two minutes on that final section to overhaul Luakli for third.

Patience rewarded

Understandably delighted afterwards, Wyder said: “This is just amazing – there has been so much work behind this win, from lots of people.

“I’m so happy and really proud how I managed my race. I was feeling fine early on – but the steep uphills were hard for me and I knew I just had to be patient.

“I had in my mind that I have beaten all these girls in a downhill in the past so I knew if we are on the top together than I do have a chance and I just need to believe in myself. I haven’t run 42k for a long time but it couldn’t have gone better.”

The win puts Wyder right into the overall mix despite only joining the series in the fourth race of eight.

She now plans to race Sierre-Zinal next, followed by a trip to the United States for the Highlands 27K and the Mammoth 26K, which she won last year, before targeting the Grand Final on home territory in Switzerland.

2024 GTWS race four – Marathon du Mont-Blanc, Sunday June 29, 42km

WOMEN

1. Judith Wyder (SUI) – 4:11:12
2. Madalina Florea (ROM) – 4:13:42
3. Yao Miao (CHI) – 4:18:30
4. Sophia Laukli (USA) – 4:19:15
5. Rosa Lara Feliu (ESP) – 4:25:25