Ultrarunning star Ruth Croft inspired by fellow Kiwi Hamish Kerr’s Olympic gold medal ahead of UTMB debut

Having won OCC and CCC, Ruth Croft is looking for a famous treble when she tackles UTMB for the first time this week.

New Zealand’s leading trail runner may be making her debut at the sport’s most prestigious and challenging race but she goes into it as one of the favourites based on past exploits and current form.

She has twice claimed victory twice in the 50km OCC race (2018 & 2019) and once in the 100km CCC race (2015) and looks to be one of the main challengers to current Western States champion and 2022 UTMB winner Katie Schide.

‘Healthy and happy’ on the start line

Croft had been intending to race UTMB last year before a virus put paid to those plans but everything has gone smoothly in the build up this time around.

She’s won her last three races including the Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB 102km in February and has finished on the podium of every race she’s lined up for dating back to October 2020.

She says: “Training has been going well, a lot smoother than last year to be honest. My health has been in a better place this year which meant I was able to have one of the better base building periods in New Zealand over the summer and have been building on that since coming to Europe.

“I’ve had a fun month up at altitude in Tignes, France, it was like little New Zealand up there with a lot of Kiwis and adopted Kiwis based there to train, so that bought some home comforts,” added Croft.

“I actually got a virus leading into UTMB last year which meant I couldn’t race. If anything, it has made me more aware that half the job is just getting on the start line healthy, happy, and not overcooked. I feel my coach and I have been able to find that balance this year.”

Fun an important factor

Croft’s greatest career victory to date came two years ago when she won the famous Western States 100-Mile Endurance Race in California, after finishing second the year before. Both Western States races are the only two 100-mile races Croft has done, with this year’s UTMB set to be her third.

“For me, 100 miles, no matter what the course, just comes down to self-management, focusing on myself and not what the other women around me are doing. I’ll be making sure I am not dropping any sub four-minute kilometres out of Chamonix, as that won’t be helping me in the back half of the race,” she said.

“A successful race for me is always about having some fun along the way. Well, as much as you can over 170km!

“I have a good dose of both excitement and also intimidation, which will keep me in check. Martin [Croft’s partner] is going to be back crewing me, and I’ve got some support from friends and family, so I’m looking forward to sharing the loop with them.

“This is definitely our biggest stage that we have in our sport, and after watching the Olympics it’s been cool to see that even though we are a small country at the bottom of the Pacific we can compete against the best in the world. I was impressed with watching Hamish Kerr win the high jump in Paris, he just looked so calm and that he was genuinely having fun, and that is what I want to bring to UTMB.

The UTMB begins on Friday evening at 18:00 local time and here’s all you need to know.