As one of the "shortest" categories in the UTMB events, the ETC category is only 15km long.

But don't be fooled by this 15km — short does not mean easy. With an average climb of about 80m per 1km, the total ascent reaches a terrifying ~1200m, very steep.

On a fast course with huge ascent like this, what gear do runners choose?

As expected, for this kind of "short, fast, steep" race, most athletes went for thinner-soled, lightweight racing shoes.

Women's winner, French athlete Marie Nivet, wore an ACG Kiger test model. This shoe has appeared before at Chongli 168 and other major races, continuing the Kiger line's consistent "low-stack racing" character.

Women's second place Axelle Genoud opted for the new-generation S/LAB Genesis 2; third place Vivien Bonzi chose Brooks' "ultra low-profile trail racing shoe" Catamount Agil.

In the men's field, American Taylor Stack appeared in a low-stack version of a Brooks test trail running shoe. Could Brooks be starting a new generation of "lighter, more technical" low-stack top-tier trail racing shoes to replace the "old" Catamount Agil?

French athlete Romain Discher took second; he chose the ASICS FUJI LITE 7.

Why not the FUJI SPEED 4 with a Pebax plate? Perhaps the athlete preferred a shoe without plate intervention, offering better flexibility and control.

Third place was Spain's Jan Torrella Oller. He chose the S/LAB Pulsar 4, which we're familiar with — it's also a favorite of Chinese trail runner Fan Banglin and helped him win several rounds of this year's Golden League.