On August 24, the first day of UTMB.

After the PTL category started, the MCC category began in waves at 10:00 local time in Martigny - Combe, Switzerland; after dark the TDS category started at 23:50 local time in Courmayeur, Italy.

The MCC's 40 km course, with roughly 2,350 m of ascent, is a non-championship category. It is open to volunteers, local residents and partners.

A colleague from the 跑野 editorial team, David (Dingjun WU), finished in 6:28:45, becoming the first runner from mainland China to cross the MCC finish this year.

The TDS category is often considered the most technically demanding and the "wildest" route among UTMB events. At 145 km with about 9,500 m of ascent, it is full of technical sections and subject to unpredictable weather.

Last night's heavy rain made the course even more slippery and muddy, increasing the challenge for TDS competitors.

This year Chinese athletes Xie Wenfei, Chen Rongrong and others will tackle the TDS 145 km test; we hope they finish safely and achieve good results.

(Image sources: 跑野大爆炸, UTMB official social media)