On August 24, the first day of UTMB.

After the PTL start, the MCC field began in waves at 10:00 a.m. local time in Martigny‑Combe, Switzerland; after dark the TDS field set off at 23:50 local time from Courmayeur, Italy.

The MCC covers a 40 km course with roughly 2,350 m of ascent, classified as a non‑finals category. It is open to volunteers, local residents and partners.

Our Paoye editorial colleague David (Dingjun WU) finished in 6:28:45, becoming the first mainland China runner to cross the MCC finish line this edition.

TDS is often regarded as the most technically demanding and the “wildest” category at UTMB. At 145 km with about 9,500 m of ascent, it is packed with technical sections and subject to unpredictable weather.

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

This year Chinese athletes Xie Wenfei, Chen Rongrong and others will take on the TDS 145 km test — we hope they finish safely and post strong results.

Image source: Paoye Da Baozha, UTMB official social media.