Another Lap of Mont Blanc: Zach Miller’s Essay Before the 2026 UTMB

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As I type these words, I’m lying on a couch in Argentière, France, a tiny mountain town that lies just south of the Swiss border and a few miles north of the hustle and bustle of Chamonix, France, the home of the UTMB Mont Blanc festival in the coming week.

High above, the Mont Blanc massif dominates the sky, though for now, it is dark, and the mountains are nowhere to be seen. A storm has moved in, filling the night with a steady rain. It’s rhythmic and soothing, a real danger for a jet-lagged runner lying on the couch trying to stay awake. In a week, I’ll be starting my seventh UTMB, the iconic 107-mile race around Mont Blanc. This is a place I know well.

A Chamonix Relationship

I first came to the Chamonix Valley in 2013. Ironically, I didn’t come for the race. Back then, I didn’t even know the race existed. I had simply come for a vacation. I was in my mid-twenties and had a bold plan to try to run from Chamonix to Zermatt via the Haute Route. Unfortunately, I got one day into the journey before getting derailed by an awful stomach bug in Champex Lac, Switzerland. There were a couple of Frenchmen staying at the same hotel as me that night, and in the morning, after spending the night puking into the toilet, I decided to tag along with them as they made their way back to Chamonix via the Tour du Mont Blanc hiking route. It was a long day, and I rode the struggle bus hard in the final miles. But I made it back to Chamonix, where I sat on a bench and puked my guts out.

I had one of the most miserable nights of my life in a hostel that night, but with time, I recovered, returned to the trail, and circled Mont Blanc. It took me four days to complete the loop, and it seemed crazy that people would race it in a single go. Ironically, I was about to return to the U.S., where I would race and win the 2013 JFK 50 Mile, my first 50-mile race. Little did I know that doing so would change the course of my life, and I’d find myself back in Chamonix two years later, breaking the tape at the CCC.

The story would come full circle even more in 2016, when I completed my first UTMB, this time a bit faster than my multi-day trek in 2013. I finished another one in 2017, then didn’t finish in 2018 and 2019, and returned in 2022 to place fifth and in 2023 to finish second.

Returning to a Special Race

With six appearances and four finishes, one of which I was very, very pleased with, why would I return to tackle the loop again? My last race here was something special. It was the sort of thing that some people might have hung their hat on. There are plenty of other races in the world that I could do, plenty of new places to explore and cultures to experience. And yet, I return to this one.

The night those two Frenchmen dropped me and my sick stomach off at that hostel in Chamonix, I hadn’t a clue if I would ever see either one of them again, but in 2022, one of them met me at the finish line of UTMB. It was really special, a true full-circle moment. Looking back, I should have asked that young man what he was up to. If I remember correctly, when I first met him in 2013, he was trying to be a mountain guide. I like to think that he achieved that and is happily guiding folks through the mountains to this day. But if he isn’t, I hope he’s doing something that he enjoys.

In a sense, that’s why I am back at UTMB this year: because running through the mountains is still something that I really enjoy.

Sure, there are other reasons. I am here because I am curious to see how I can perform at both the Western States 100 and UTMB in a single year. I am also here for the competition and to represent my sponsors in what has become one of the biggest races of the year.

I must not forget the fans. I am here for them and their wild, chaotic energy.

And finally, I am here to test myself. I am here to don my tattered cap and take it for yet another lap, to see if this body and mind have a bit more to give: for myself, for my friends, for my family, for my hometown, and for these crazy, crazy fans that I love so much.

In closing, I hope these sorts of sentiments ring true for all of us. I hope that as people, we spend our time doing things we enjoy. Furthermore, I hope that we do these things not only for ourselves, but also for those around us. Whatever you are — wildland firefighter, teacher, doctor, lawyer, musician, artist, mechanic, athlete, hiking guide —may you enjoy it, work hard at it, and make a difference with it. And I hope someone’s cheering you on as you go!

Call for Comments

• Do you have a race or area that you’ve built a relationship with over the years?
• What draws you back to your favorite races?

Another Lap of Mont Blanc: Zach Miller’s Essay Before the 2026 UTMB by Zach Miller.