Magnificent victory for Blandine L'Hirondel in the CCC and new record of Petter Engdhal

At 9am yesterday morning, more than 2.000 runners set off on the 2022 edition of the CCC, taking on a “half-turn” of the Mont Blanc over a trail of 100km and 6.100m of ascent. Three waves of competitors set of successively from Courmayeur (ITA) under an overcast sky and a temperature reading of 16°C at the start of the race.

Knowing the solid experience of the Elite runners participating, we expected to see the event dominated by the British Jonathan Albon, a talented all-rounder, a world champion in obstacle courses before achieving the same success in trail-running and winning the CCC last year. But that was before reckoning with the tenacity of the 28-year-old Swede Petter Engdahl, 3rd in the CCC in 2021. A top-level cross-country skier who competed in the world cup before turning to trail running, the Scandinavian took the lead from the first checkpoint at Bertone on the 13th km and stayed ahead until the end of the race.

The rain accompanied the runners for most of the race, and Jonathan Albon would prove to be the Swede’s most formidable opponent. Starting cautiously, Albon, who was running his first 100km like Engdahl, took his time to make his way up to the front and for many long kilometres was just minutes behind the Swedish leader. “Everything was going according to plan, but in Champex I had big stomach problems that got worse on the descent to Vallorcine, where I had to stop,” explained Albon. That was enough for Engdahl to race ahead, maintaining a steady pace, even speeding up at the end of the race. “I was not really thinking about the time,” the Swede said at the finish. “I was thinking above all of keeping up the right pace for me today. I didn’t look at my watch until Col des Montets, where I acknowledged that I was feeling good, and that perhaps I could finish in under 10 hours…”.

A goal that he achieved, since Engdahl established a new record time for the race, 9 hours, 53 minutes and 2 seconds. Behind him, Jonathan Albon fought to hold on to his second place, threatened by the Italian pastry-maker from the Asics team, Andreas Reiterer, who overtook him leaving Vallorcine and stayed in second place until the top of the Tête aux Vents, before Albon found his second wind to overtake the Italian on the descent of La Flégère. He kept his position until the finish line, which he crossed in 10 hours, 16 minutes and 7 seconds, 7 minutes before Andreas Reiterer, 3rd in 10 hours, 23 minutes and 16 seconds. The first French runner to finish was Baptiste Chassagne, in 10th place, in 10 hours 59 minutes and 55 seconds.