BarcelonaThe organization of the Ultra Trail of Mont Blanc reported this Tuesday morning the death of a Brazilian runner in the PTL test, which took place in the morning. Although the helicopter rescue team was able to reach the scene, near the Plan Glacier shelter, they could only confirm the death of the participant, who fell. The accident occurred when the athlete was going with his team along “the official route, permanently signposted and equipped”, according to the race statement.
The PTL test (Little Trotte in Léon) is a race of 300 kilometers and 26,000 meters of elevation gain. It is the first race of the week of the Mont Blanc Ultra Trail, the mountain ultramarathon that takes place every year as part of the Ultra Trail World Series. With a distance of about 171 kilometers and a positive difference in altitude of about 10,000 meters, the race on foot is considered trail running most prestigious in the world, as well as being one of the most numerous, with around 2,500 participants, and is carried out by teams of two or three runners, selected according to their experience.
The tragedy repeats itself
Last year there was also a fatal accident. A year after the competition was held again, as it was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, a 35-year-old Czech rider died from a fall while descending the Passeur de Pralognan, in the TDS race. The athlete slipped in the rain that was falling at the time and, despite helicopter assistance and the evacuation of the runner, nothing could be done to save his life.
Unlike last year, when it was decided to suspend the race due to the death of the Czech runner, the organization has decided, once all the teams have been informed, that the test will continue and it is up to each team to decide freely if they want to continue with the competition. Last year’s test, after the tragedy, could only be finished by runners who had already passed the point where the accident occurred. In addition, many runners had to be evacuated with signs of hypothermia due to the adverse weather conditions, which led to the death of the Czech runner.
Pau Capell wants to repeat the success of 2019
The runner from Sant Boi will once again run the Ultra Trail of Mont Blanc, which he already won in 2019. After winning two years ago, the athlete from Sant Boi de Llobregat secured the Ultra Trail title World Tour, as he won four events on the calendar. It was the second title in a row for Pau Capell, who already won the title in 2018 thanks to victories in two races and having been on the podium in three more.
In 2020, despite no test due to the pandemic, Capell ran the race alone in the challenge Breaking20but he fell short of the record he set himself in 2019 and finished the race in 21 hours and 17 minutes, down from the 20 hours and 19 minutes that allowed him to win the prestigious race.
