Katharina Hartmuth, of Germany, positioned second within the 2023 UTMB, her debut on the race, having taken third finally yr’s TDS.
On this interview, she talks about how she tried to preserve her physique and thoughts for the later a part of the race, selecting to race within the second half to see what she may do, and what it was like to complete on the rostrum of probably the most aggressive 100 miler on the planet.
For extra on how the race performed out, learn our in-depth UTMB outcomes article.
Katharina Hartmuth Submit-2023 UTMB Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Meghan Hicks of iRunFar. I’m with Katharina Hartmuth. It’s the day after the 2023 UTMB, and also you’re the ladies’s second-place finisher. Congratulations, Katharina. How does that really feel?
Katharina Hartmuth: Thanks. It’s nonetheless unbelievable. And yeah, it’s simply wonderful. I can’t consider it myself.
iRunFar: My first query for you, you mentioned earlier than the race that you simply had been going to be, I don’t know, cautious and cautious. That is your first UTMB. Is that this what a cautious and cautious Katharina seems like?
Hartmuth: Yeah, truly, it was, till there was the second half, and I noticed that there was a race truly occurring, and that I had an opportunity to…
iRunFar: Have a podium.
Hartmuth: Precisely, precisely. So, I performed all of it protected and sound, and it was my plan to take it simple, or quite simple. And I believe my break up occasions, they had been actually good, which I gave my crew earlier than.
iRunFar: So like, what you probably did matched your plan.
Hartmuth: Precisely. It matched my plan till possibly like, final 40k.
iRunFar: I believe possibly I anticipated you to exit a teensy bit extra conservatively. However as early as 20k in, you had been proper there with the leaders. You had been inside the prime 10, and the ladies’s prime 10 was condensed inside like, 90 or 120 seconds of one another. So, you had been simply there from the beginning in the end.
Hartmuth: Sure, I imply, that was possibly some coincidence.
iRunFar: [laughs] Okay.
Hartmuth: It positively was not my aim to go arduous from the gun. I imply, it’s important to go quick on that first flat half in any case, as a result of in any other case folks simply run over you.
iRunFar: You wouldn’t be right here with us. [laughs]
Hartmuth: Precisely. So clearly there it was possibly a bit quicker than I need to do.
iRunFar: Okay.
Hartmuth: However after that, I imply, I fairly early had the sensation that, yeah, legs are good. After which it simply can go for it, or possibly even push it a bit bit. Yeah, but it surely was not that I used to be feeling, Oh, that is approach too quick. Or, What am I doing right here? This isn’t good.
iRunFar: Okay. Let’s speak a bit bit in regards to the nighttime, like, touring via type of the excessive mountains of France, after which Italy, coming into the midway level, of Courmayeur. Have been you similar to, all evening lengthy, simply making an attempt to take care and handle all the main points of your self? Have been you beginning to consider the ladies round you in any respect? What was that like?
Hartmuth: Really, I didn’t actually thought in regards to the girls round me till, I don’t know, 100 kilometers.
iRunFar: Okay.
Hartmuth: So, I simply needed to get via the evening in good spirits. And I felt truly fairly assured, as a result of I skilled loads through the evening within the mountains. I imply, it was fairly some wind, clouds on the prime, and it was a bit troublesome then to run there within the evening, as a result of actually you couldn’t see something. However then I noticed, okay. I’m used to this. I can do that. And that helped me loads, as a result of I believe there are a lot of folks had slowed down. So truly, I received via the evening very properly, till the tip after I developed some issues with my knee, which was not nice in any respect. Yeah.
iRunFar: I noticed you taped up on the knee. Have you ever been taking good care of one thing there for a bit?
Hartmuth: Sure. So, the tape at first it was solely like, precaution.
iRunFar: Okay. Okay.
Hartmuth: However then sadly one thing like a runner’s knee began to seem, after which I used to be afraid that it might worsen, and that possibly I must drop as a result of it was too early within the race to have a foul runner’s knee. After which I attempted to tape it up once more at Courmayeur, however then my leg was too sweaty so the tape didn’t stick.
iRunFar: It didn’t work.
Hartmuth: However fortunately then I discovered to attempt a unique muscle activation in my leg to take the stress off the knee. And that then labored fairly properly, as a result of I used to be afraid of the downhills would change into a giant drawback afterwards. And I imply, I had some knee ache all through the race, but it surely was by no means tremendous unhealthy.
iRunFar: It’s very fascinating that you simply had the presence of thoughts to consider like, activating your like, muscle tissue otherwise to forestall that in the midst of UTMB.
Hartmuth: I imply, that was the one likelihood to remain within the race. As a result of I had an analogous drawback at Transgrancanaria earlier this yr. There it solely received worse and worse. And I imply, I made it to the end line, but it surely was an excellent painful expertise, and I didn’t need to expertise that one once more.
iRunFar: Yeah. After Courmayeur, after the race’s midway level, you had been actually inside the highest 5 then. Nonetheless, the ladies’s race for the highest 5 stayed dynamic type of all over. When did you begin actually partaking with the ladies’s race and being like, hey, I’ve an opportunity to actually do one thing right here. I’m going to go for this?
Hartmuth: Yeah, so I believe after 100k I catched up with Manon [Bohard Cailler] who can be on Hoka Workforce. And she or he informed me that she was the present fourth place. That’s after I realized, Okay, wow. I’m now in fourth place. And at that second, I believed, properly, if I can maintain that place. I imply, it was nonetheless such an extended strategy to go. That may be the most effective fourth place ever. After which I continued, after which folks began telling me that second and third place had been truly tremendous shut. Like, inside the subsequent 10 minutes forward of me. And that’s after I realized, Wow, okay, that’s fairly shut, and there’s nonetheless a couple of hours of race left. And I felt good. So, I used to be like, Okay, I’ll simply see if I catch them naturally by simply going my very own tempo, or what occurs. After which I by some means got here nearer to them with out pushing too arduous. I used to be simply doing my very own factor. After which folks would inform me. “Oh, they’re solely 5 minutes, solely two minutes.” After which I believe after I catched Blandine [L’Hirondel], I noticed, Okay, she has now possibly a weak level for the time being. She didn’t really feel properly, I believe, in that second. And I felt very robust after I overtook her. I used to be okay, let’s see. Now I’m in third. After which Fu-Zhao [Xiang] was earlier than me. And I used to be like, okay, possibly I can catch her as properly. In order that was truly the second when the race by some means started. Once I was…
iRunFar: The place was that precisely?
Hartmuth: So I catch Blandine. When was that? That was after Champex-Lac, the primary climb. After which the following climb.
iRunFar: Okay, so possibly the ultimate 40k or 30k of the race is whenever you had been actually centered on this.
Hartmuth: Precisely. And that was, I believe, after I additionally mentally switched from, “I need to end this.” to “Okay, I need to be on the rostrum if doable.”
iRunFar: Yeah, yeah.
Hartmuth: I imply, I noticed that likelihood after which it was like, “Okay, let’s attempt.”
iRunFar: What was it like, or let’s see, to start with, the place did you go Fu-Zhao to come back into that second-place place? After which what was occurring in your head then of being like, “Geez, I actually like, I’m right here. I’ve received to hold on to this now.”
Hartmuth: Yeah, properly, I catched her simply briefly after the Trient support station.
iRunFar: Okay. Okay.
Hartmuth: After which after that support station, there’s a climb which is simply tremendous steep. And I knew that my power is energy mountaineering. So, I knew that if I may push a bit on that climb, possibly I couldn’t even, not solely overtake her, but in addition like, put a spot between the 2 of us.
iRunFar: Put time on. Yeah.
Hartmuth: Precisely. And I believe that labored. And I used to be in second. However then I instantly received afraid that that was a bit an excessive amount of.
iRunFar: [laughs] Such as you did an excessive amount of in that second?
Hartmuth: Precisely as a result of on the on the earlier hill I additionally did the identical to Blandine, so I pushed a bit greater than I might have performed possibly with out this transfer. And I believe on the final hill as much as La Flégère, there I actually was afraid that I pushed an excessive amount of.
iRunFar: You can really feel it then.
Hartmuth: Precisely. I used to be fully empty there, and truly there I used to be afraid that each of them will catch me once more. [laughs]
iRunFar: Okay.
Hartmuth: Yeah. In order that was robust then. Additionally, within the final downhill they informed me, “Hey, Blandine, she did rather well on the climb. She’s solely 5 minutes behind you.” And I used to be like, Now I’ve to race till the end line. Yeah, I simply gave it the whole lot and fortunately may safe that second place. And I believe, I imply earlier than the race clearly I might have been proud of any prime 5 place.
iRunFar: [laughs] However as soon as you end up in second,
Hartmuth: When you’re second, solely 5 kilometers from the end line, you’re like, “No, I need to keep in second now.”
iRunFar: I’m not giving that again.
Hartmuth: Yeah, precisely. So yeah. Perhaps ultimately it was a little bit of of venture to race that arduous with the 2 girls. And actually on that final climb I truly requested myself the query, if I might make it to the end line in any respect. As a result of I felt so, so empty. Yeah.
iRunFar: The look in your face was actually enjoyable on the end line. It was type of like, a combination between utter happiness and utter shock. Perhaps like a disbelief that you simply had been there on the rostrum of UTMB. Have you ever began to consider that that’s what occurred yesterday?
Hartmuth: Not but, truly.
iRunFar: Okay. Okay.
Hartmuth: It feels unusual additionally that now individuals are arising and congratulating me. Additionally, my cellphone is rather like, buzzing on a regular basis.
iRunFar: Sorry about that. [laughs]
Hartmuth: I don’t actually need to take a look at it. It’s nonetheless, yeah, I nonetheless can’t actually consider it. And in addition, after these lengthy races you want, regardless of which place you find yourself, you want simply a while to digest the race, as a result of it’s such a very long time that you simply’re on the market. After which now with this end result, it’s even more durable, as a result of now all people needs one thing from me and I’m like, hey, can I please for, I imply, relax, and have like, a bit recap.
iRunFar: Yeah, yeah. Two main second locations in your 2023 yr. A second place on the Path World Championship 80k, a second place right here at UTMB. Your trajectory with the game was already on the up, however we are able to safely say that it is a enormous ascendancy. What’s an individual such as you going to do subsequent now that that occurred this yr?
Hartmuth: Really, that’s fairly a tough query. It’s at all times a tough query the day after a race. However I believe at this time it’s particularly arduous, as a result of like yesterday I had this humorous thought. I used to be, okay possibly I have to cease now. Since you ran so properly, I can’t prime that.
iRunFar: Yeah. I imply, that’s an actual factor is like, the place, what’s the prime? Is that this the highest? Is the highest nonetheless fairly additional? Like, that’s the large query for you proper now.
Hartmuth: Precisely. I’ve a couple of races in thoughts that I need to do sooner or later. I imply, I’ve no concrete plans but. I imply, the one concrete plan now’s that it’s virtually the tip of the season, so.
iRunFar: Your concrete plan is your sofa possibly a bit bit?
Hartmuth: Precisely. Yeah, I’ll similar to, digest the whole lot and eventually begin to relaxation, and relax, and accumulate some concepts for subsequent yr. So no concrete plans for subsequent yr but. However, yeah, it’s difficult as a result of then folks yesterday informed me, “Hey, will you come again subsequent yr and attempt to go for the win?” I used to be like, I don’t know. That’s possibly a bit an excessive amount of. And I, yeah, it’s, I don’t know. It’s difficult. However yeah, it’s unusual, as a result of I really feel like subsequent yr can, it’s arduous to prime this yr. So, I don’t understand how to enter subsequent yr, as a result of I’m afraid that it’s solely getting worse now. [laughs]
iRunFar: Or it’s nonetheless getting higher.
Hartmuth: Yeah, however you realize, now additionally expectations are larger. So yeah, it’s totally different positively from going into this yr the place no one actually anticipated one thing.
iRunFar: Right here we’re after you having positioned second at UTMB this weekend.
Hartmuth: Sure, we’re. So, let’s see what comes subsequent. Yeah, however for now, I simply, to start with, attempt to take pleasure in the whole lot that’s nonetheless occurring right here, and attempt to notice what occurred. Yeah, I’m certain that I’ve sufficient concepts and objectives of what I need to do subsequent. However yeah, proper now I believe I don’t have this one factor the place I’m like, “Okay, that is subsequent, and I’ve to succeed in a aim.” It’s not. And I believe for now I’m truly proud of that.
iRunFar: Yeah.
Hartmuth: As a result of all year long, you at all times have your agenda of races.
iRunFar: The following factor. The following factor.
Hartmuth: And particularly with UTMB, on the finish of the, virtually the tip of the season. All year long is that this large aim. And now? Properly, I’ve reached like, greater than my aim.
iRunFar: Yeah.
Hartmuth: And I believe now possibly it might not be a good suggestion to already search for the following enormous aim.
iRunFar: Yeah. It feels like possibly like a bit little bit of psychological relaxation and respite is what you’re in search of.
Hartmuth: Yeah, completely. I imply, for certain. And autumn, particularly if it’s good with the climate as it’s now, I’ll positively exit within the mountains once more and attempt to do as a lot path operating as I can earlier than the snow arrives.
iRunFar: Yeah, yeah.
Hartmuth: As a result of I’ll dearly miss it all through the wintertime. However when it comes to races, I believe from now I’m positively glad for this yr. So yeah, let’s see what occurs subsequent yr.
iRunFar: Properly, congratulations in your second-place end on the 2023 UTMB. Yours was an exhilarating efficiency to observe.
Hartmuth: Thanks.
