Sierre-Zinal

world champions like Patrick Quibbenveno, like Philemon Chiriago, like Michael Saoli.

And these three names that I just mentioned were the top three at the Arsenal.

And they were also the same top three at the Arsenal last year.

So there was Run Together, And there is no professional team on the one hand, but it is on a level like professional

teams.

And in this respect I am personally, well I have

zero

of them, but I am really happy that there is a Golden Trail World Series that really tells the story of El Azoui, who won two races, who left the Arsenal.

And I look at your list of races now and [chuckles] I'm like, wow, you were racing a hell of a lot.

Like, even in 2015, I'm just gonna list, 23 Mont Blanc, Dolomites, Tromsø, Sierre-Zinal-

[chuckles]

...

Nobody can do that.

Nobody's winning Sierre-Zinal and UTMB except him.

Um- However, like, I think the other big equation-- the other big question is this one, like, to win Western UTMB is, I mean, it's like the frontier.

Um, but I think this could also just put a nail in your coffin for your career.

And again, because our audience is so North American, maybe- Maybe share any, like, attributes about Naomi that you appre-- Like, what makes her a great trail runner and a great racer?

I think what's interesting is, um, like, I think on the Golden Trail scene, she kind of snuck up on people, too, 'cause last year she won Piz Alpine, and she was, um, I think top 10 at Sierre Zinal.

And, um, yeah, last year.

And then she was third, I think, at Worlds in the short course.

Yeah

But she also had a really, really, really good race at Sierre-Zinal a couple weeks ago, so that, like, it can be a good tuneup for this.

But it can also be a kind of like go to the well kind of situation, so.

Yeah.

Uh, so if we survive that, uh, I think, uh, I can run a, a pretty good, uh, last third of the race.

And, uh, I mean, it's still, uh, an ultra, like we're not talking about a Sierre-Zinal or like Golden Trail style of race.

So it's, it's, uh, it's pretty long and, um, I'm approach-- like I used to approach the race coming from the shorter distances.

Now I'm approaching it from the other side, coming from the longer distances.

Yeah.

It's akin to an American winning Western States, um, a, a Swiss runner w- winning Sierre Zinal, Catalonian or a Spanish runner winning Zegama.

Like, winning UTMB is big for anyone, but it is particularly big if you're a French runner.

Yes.