Three months after breaking his fibula, Kilian Jornet returned to racing to compete in the second event in the Golden Trail Series. He felt good physically during the 42km and 2,780m of overall ascent and was first over the line in a time of 3h54’54’’. The Swiss Marc Lauenstein (3h58’15’’) and the Norwegian Stian Angermund-Vik (4h00’07’’) joined him on the podium. “I felt good physically throughout the race. I knew I would have a problem on the ascents but had to go a bit slower on the downhill stretches,” Jornet said.

Over recent weeks the Cerdanya athlete had started running again to assess his condition and to see how his leg would respond in competition. The event, the Mont Blanc Marathon, was the second in the Golden Trail Series which, as in the Zegama, had a top-class starting line-up. It was hot throughout the entire race which is one of the best in world trail running, starting in Chamonix, in the heart of Europe’s mountains. “It was very hot and that made it hard. It’s a matter of managing it well, to set out to control things so as to reach the end which is where the race really begins in order to avoid muscular problems or an attack of heat stroke,” Jornet explained.

During the first kilometres Jornet remained in the leading group of 10 which was led until Tré Le Champ 2 (km 31), by the Basque Salomon runner Aritz Egea. Jornet was in second, behind Egea, on the ascent to Col de Posettes (km 22, 1998m). “On the ascent to Posettes I could see it was going well. After that I knew there was a technical descent where I wasn’t going to lose time. I tried to set a good speed, aiming to go a little faster but controlling so as not to get cramp or heat stroke,”  Jornet said.

He attacked a little before Flégère (km 37) to take the lead which is where he stayed until he crossed the line in a time of 3h54’54’’, followed by the Swiss Marc Lauenstein (3h58’15’’) and the Norwegian Stian Angermund-Vik (4h00’07’’). The winner in the women’s category was Ruth Croft, with Ida Nilsson second and Eli Gordón third. Jornet enjoyed this second event in the Golden Trail Series which has allowed him to return to compete against some of the world’s top trail runners.
The test has been broadcasted through the Salomon Facebook and YouTube channel, where anyone can see and enjoy it again.