On the brisk morning of Oct. 17, Franklin native Canyon Woodward sat down to reminisce on his recent success in the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) race. The race was held in Chamonix, France, on Aug. 25-31. Hundreds of top trail runners from around the world show up every year to compete in the prestigious event.
The UTMB is the premier race for ultra trail runners. The race is 100 miles long, looping around the world-famous mountain, Mont Blanc, which straddles the French-Italian border and spreads into Switzerland. A trail is known as “ultra” if it is more than 26.2 miles, the distance of a marathon.
Humble beginnings
Woodward began running as a student at Franklin High School under coach Denise Davis, who is also an avid ultra trail runner.
“She [Davis] was a history teacher and she needed runners for her cross-country team. I gave in during my junior year and had a blast,” said Woodward.
While some people were averse to running, Woodward found it to be an adventure.
“I had success in running right off the bat and it gave me another competitive outlet.”
Finding competition in other sports, like tennis and track, Woodward continued to nurture his competitive spirit through high school. He remembers one instance where an away tennis match and track meet overlapped at the same location; he competed in both events.
Although running in college was on the table for Woodward, he ultimately decided to focus on his academics at Harvard University, from which he graduated in 2015. Woodward ran a few 50k races during breaks throughout his years at university. In 2016, Woodward picked up running again with his brother, Forest. His first 100-mile race was on the C&O Canal along the Potomac River in 2018.
In the ensuing years, Woodward competed regularly in 100-mile races, training for six months for a single race and then taking the rest of the year off. In 2021, Woodward began taking his training more seriously and started running under the guidance of the world-renowned coach David Roche, who resides in Colorado. Woodward also joined the Green Racing Project (GRP), which is an organization that helps provide high-level athletes with coaching, equipment, monetary aid, and other support resources. Woodward was part of the first wave of runners who were added to the newly-formed running team in 2021. The GRP aids athletes in skiing, rowing, biathlons, and running.
Race ready
Preparing for a 100-mile trail race requires mental and physical acuity. It is in the training that Woodward finds his fulfillment.
“When I am in a good training groove, which nowadays I am in most of the time, I feel so much more grounded and clear-headed. I have hours and hours to be fully present in my body – time to process and think,” he said.
Although Woodward trains to win, Roche’s training philosophy places an emphasis on longevity by limiting the volume of work his athletes are required. Woodward runs on average 70 to 80 miles per week on local Western North Carolina trails. Prior to a big race, he might run more than 100 miles during a week.
“It’s a funny sport; you get diminishing returns after a certain point if you overtrain your body,” said Woodward.
Aiming high
The UTMB was first introduced in 2003 and has become the most competitive ultra trail race in the world.
“There isn’t officially a world championship for ultra trail races, but if there were, UTMB would be it,” said Woodward.
In the spring of 2024, Woodward won the Canyons Endurance Run in Auburn, Calif. The Canyons run is a qualifier for the UTMB; placing in the top 10 allows individuals to compete in Chamonix, France.
On Aug. 30, Woodward took the start line to begin his 23-hour journey. “It (ultra trail running) is a mainstream sport in Europe; there are literally tens of thousands of spectators in Chamonix. In small villages, people would be out ringing cowbells and cheering as you pass through at 2 a.m.,” he said.
Woodward experienced slight dehydration from the beginning.
“The first 20 to 30 miles were pretty rough. It was unusually hot. There was a ton of carnage. I think 65% of the top 50 guys dropped out and didn’t finish.”
Around mile 50, Woodward remembers vomiting, which would lead to a shift in his performance. His stomach settled as he refueled, proving his resilience through adversity.
“The last 30 miles were phenomenal. That has been the stretch that has killed me the past two years. I usually experience nausea, but this year my stomach held up and my legs still had a ton left in them. I began passing so many folks, and just having so much fun out there.”
Over the course of the 100-mile trail, Woodward experienced a collective elevation gain of 33,000 feet, while sometimes running at a maximum altitude of 7,500 feet. Throughout the race Woodward carried various trail supplies, such as water, energy gels, food, a rain jacket, rain pants, a headlamp, and trekking poles.
“One of the hardest things is getting the nutrition down that you need to be able to sustain that kind of effort for up to 24 hours. I aim to consume 300 to 400 calories per hour.”
Woodward finished 23rd overall and 2nd amongst the U.S men, with a time of 23 hours, 26 minutes, and 4 seconds.
“I want to shout out to my girlfriend, Stevie, and the guys at Outdoor 76 that came over there to Chamonix to support me; that really made all the difference,” said Woodward.
Woodward looks to continue to rise through the ranks of ultra trail running as he sets his eyes on competing in next year’s UTMB while continuing his various races around the U.S. In the meantime, he plans to focus his training on speed development and vertical ascension.