Chris runs ultras

The Swiss Alps 100 is a 100 km race starting in Fiesch, Switzerland. The route makes a big loop through the mountains surrounding the village, with 100 mile, 50 km, and 10 km vertical race options.

This race is not for the faint-hearted. Starting at 1100m altitude, there is around 6,300 m (20,000 ft) of climbing, three peaks over 2,400 m (7,800 ft), and mostly technical terrain. Add in the heat — this year, for the fourth year in a row, temperatures topped 32°C (89°F) with no cloud cover — and it’s a serious test.

This race is not really a running race. You spend 90% of the time climbing and descending very steep and very technical terrain at altitude. For this reason you really have to train hard, and quite specifically, for this race. For the six weeks leading up to this race I spent two days a week lifting heavy weights in the gym (squats, lunges, step-ups) and I did double back-to-back long days with 800m+ of elevation gain.

The payoff is the scenery, it is incredibly beautiful. You run alongside the Aletsch Glacier, the largest in the Alps, with the Matterhorn visible in the distance. Being in this land of the giants is incredibly humbling.

The course passes through small, traditional Alpine villages, with wooden chalets and flower boxes, before heading back up into the high mountains.

I knew my chances of completing this course were slim and adjusted my expectations accordingly. I would move slowly, take my time at aid stations, talk to people, and generally find excuses to slow down and recover between sections.

I did not use any drop bags, although there was the option to have two. But I did meet my partner Emily and daughter Frida at the Blitzingen aid station (about 43km), where I stayed for just over an hour. Here Emily took my change of top and socks and gave me some extra gels. None of this was really necessary, it was mostly just spending time with them that helped me recover. I probably buried over 3 hours in aid stations in total, which is fine, this time around.

I completed the course in 24 hours and 21 minutes. This was the first time I spent more than 24 hours on a course. It was very useful to finally go through a whole day and night, and experience how my mind and body deals with that.

I felt surprisingly good for most of the race. I never really hit a wall — probably thanks to switching to caffeinated electrolytes in the evening — but also because the course didn’t give me a chance to relax. It was constant climbing and descending, with technical trails that demanded my full attention.

Physically, everything held up well. No major issues, and the PFH 90 gels went down without any problems. At the aid stations, I stuck to simple fuel: cheese, plain bread, crisps, Pepsi, and the occasional soup. Into the night I took in fewer calories, and I could feel my body getting a bit weaker because of it.

The altitude did become very noticeable on the third major climb, which was by far the most difficult. I was tired, and weak, and the climb was incredibly steep and long, into the night. I got a very bad headache and got short of breath often. As I descended, though, these symptoms wore off.

The hydration highlight? Without a doubt, the public drinking fountains. Almost every village had one, and the water was ice cold and hands-down the best I’ve ever tasted.

From about 9 p.m., I teamed up with Pam Reed. Sharing the trail with such a legendary ultrarunner was a real privilege. Just to give you an idea of her résumé: in 2002 she became the first woman to win the Badwater Ultramarathon outright; in 2021 she completed her 100th 100-miler; and in 2023 she finished Western States, Badwater, and Hardrock — all in under a month.

I think my key takeaways from this race are:

1. This is a special race in a special place. It is extraudinarily beautiful, and the fresh, natural water fountains are sublime.
2. This is a difficult race, if you do not respect it you will not complete it, you must turn up fit and strong. The amount of climbing you will do in the high heat will combine to make it quite a relentless slog at times.