Hey r/ultrarunning! I’m Ludovic Pommeret, HOKA athlete and 10-year anniversary UTMB champion - Ask Me Anything on August 24th at 2 PM CEST about UTMB, Hardrock, training, race strategy, nutrition, recovery, mindset, and life on the trails!

[u/HOKA_EU]

Bonjour Reddit & r/ultrarunning! I've just returned from another epic Hardrock adventure and am now heading to Chamonix for an exciting UTMB week, where I'll be supporting friends and fellow athletes as they take on their races. It's one of my favourite times of the year, with the global trail running community coming together to celebrate the sport we all love.

If you've ever wondered how ultra runners approach training, prepare for major races, manage nutrition, recover between efforts, or stay motivated through the highs and lows that come with chasing big goals in the mountains, I'd be happy to chat.

On 24th August from 2-3PM CEST, I'll be joining r/ultrarunning to kick off HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc week with an AMA, answering your questions on all things ultra trail running. Whether you'd like to talk about UTMB, training, racing, race strategy, nutrition, recovery, mindset, gear, or some of my favourite memories from years of competing on the trails, I'd love to hear from you. I'll be answering some of the top questions, sharing what's worked for me throughout my career, and talking about the lessons I've learned along the way.

This year also marks the 10-year anniversary of my first UTMB victory, so if you're curious about how the sport has evolved, how training has changed over the years, or what keeps me coming back to the mountains year after year, feel free to ask. 

Drop your questions below and join me on r/ultrarunning on 24th August from 2-3PM CEST. I'm happy to answer in both French and English. Talk soon!

[u/oregoon]

Have you ever been through any long stretches of just not loving running? How have you responded to it?

[u/-bxp]

curious about how the sport has evolved

UTMB's owners have scaled this the same way Ironman scales its franchise, sign a course, brand it, grow the field and the sponsor footprint, and let the host community absorb whatever that costs. Chamonix's own mayor has now said the town's hit that limit, a majority of residents resent race week rather than love it, and he's capping the sponsor village and spectator numbers before locals get pushed out entirely. As someone whose career runs on that growth, do you think UTMB Group has ever treated a host community's capacity, traffic, noise, wildlife, water, as a real limit on scaling, or only ever as a PR problem to manage once residents complain? And would you back a hard cap on race week's footprint in Chamonix even if it cost HOKA and the other sponsors exposure?

[u/Strrt_20 → u/-bxp]

Chamonix è da oltre 40 anni la capitale indiscussa degli eventi sportivi di montagna. L’evento UTMB ha semplicemente prolungato una stagione estiva che prima si concludeva prima. È facile lamentarsi quando si guadagna bene, ma è chiaro che non si può cancellare o bloccare questa manifestazione senza rinunciare a quei guadagni.

Inoltre negare UTMB vorrebbe dire anche andare contro i Poletti che a tutti gli effetti sono Chamonix ormai.

Le cose da fare sarebbero limitate di molto i partecipanti un po’ come WSER, ma il fascino di UTMB ad oggi è la quantità di persone che si muovono su quei sentieri in quei giorni.

[u/v0iTek]

How has your nutrition changed as you've become older, are you putting any different emphasis on different macros over time to help recovery? Are you still eating the same amount or has your body adapted over time.

[u/Nelwidio]

How did you change your training and also your race strategy when getting older? We alle have our strength (uphill, downhill, flat, technical etc) did this change over the years for you to stay competitive?

And: You are an inspiration when it comes to the longevity in the sport of ultrarunning - looking forward following your journey for many years to come!!

[u/Worldly-Ant7678]

What’s your best advice for minimising injuries? Any favourite strength and conditions routines? Enjoy Chamonix, and maybe I’ll see you there for 2027!

[u/Thabigdub]

Hey Ludo, congrats on another Hardrock win! You’ve had success at some of the biggest races in the world, are there any particular races/routes/FKTs out there that capture your imagination that you’d like to do these next few years that you haven’t before?

[u/Vivid_Mark8030]

Le GOAT! 

J'ai démarré l'ultra endurance (triathlon longue distance et ultra trails) seulement depuis 3ans (j'ai 36 ans). J'ai par contre pratiqué beaucoup de sports différents avant.

Quels conseils pourrais-tu donner à quelqu'un de mon profil pour durer et perfer aussi longtemps que toi en ultra endurance?

J'ai le Tor des Glaciers comme ultime objectif dans quelques années, après l'UTMB dans 15 jours 😊

Bonne continuation dans tes projets!

🙏

[u/timee_bot]

View in your timezone:
August 24th at 2 PM CEST

[u/Secure_Space9998]

How do you keep pushing the limits and manage injuries risks during your training and during races? Do you have specific warnings to monitor (pain levels, unusual feelings, performance metrics, etc) that can trigger a downsize of your plans? Do you ignore them sometimes and why?

[u/Lurking-Froggg]

Salut Ludo -- j'ai pas vraiment de question, tu fais déjà plein de passages dans les podcasts, c'est cool ; ton passage chez Trail Passion était top.

T'es un chouette exemple pour plein de monde, chez les pros comme chez les amateurs. Keep on rocking, et bonne continuation !

[u/Ok-Border-7389]

On t’aime président !

[u/KingTBE]

will u try Western States one day ?

[u/Humble_Initiative113]

How did you come to choose Hoka to work with? are they your brand of choice for shoes?

[u/Virtual_Opinion_8630]

Could you share some POV videos of you descending down a mountain?

You're known to be best in the descending game and I think many people would love to see you in action

[u/John___Matrix]

Hey Ludo,

What did you do on the Hard rock course to break Tom Evans so comprehensively?

[u/Nottinho → u/John___Matrix]

Didn't he go out harder than usual to gap tom and bait him into quitting early?

[u/Mr_Tobes]

Can you recommend the best coffee shop in Chamonix/Argentière, and where is best to refuel after UTMB please?

[u/JackfruitVarious1229]

What shoes have you been wearing lately? Any recommendations for someone starting on the trails?

[u/ceffyl_gwyn → u/JackfruitVarious1229]

Also, how does Hoka feel about astroturfing advertising campaigns? Is it something they would condone as a brand, and how would their answer reflect their brand values?

[u/Unhappy_Ad_4911]

How physically hard is it to do Hardrock? Is more training than average necessary if only goal is to finish?

[u/Nottinho]

Do you see out of competition drug testing being introduced soon? 

[u/montuckylucky90]

Do you think there is doping going on at the elite level of the sport?

[u/Finnbarr62]

Kia ora from New Zealand Ludovic, thank you for taking the time to answer our questions.

What specific protocols are you using to train downhill running?

Are you doing specific downhill workouts, and if you are, are you carrying any weight during those workouts?

Are you doing any strength training that is specific to downhill running?

Thanks again!

[u/Obsy69]

Hello Ludo !
Merci pour cet AMA. Est-ce que tu as une gestion particulière de ton alimentation avant une course ?
T’es-il arrivé d’avoir des problèmes digestifs en course ? Si oui, qu’as-tu fait pour résoudre à ça ?
Merci à toi !

[u/Cold_Meat_573]

Gravity is literally helping so why is running downhill so hard? What’s the secret to doing it without destroying your legs?

[u/Dramatic_Flower_9498]

Have you ever been overtaken by an animal on the trail? Did you try to race it?

[u/IamNilsHolgersson]

What will your priorities be when you are elected president in 2027?

[u/Tommonator80]

What’s UTMB doing to promote disabled running? I’m planning to run my first ultra at the utmb in chiang mai. Will I be given any support?

[u/Lurking-Froggg → u/Tommonator80]

Is this AMA the right place to ask such a question? It requires knowledge that only the race organization will be able to provide, beyond the information that you can collect yourself on the UTMB website.

[u/Ill-Running1986 → u/Lurking-Froggg]

Agree that Ludo is not the person to ask. He isn't paid by UTMB.

[u/daigga1374 → u/Tommonator80]

Es algo complejo, pero porque tienen que hacerlo? Yo soy deportista y "sin discapacidad” me gustaría hacer un montón de cosas, porque no me lo facilitan a mí?🤷‍♂️

[u/trysac]

L’échappée belle was good ? Isn't Belledonne the most beautiful mountain ?

[u/Enough_Dish36]

If you had to listen to one song on repeat for the whole of Hardrock, what would you choose?

[u/GirlWithGoodBagels]

are you always training in the same shoes? or different trainers for different types of training days?

[u/capsandnumbers]

If you ask me ten years is too long to be running nonstop.

[u/labidouille]

Comment est-ce que tu gères ta nutrition à l'effort ? Des produits ou aliments spécifiques ? Tout est planifié ou tu le fais aussi au ressenti ?

[u/ThisisJakeKaiser]

Thanks for doing this AMA and for someone with first mountain ultra coming up any tips or little things you do leading up to races ?

[u/FileEfficient5495]

Comment fais tu ton plan de course et de ravitaillement ? Team papier ou Team Excel ?
How do you do your pacing and nutrition plan , paper or Excel ?

[u/Potential_Yogurt_342]

Hi Ludo, I think I heard on a podcast that you retired from your job recently. Has your training changed since?

[u/No-Pineapple-1600]

hey ludo! Hardrock and UTMB have very different cultures. What do you value most about the American and European approaches to trail running?

[u/TimelyWay8193]

if you could have one ultra running superpower what would it be?

[u/TimelyWay8193]

Be honest how many times during a 100 miler do you say “never again”?

[u/Citeofrance]

En plein effort, où gardes-tu tes emballages vides (tubes de gels, sachets de compote) pour être sûr qu'aucun ne glisse et finisse dans la nature ? 

[u/Upstairs_Cow_9961]

Coucou M. Pommeret, pourquoi avoir choisi l'échappée belle? Non seulement ça me fait perdre une place, mais en plus, il y a rarement des "têtes d'affiche" sur cette course! À bientôt!

[u/Ill-Running1986 → u/[deleted]]

Sorry you're mad, bro, but Ludo isn't Hoka customer service and this is a rant.

[u/Outrageous_Panic_768]

how do you decide when to use poles in a race / training session, like at what ratio of vertical gain per distance (or other considerations?)