All of my 2020 races have been cancelled or postponed for obvious and good reasons. It started with the Paris Half Marathon back in March, followed by The Speed Project, Mozart 100 as well as my plan to run the 150 kilometer-long Jebel Shams trail in Oman. While searching the UTMB website for potential qualification races, I stumbled upon Camí de Cavalls on Menorca.

On March 12, exactly four months ago today, I received the message that The Speed Project was canceled. On March 13, Donald Trump, closed the boarders, prohibiting any oversea flights from entering the United States, and we have moved to working from home. Since then, it has truly been an interesting journey in all areas of life.

In 2015, I visited Chamonix for the first time and witnessed the start of Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc (“UTMB”) - an experience that has changed my life ever since. Hooked by the atmosphere and the magic of this event, I turned UTMB into my life goal. I left the French alpine resort with the ambition to complete the course, turning this endeavor into a part of my everyday life.

Before arriving in Chamonix, I was digesting the words that my father had shared with me last year about making decisions and pursuing them. So, when I had decided to run Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc for a second time (Race Report: Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc 2018), I committed to the five steps and continued my journey to complete the course this year. Unfortunately, things turned out to be different than planned and for a second consecutive year I had to drop out of the UTMB (Race Report: Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc 2019). Another missed chance and shattered dream is heartbreaking. I was progressing through the mountains, but after more than 150 kilometers, my race was once again stopped by hallucinations. 

For the second consecutive year, I had to drop out of the Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc (“UTMB”). Another missed opportunity is heartbreaking and hurts. I was progressing through all the ups and downs of the course, but eventually got caught up by hallucinations that ended my race after 150 kilometers. 

I was exhausted. I was sad. Could I have gone further? Should I have continued? A couple of hours before, I had decided to drop out, or DNF - Did Not Finish - as they call it in runners jargon, the Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc. After I had visited the hospital for check-up and sort of collected my thoughts, I went for lunch with my dad. He said: ”Nicki, you have made the right decision.”

I did not take long to decide that I wanted to do it again. I wanted to return to the Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc. After I had to drop out in the 2018 edition, I knew that I had to come back to Chamonix in order to complete the course. With that being said, I was also committed that I wanted to be running in the name of A Chacun Son Everest (“ACSE”) again.

Though Karl Lagerfeld has little to do with ultra-running, he once said: “What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.” We handed out a few disposable cameras to exactly do such, capture the memories and moments that we shared around Mont Blanc.

After 35:15:33 hours and 136.6 kilometres I had to call it day, dropping out of the Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc (“UTMB”), swallow my pride and DNF (“Did Not Finish”) for the first time. I had never experienced this amount of highs and lows in one race, which ended in pretty heavy hallucinations and a sprained tibia forcing me to end my journey at La Giète aid station.

Three years of waiting have come down to the final four days. At the end of August 2015, I visited Chamonix for the first time. I saw the start of the Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc ("UTMB") and watched the finish of the CCC, which is "little sister of the UTMB". After a few days, I left this lovely French alpine village making promise to myself, and the receptionist of the hotel to return in 2018 and run the race I had just witnessed.

With four months to go, I am entering the final weeks of preparation for the highlight of my yet so young running career. Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc has been the reason for why I have relentlessly been collecting miles week over week. Now, at the end of August, three years after I had witnessed the start of the 2015 edition, I get to run this epic trail myself.

Two years ago, I had witnessed the start of the Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc. I left Chamonix with the goal to run the epic race in 2018. It became my dream and I turned the journey towards it into my personal ascend of Mount Everest. A few weeks ago, I signed up and I read about the opportunity to support a charitable organisation, as part of the admission and registration process. While running more often than not is an individual sport, I like to add a social team element to my sport. I want to use my undertakings as an outlet to mobilize people and to open their eyes for important issues.