Canada’s Marianne Hogan positioned third within the 2024 UTMB, taking greater than an hour off of her time from her earlier second-place end in 2022. On this interview, Marianne talks about how she ran her personal race moderately than specializing in the competitors, the autumn she took within the second half, and the way she plans to return to have one other try at UTMB.
For extra on how the race performed out, learn our in-depth 2024 UTMB outcomes article.
Marianne Hogan Publish-2024 UTMB Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Sarah Brady of iRunFar. I’m right here the day after the 2024 UTMB with third place girl, Marianne Hogan. Congratulations. Marianne. How are you feeling?
Hogan: Thanks. I’m good. I’m not that unhealthy truly.
iRunFar: Okay, sensible. Yeah, nonetheless upright. That’s an achievement.
Hogan: Yeah, precisely.
iRunFar: What an incredible day for you. So I do know you had been a second right here final yr, however you’ve knocked an hour and 20 minutes off your time, was it?
Hogan: Yeah, however I had a full psoas this time round, so I feel it was somewhat simpler for me to drop a while off.
iRunFar: Yeah, superb achievement. I simply bear in mind you saying in your pre-race interview that your ambition for this was to have the ability to race proper to the end. Do you are feeling such as you had been ready to try this this time round?
Hogan: I really feel like there’s nonetheless some higher issues I may do. I had somewhat little bit of a problem with my legs on the finish, and it actually confirmed off in that final portion of the course, however I really feel like I raced greater than I did in 2022, so I’ve to be considerably glad, even when I’m nonetheless somewhat hungry to return again for extra.
iRunFar: Yeah, so not an ideal day, however an enchancment.
Hogan: Yeah.
iRunFar: So that you began off fairly aggressively, so from about 30k in, I feel you had been already in second, however everybody was bunched collectively fairly shut. How did you discover that opening a part of the race?
Hogan: Yeah, I feel it’s heat up for the course in a sure means. I really feel it’s a better portion of the race and also you all the time form of really feel good in that portion. Or the 2 occasions that I’ve finished it, I simply really feel prefer it’s a portion that has quite a lot of movement to it, and I used to be simply having time and simply attempting to not exit too quick however exit quick sufficient that I’m having time, I suppose.
iRunFar: Okay, cool. After which somewhat bit afterward, by the point you bought to Courmayeur, Katie [Schide] had gone off in entrance and then you definitely’re nonetheless in second, and Blandine [L’Hirondel] is perhaps seven or eight minutes behind, so that you form of had some respiration room then. Did that really feel good to only be by yourself for some time?
Hogan: Yeah, I really feel like I’m probably not an individual that races almost about my rivals in a sure means. I simply form of go along with how I’m feeling, and it didn’t actually matter to me how far Katie was forward or Blandine was behind. That’s simply the tempo that I used to be going. So it was good data to have. I knew that Katie had gone on quick as a result of lots of people had been telling me alongside the course. However yeah, it was good to know the place Blandine was as a result of I had ran somewhat bit together with her, so it was simply attention-grabbing to see the place I used to be and the way I used to be feeling compared to them, I suppose.
iRunFar: And also you appear to have a very sturdy third quarter to the race and also you moved forward somewhat bit extra, however then there was a little bit of an incident right here. What occurs together with your hand?
Hogan: Yeah, I used to be feeling fairly good all the way in which to Arnuva, and on the way in which down I used to be beginning to have my legs act up once more, form of the identical common points that I all the time have. It was beginning to get to me and I don’t know, out of the blue, I received distracted and I hit a rock and I went flying ahead and my finger went within the mistaken path.
iRunFar: Oh gosh.
Hogan: I didn’t know if it was damaged, if it was dislocated, however clearly it was utterly out of whack, so I knew one thing was up with it.
iRunFar: And did you cease for lengthy? Not that there’s a lot you are able to do about that on the aspect of a mountain, however did you cease for lengthy to try to tackle it or did you simply energy via?
Hogan: No. The reside was with me, so I simply mentioned, “Oh, I feel I simply broke my finger,” and I received again up and began operating once more. After all, it was considerably painful, however I suppose once you’re in the midst of an extremely, you’re already in ache, so it doesn’t actually matter at that time.
iRunFar: Yeah, it’s most likely much less noticeable than if that occurred in each day life.
Hogan: Yeah, precisely.
iRunFar: And also you had been saying simply earlier than it grew to become somewhat difficult then utilizing your poles, how did you handle with that for the remainder of the race?
Hogan: Yeah, it grew to become fairly difficult truly. Simply placing weight on my poles, that entire hand was somewhat onerous and each time that my pole would hit the bottom, it was giving a shock to my finger. So I needed to simply roll with it as a result of there’s probably not else the rest I may have finished. At Champex, I used to be briefly examined by the medical staff there they usually needed to do that, tape my two fingers collectively, however I opted not to try this as a result of I felt prefer it was going to limit me much more and simply determined that we had been going to cope with no matter was happening on the end line.
iRunFar: That’s very courageous. After which after I noticed you at Vallorcine, you seemed such as you had been simply drained like somebody who’d been out for lots of hours and thru the night time, which you had been, however you had been nonetheless shifting properly on the downhill. Your legs clearly held up fairly good.
Hogan: Yeah, it was attention-grabbing. Once I hit my hand, it’s as if the ache switched to my finger as an alternative of my legs. However I feel by Vallorcine it was, I don’t know, 5 or 6 hours later and the ache had come again into my legs. And if I’m being sincere, I struggled fairly a bit on that descent via Vallorcine and, from that time on, I used to be form of shedding management to the perform of my legs. And I knew that the following part was going to be troublesome and I needed to give it my all and provides it a shot to attempt to maintain on to second. However I knew that Ruth [Croft] was closing in onerous on me, and I respect Ruth extremely lots. And I knew that she was going to be a tough nearer and I gave it my greatest shot, however she got here flying by.
iRunFar: Was it a aid in a strategy to cease wanting over your shoulder?
Hogan: No, as a result of I didn’t actually need to look again, however in some unspecified time in the future I knew she was coming as a result of the reside stream, the particular person following me, left me, went behind after which got here again and, at which level, I mentioned, “You went to see Ruth?” And he or she mentioned, “Yeah.” “In the event you’re coming again,” I used to be like, “she’s most likely shut.” So yeah, he mentioned, “Yeah, she’s coming,” and she or he simply flew by and that was it.
iRunFar: Okay, truthful. And did you turn focus then? Did you concentrate on attempting to chase her or did you simply swap focus to only holding onto your podium spot?
Hogan: I feel neither. I truly was shifting as rapidly as I may. I actually couldn’t … Lifting my legs, my hamstring was simply extremely tight and I couldn’t do far more than what I used to be doing. So I used to be simply considering, “We’re shifting ahead, we’re shifting ahead, and the way ever quick I can get there’s as quick as I’ll get there, however I simply received to make it to the end line and see what occurs.” As a result of I used to be giving it my greatest effort. That’s for certain.
iRunFar: Yeah, superb. A lot grit. Yeah, simply such a aggressive girls’s race this yr. After which, are you going to take some kind of downtime now? I do know you’re staying right here in Chamonix till Wednesday, so what are your plans for after the race to get well?
Hogan: I’m going to calm down with my household. My household’s right here and it’s very nice to have the ability to spend a while with them after the race. So I’m excited for that. After which we’ll see. I feel I’m going to take the time my physique must get well after which begin eager about the following factor, I suppose.
iRunFar: Okay, excellent. So that you’ve had two actually sturdy UTMB experiences in a row, getting progressively higher, however you continue to haven’t fairly peaked at this race. So do you assume you’ll have to return again once more?
Hogan: Yeah, for certain. The thought was coming via my thoughts as I used to be shedding the perform of my legs in that final part. I simply thought I need to come again and attempt to clear up the puzzle of how I could make my legs work until the top. And yeah, I’m decided to return again and provides it one other shot. That’s for certain.
iRunFar: Okay, excellent. We will’t wait to see what extra you are able to do on this course.
Hogan: Thanks.
iRunFar: Congratulations and thanks very a lot.
Hogan: Thanks.