Fredericton runner finishes in top 25 at gruelling 171-kilometre European mountain race

Fredericton runner Kelsey Hogan was the 25th woman to cross the finish line in a gruelling race that covers 171 kilometres of mountainous terrain in Italy, Switzerland and France.

The Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc is one of the most prestigious trail running races in the world, where athletes climb up 10,000 metres of vertical gain and summit several alpine peaks.

This was Hogan's second time at the Mont Blanc event. To prepare, she trained closer to home at Crabbe Mountain and Odell Park. She finished a whopping five hours faster than her first attempt, in 29½ hours.

"I was excited by the challenge of it and the challenge to figure out how I can move faster through the trails and push myself past what feels physically and mentally possible," she said.

That was good enough to make her the 25th female finisher, and 167th among over 1,700 participants.

Hogan credits her success to feeling rested before the race, having arrived in the mountains a week and a half beforehand to acclimate and get over any jet lag.

She also immersed herself in the landscapes.

"It's magical here," she said. "The nature and the mountains and the landscape here really fuelled my desire to come back and helped as I was having those ups and downs on the course."

Originally from Newfoundland, Hogan graduated from the University of New Brunswick and is working to become a mental performance consultant.

She said the support from her friends and family in Atlantic Canada also motivated her during the race, which wasn't without its rough patches. From roughly the 30 to 80-kilometre strech of the race, Hogan had stomach issues. She decided to listen to her body and slow down.

"In the end, because I took that time, I was able to have more legs for the finish," she said.

Hogan said she's thrilled with how she placed in the race, and is now taking time to rest and recover. She doesn't have any races scheduled yet for next year, but the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc could be back on the calendar.

But first, Hogan said she plans to have her fill of gelato, cheese and baguettes before returning to Fredericton.