Paradise man conquers world's toughest foot race through French Alps

The Hoka Ultra Trail du Mont-Blanc ultra-marathon stretches over 175 kilometres through mountains, trails and valleys, but a man from Paradise, N.L. completed it last weekend with only an hour and a half of rest. 

The trail starts in the mountains of Chamonix, France, winds through the mountains of Italy and Switzerland, and ends in France again. After 33 gruelling hours of running, Wayne Walsh is now resting at home, recovering from the blisters and sore legs.

"They brand it as the toughest foot race on the planet, and after running it, I'd probably agree with that," said Walsh.

Despite the intense physical demand of the race, it's been on Walsh's bucket list since he started his trail running journey five years ago. When he first ran from Topsail Beach to Quidi Vidi, he decided to push his limits and start training for something bigger.

Walsh grew up playing softball and hockey, and later participated in the Royal St. John's Regatta, but it was only in the past few years that he started racing professionally.

The movement is a welcome change from his working life, he says.

"I work in IT, oddly enough, so most of my day's sat in front of the computer," he said.

Off to the races

Walsh was one of 2,800 runners who started the Mont-Blanc race on Aug. 30. Where there are thousands of people, there are thousands of emotions, he said.

"It's a lifelong achievement," he said. "You see the emotion, people shedding tears. There's nervousness, excitement, and the entire community of Chamonix is out in support of all these runners."

The first stretch of the race — from a French street into a woodland path — was lined with supporters, says Walsh. At a certain point before the terrain got rough, there was nothing but mountain views and open fields with cows scattered across the grass.

However, the trek was far from easy.

"There's some spots where it's as smooth as trying to run up the ski hill at Marble Mountain," said Walsh.

Runners had to overcome steep hills, rugged trails and even narrow ridges with nothing but a headlamp guiding them at night. Still, there were aid stations with water, changes of shoes and clothes and other essentials along the way. It's also where Walsh took sporadic breaks, adding up to only over an hour, compared with his 33 hours of running and walking. 

A one-of-a-kind experience

There were moments of isolation among Walsh's fellow runners: he recalls witnessing their determination-fuelled silence along the way. The nights were sleepless. Still, he says he felt strong.

"You go into the 'pain cave,' you take out your chisel and your hammer. You make your cave a little deeper. So the next time you enter the pain cave, it's a little bigger," Walsh said. "You've got a lot more room in there. It's not so daunting."

Days after crossing the finish line, Walsh is still processing the journey. "I'm glad that it's over … [but] if I can do this, then what's next?"

Walsh said he learned a lot during the footrace, and some lessons went far beyond running. 

"Pain and suffering like that is temporary. It's putting one foot in front of the other, no matter what comes up," he said.

The Paradise runner placed 342 of 2,800 in the final race of the UTMB World Series.

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