Photos: Pushing endurance beyond limits at Ultra Trail Mont Blanc

Since its maiden edition was held in dreadful conditions in rain, cold and hail back in 2003, the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc has gained a legendary status in the runners' community. Set up in a breathtaking setting in the heart of the Mont Blanc massif, this 170-kilometer race with a total vertical gain of 10,000 meters is regarded by many as the world's most difficult ultra-endurance event. It is so hard that finishing it is already considered winning by the legion of amateur runners competing alongside the elite.

Updated on: Sep 06, 2018 10:19 AM IST

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Set up in a breathtaking setting in the heart of the Mont Blanc massif, the Ultra-Trail of Mont-Blanc (UTMB) is a 170-kilometer race with a total vertical gain of 10,000 meters, regarded by many as the world's most difficult ultra-endurance event. (Laurent Cipriani / AP)

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Competitors wait in the rain for the start of the UTMB race around the Mont-Blanc, in Chamonix, French Alps. Since its maiden edition was held in rain, cold and hail back in 2003, the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc has gained legendary status in the runners’ community. (Laurent Cipriani / AP)

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Rishman Lauret of France prays at the Saint Michel church in Chamonix, before the start of the race. The UTMB race route follows along the path of the Tour du Mont Blanc hiking trail, which usually takes hikers between 7 to 9 days. The entire trail is a loop around Mont Blanc. (Laurent Cipriani / AP)

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Competitors run next to the Combal lake as they compete in the UTMB race, in Courmayeur, Italy. The race has strict entry and qualification requirements, racers accumulating enough race points through qualifying trail races over the previous two-year period. (Laurent Cipriani / AP)

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An ultra-runner approaches some goats as he competes, near Chamonix, French Alps. The annual race takes place either in the last weekend of August or the first weekend of September, like it did this time around. (Laurent Cipriani / AP)

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Competitors warm themselves up in front of a fire at the Combal lake. Last weekend, the weather was so cold and windy that runners had to deal with temperatures that felt like minus-10 degrees Celsius. (Laurent Cipriani / AP)

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A competitor runs as near Chamonix, French Alps. In 2016 and 2017, 42% and 34% of runners did not finish the UTMB race. (Laurent Cipriani / AP)

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Competitors take some rest in the night at a refreshment post in Trient, Switzerland. This high-altitude race took a pack of about 2,300 runners through three different countries (France, Italy and Switzerland) and across rivers and glaciers. (Laurent Cipriani / AP)

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A competitor runs up the Grand Col Ferret as he competes in the UTMB race, near Courmayeur, Italy. The best of the best in the race usually take little over 20 hours in completing the circuit. Most runners finish with a time between 35 and 42 hours, spread over two days. (Laurent Cipriani / AP)

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A competitor runs in the night on the Balmes path, in Les Contamines Montjoie, French Alps. Putting up with fatigue, altitude changes greater than the height of Mount Everest and harsh weather conditions, many retire without reaching the finish line. Their names too are added to the list of competitors at the end of the race. (Laurent Cipriani / AP)

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Xavier Thevenard, of France, reacts as he crosses the finish line to win the 2018 UTMB, in the center of Chamonix. A two-time winner of the race, Thevenard kept a time of 20:44:16 on his third crossing. (Laurent Cipriani / AP)

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A competitor walks over a bridge on the Grand Col Ferret. “Each person manages the emotions of experiencing one of the most incredible adventures of their lives and, at the same time, the fear of knowing if they will be capable of getting to the end,” three-time winner Kilian Jornet wrote in his book “Run or Die.” (Laurent Cipriani / AP)

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Abdennour Benmammar of France, the last finisher, is congratulated after crossing the finish line at the end of the Ultra-Trail of Mont-Blanc. Benmammar crossed the finish line more than 26 hours after Thevenard. (Laurent Cipriani / AP)