VISAKHAPATNAM: Viswabharath Allamsetti, a native of Andhra Pradesh, has become the only Telugu runner to complete the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB), regarded as one of the most challenging endurance races in the world.
The UTMB finals, considered the crown jewel of trail running, is a 176.5-kilometre loop around the Mont Blanc massif with an elevation gain and loss of more than 10,000 metres. The course passes through France, Italy and Switzerland, before returning to Chamonix, France, where it concludes. This year’s race began on August 29.
Sharing his journey, Viswabharath said he was introduced to running after moving to France, where he found an active running community at work. Son of late Madhusudhan Rao and Sujatha Allamsetti of Guntur, Viswabharath currently resides in France with his wife Sireesha and their two children. He works as a support engineer in an IT company.
“During the Covid-19 lockdown, I began running more regularly, gradually moving from half-marathons to full marathons. Later, I turned to trail and mountain running, which I found more engaging than road races,” he said.
From 2022 onwards, he steadily progressed from 44 km trail races to completing a 110 km event by the end of 2024. His performance in the 110 km UTMB World Series race qualified him for a lottery entry into the UTMB finals in the 100-mile category. “It is extremely difficult to get a place in this race, so it felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he said.
“My goal was to finish strong and enjoy the race. In trail running, factors like weather, terrain, fatigue, nutrition, and sleep can all play a role. After 81 km, I had issues with my legs but managed to push through, and complete the race in 44 hours. In ultra races, finishing is more important than time. We start with our legs but finish with our head,” he said.
“I hope more runners from our State take up trail running, which is a beautiful sport,” Viswabharath added.