Trailrunning Szene interviews Florian Grasel about the UTMB

Recently, Trailrunning Szene, Austria’s off-road running magazine, invited me for a Trail Talk about the UTMB and #lifeworktrailbalance. The full interview is available in the magazine.

The Trailrunning Szene interview

Here is a short excerpt:

Trailrunning Szene: Is it the UTMB’s distance, 170 km, that appeals to you, or the special atmosphere?

Florian Grasel: The last Friday in August, 6 p.m. in Chamonix. 2,500 runners on the start line, and as Conquest of Paradise plays, you can practically feel everyone turning inward. The hard training, the sacrifices, the doubts, the respect for the task ahead and the excitement that the moment has finally arrived: you see it in every runner’s eyes. Pure goosebumps. Yes, the UTMB is endlessly commercialised, and you do not have to go there just for 100 miles. But I admit I love that moment when so many runners set off with the same goal!

Trailrunning Szene: How long did it take to get over the disappointment of 2019?

Florian Grasel: The first few days were hard, no question. You have prepared for a year, endured enormous effort and sacrifice, and at the end there is a DNF. But after an appropriate period of grief, which is part of it, I was able to ask the right questions and find the right answers. That is the subject of my new talk, “Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn”.

Trailrunning Szene: What has changed since you had children? How would you have handled a setback like 2019 three years earlier?

Florian Grasel: So much. Above all, I think it would have taken longer to process failure three years ago. My children have taught me to live much more in the present. In 2019, Julia told me at the start: “Whatever happens, your children and I love you.” She was right. Even in Chamonix after the race, when Anna smiled at me, I knew it was not so bad. The world keeps turning. I can be there for my children, show them the beauty of the world, and we are healthy. Children change your perspective on so much. Running is still just running. Family is irreplaceable.

Thank you to Sigrid Huber, editor-in-chief of Trailrunning Szene.

Trailrunning Szene is published four times a year and is available here. Enjoy reading!