Race report that a crazy day

Blue, White, Red on the startline

I find on the start line the French connection with Julien, Antoine Guillon, Cyril Cointre, Lionel Trivel and Christophe Le Saux. We share some words before the start, with a festive and great atmosphere. Pan ! The pistol was given after a count like UTMB. From the start, julien and my both friends Cyril and Christophe take the leadership, follow by few Japanese.

After the first refreshment A1 km 11, we assault a wheel portion of 12 km, shared by 5 km of road and 7kms in wood. it's more interesting for landscape and for the comfort of our muscle. On all this first part, our little group enjoy and japanese, as yamamoto, third last years come to ask me a few question about my travel in Japan. The work of speed and endurance active on the road, did with Christophe Malarde during winter is benefit on this profile of road.

We arrive to the second refreshmend km 24 after two hours and twenty minutes of race. I am in my prevision. I hear that cyril and Julien are together in the head of the race and they have 8 minutes in advance. Don't worry, i think that if in the middle race first runners are 45 minutes ahead, all is possible with a good race management. We leave the second refreshment with Antoine and Lionel with a hill.

we arrive to the summit and sun is here yet. What the view on Fujisann... Moreover moon is also here, full and red. Now a difficult downhill in wood followed by a wheel portion to go to km 36.

we continue to talk and run together with Antoine and Lionel, and i find they have studied the profile of the race very well. i give them more information and we manage very well the race. Hill where we are walking is very long and difficult, 40%! but organization pu rope to climb. 
It's under the moonlight that we reach the kM 55, and we have donne 3000D+.

My crew formed By Isabel my wife and ethan my child say me 15 minutes of delay on Julien and hara, a japanese's runner specialist of 100km (6H33) and if i don't want to have any regrets. I need to put more rythm and run more quicklY. according to them, some runners ahead begin to be tired. I am confident in my potential and i assault of a road portion more quickly.

I remember days where I ran two hours under snow, then I took my ski to do 40km. All this moments are in my mind from the start line to the finish line. I run in 4’50 the fastest kilometer and in hill 6’10. I arrive to the km 80, where difficulties and race begin according to me. Isabel and Ethan are waiting me and give me information about the head of the race. Hara is first and has taken 10 minutes to Julien on 15 km. He runs as a fighter plane. I begin my ascent in ranking when I double Cyril Cointre who is in difficult moment, I share few words with him. I arrive to Mizu-Ga-Tsuka km 89, at the feet of the volcano. Refreshment is festive, and we assault the ascent for reach 1800m of altitude. Closed usually, it’s opened for the UTMF.

The 100 km is the change in the race, sun is rising in few hours, I remember my recognition with Tsuyochi and Koichi, and I manage very well my nutrition because we are running in great difficulties.

I comeback on Julien who was doubled by the Canadian Garry. We take time to talk before the downhill to km 121. He runs faster than me but I try to keep with him until the next refreshment.

After the start of the steep hill until km 128 where crew are prohibited, I come back again on Julien for doing the hill with him. We double our friend Garry, and after talk a little, we continue together until A10. In this refreshment, Julien is more quickly and leave few minutes ahead me. For me, coming back from the 7^th place is great and I think that a lot of person would like to be here, so I am happy to this results.

On the end of the race I stop to the temple to thank the 1200 year old trees have protected us, for giving me such a mental and physical strength throughout the race. I cross the bridge and the last few hundred kilometers behind few meters of Julien and the last line leads me to the middle of the public and to my friends. My family waiting for me at the end of this road. My son greet me and we share the joy of the people around us. I even forget to cross the line and validate my time.