On Thursday, UTMB/Ironman introduced that the primary Canadian addition to their UTMB Global Collection could be held in Whistler in September 2024, a month when Gary Robbins had historically hosted the generally revered Whistler Alpine Meadows match. UTMB Whistler organizers couldn’t have expected the standard reaction of concern that despatched shockwaves in the course of the trail-running neighborhood and collected pace on social media over the next days.
In February of 2023, Robbins introduced on Instagram that it had turn into “crystal transparent there used to be no trail ahead” for Coast Mountain Path Operating (CMTR) to proceed to carry Whistler Alpine Meadows (WAM) a well-liked match with a lot of races, from a vertical kilometre to a 100-miler. The development used to be completely cancelled. Whilst Robbins didn’t give specifics, many athletes speculated that Vail Lodges, the workforce that owns Whistler Blackcomb (ski hotel), had made it unattainable for WAM to proceed. In line with UTMB’s announcement on Thursday, Robbins wrote a weblog submit, titled ‘What In reality Went Down in Whistler with the WAM Races’ and the Web erupted.
Robbins is the director (with spouse Geoff Langford) of CMTR and their races have attracted lots of the large names in ultra-trail, together with Courtney Dauwalter, Dakota Jones and Mike Wardian. Identified for greeting each unmarried runner at his occasions with a hug or high-five on the end line, Robbins and his races constitute the entire perfect portions of path operating to many athletes–standard neighborhood involvement, improve for native companies and a focal point on sustainability.
Canadian path icon Ellie Greenwood (and previous Western States 100 route document holder) used to be one of the crucial first to percentage her dismay towards UTMB, whose title prior to now few years has now not most effective represented the preferred 171K extremely in Chamonix, but in addition stands for a mega-buck industry partnership (as of 2021) with Ironman.
“NO. We had an alpine playground earlier than you, UTMB,” Greenwood shared on X (previously Twitter). “Our native devoted race administrators (Coast Mountain Path) had a great VK, 25k, 50k, 110k and 100 miler however were given driven out ultimate 12 months. Just right success getting locals to volunteer, we’ll be serving to on the different tremendous CMTR occasions as an alternative.”
Greenwood’s reaction has been echoed all the way through the neighborhood, from common runners to the most efficient within the recreation. UTMB route document holder and 2023 winner, Jim Walmsley, shared a Strava task titled “So what will we race subsequent 12 months then?”
They bided their time as Vail cratered WAM. Made it unattainable for WAM to release. Then Vail stated it used to be @CoastMtnTrail‘s fault simply to be additional assholes. Then UTMB/Ironman swoops in, steals the speculation. It is even the similar weekend. So clear. Fuck that. Fuck Vail, UTMB & Ironman https://t.co/WSoAhconVv
— Linda Barton-Robbins (@lindabear78) October 26, 2023
UTMB and CMTR aren’t strangers: they met on a video name in September 2022, after the overall version of Whistler Alpine Meadows, to speak about the potential for UTMB obtaining certainly one of CMTR’s races. Either side are tied in an NDA, however Robbins says that he shared some non-negotiables all over the assembly with UTMB: “our neighborhood improve systems, our volunteer appreciation systems, and many others.” Robbins used to be instructed that the ones problems had been a dialog for once more and wrote that he had now not heard again from UTMB since June.
Robbins says he’s now thankful the dialog with UTMB didn’t growth. “I used to be giving them the good thing about the doubt, however in my center I all the time knew higher,” he wrote. “I’m embarrassed to need to admit that I virtually let a fox within the rooster space.”
Robbins cites a serious loss of communique at the a part of Vail Lodges as a part of the issue, in addition to unreasonable requests relating to allows supposed to make it unfeasible for Whistler Alpine Meadows to proceed. In a remark to Canadian Operating, Vail recognizes the breakdown in communique on their finish however sticks to their line that the verdict to cancel WAM used to be fully the collection of CMTR. “We weren’t keen to transport ahead with the 2023 race with out an ok protection and clinical plan, and WAM used to be unwilling to paintings with us in this,” they stated.
Robbins says Vail Lodge’s new necessities had been unattainable to fulfill. “The brand new allows incorporated such things as a steep new running rate, technical and protection necessities totally unrelated to a path operating match, and a bunch of different pieces that’d by no means been there earlier than,” he stocks in his weblog.
At first I feared Ironman would use UTMB to do to ultras what they did to triathlon w/ Kona. That is worse. I know the way a lot @gary_robbins put into WAM. I wish to revel in UTMB however I can by no means run a UTMB race. No, they may not care about me. But when sufficient do not perhaps they are going to. https://t.co/YgOH41u2fw
— John Kelly (@RndmForestRunnr) October 26, 2023
UTMB is adamant that they didn’t got down to compete with Robbins, and UTMB and Vail have each said that negotiations most effective started as soon as Robbins made the general public announcement that he used to be cancelling WAM. UTMB Whistler race director Christine Cogger believes there’s area for multiple match inside the neighborhood. “I believe Gary has accomplished an ideal process. We didn’t get up having a look to spoil the Canadian path operating neighborhood,” she instructed Canadian Operating.
Paul Huddle, director of worldwide path operating operations for UTMB, says the neighborhood response used to be sudden however now not sudden. “I do know Gary may be very passionate and places on superb races. A race is your child, it’s numerous paintings,” Huddle stated. “His belief [is] that certainly one of his small children used to be stolen and placed on via anyone else–I am getting that.”
Revered names within the path neighborhood, like former obstacle-racing champion Amelia Boone, have instructed the location with UTMB will have to encourage a brand new trail ahead within the recreation. On X, Boone known as the talk “a broader dialog of what we wish for the game of path operating.” She added: “If we don’t desire a UTMB/IM fashion, then we want to exchange the inducement construction, which comes at sponsor stage.”
Robbins and CMTR aren’t taking the hit frivolously, and feature introduced a brand new race to be hosted at the similar weekend as UTMB Whistler, in September 2024. “I would love to make the effort now to mention that we are formally pronouncing our intentions of launching a BC race in direct festival with this match, in September 2024,” Robbins stated. His announcement has garnered the improve of athletes on social media, and Dominic Gross and Andy Pearson, hosts of the ultrarunning comedy podcast Between Two Pines, have created a Pass Fund Me, comically titled ‘Lend a hand Gary Robbins Purchase UTMB.’
That is superb and hilarious.
Because of Dominic and Andy for bringing some smartly wanted levity to the location presently.
The outpouring of improve for me and my workforce those previous couple of days right here has been completely implausible!! 🙏 https://t.co/r9jqny6lbv
— Gary Robbins (@gary_robbins) October 28, 2023
UTMB answered to CMTR’s race announcement. “We would like all path races to be successful. For that race and all of Gary’s races, we wish them to achieve success,” they said.
Whilst it continues to be observed how September 2024 will spread, the path neighborhood seems to be overwhelmingly unified of their improve of CMTR and grassroots racing occasions. “I may now not be extra pleased with our neighborhood presently,” Greenwood commented on X. “We can combat to the top for what we like, for what we’ve got labored so onerous for and for what we’ve got supported for see you later.”
“We’re crushed via the reaction and the fantastic improve from our neighborhood, each in the neighborhood and at massive,” Robbin’s spouse, Linda Barton-Robbins, shared with Canadian Operating. “Path runners, hiya? They’re one thing else. It introduced tears to our eyes such a lot of occasions the day gone by. We’re simply so thankful.”