UP to 50K

After a three-year hiatus from sports, I’m getting back into trail running in 2025 in a very favorable setting: New Caledonia.
A professional opportunity allowed me to explore this region, far from mainland France. And what a pleasure it is to do so via the numerous and varied trails, as well as the trail races held throughout much of the year.

At first, I didn’t have any plans; I just started running again to get back into shape gradually. The vibe with my new coworkers is great, and one thing led to another—we signed up for a trail run. I started with a 10K, and since everything went well, I kept running regularly. We’re gearing up for another trail race, and I move up to 15 km, then 24, and so on, and my fitness is gradually coming back.
Every time a trail race goes well, I move up to a longer distance, and I eventually start taking things a bit more seriously; I decide to challenge myself with a slightly higher goal.
I signed up for the UTNC (Union des Trailers de Nouvelle-Calédonie), not the 100 km—it’s too soon for that—but the 50 km with 2,700 meters of elevation gain. I registered at the end of June; the race is in mid-September, which is a bit tight for serious training, so I’m doing my best.

The race

The trail starts just before Dumbéa Park; it’s very varied, with some rolling terrain, technical sections (through vegetation or over scree), and always set against a breathtaking backdrop.
I’m familiar with the start of the route; it’s the GR1, one of my training and hiking trails. Knowing part of the route reassures me a bit—it always takes some of the stress off.

My goal is to finish in 8 hours, but I quickly realize, especially on the technical sections, that this goal is far too optimistic. I lack agility, which slows me down considerably.
No big deal—I’ll keep going without putting any pressure on myself, because the main goal is to finish this trail run while having as much fun as possible.

Although the course is very varied, I’m having a lot of fun; I’m starting to feel tired, but it’s manageable.

At the 40-kilometer mark, we pass the starting line again, and I feel good enough to think I’m not too far off my target time… but that was before I factored in the elevation gain ahead: a 6-kilometer wall with a continuous 600-meter climb. By the end of the race, it really hurts. It completely drained me. At the last aid station, I’m so exhausted I need help just to stand up. I sit down for a few moments and set off again; I know now that it’s all downhill from here to the finish.
In the end, this descent lets me regain my strength, and I finish at a good pace—at least compared to the previous kilometers 😉.

In the end, I finished 64th out of 84 runners with a time of 9:51:36. I’m pretty satisfied because, even though I did train, it wasn’t a structured program.

This extremely positive outcome has motivated me to take on a new challenge. After looking for a longer-distance trail race, I’ve decided to compete in the Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB® in New Zealand in February 2025. It’s the 100K distance, which is 102 km with 2,400 meters of elevation gain. So I’m doubling the distance but slightly reducing the elevation gain; this will let me see how I can handle this distance without taking too many risks, given the relatively low elevation gain compared to the distance.

This challenge will also give me the chance to visit the North Island, so it’ll be a two-for-one adventure—I can’t wait.