KAZ WILLIAMS

I moved to Chamonix to do a winter season…and stayed. At UTMB 2010 I am with friends watching the start of the race. Me: “So this race starts at 18h and people run all through the night, from France, into Italy, then Switzerland and back to France? 100 miles?” I paused for a moment, and said, “Hell will freeze over before I do anything like that”. Fast forward to UTMB 2014 and I crossed that finish line. Even though I was a complete beginner, and had so much to learn, this experience started an adventure for me and trail running. It created a desire for challenges, getting uncomfortable, and finding out what I was physically and mentally capable of.

I am so lucky to say that my journey in Ultra running started in Chamonix. When I look back, I really didn’t have a clue what I was doing. My training was random at best, and I had no concept of nutrition and hydration. Many of my early races were about survival. In 2015 I raced in the US for the first time. A race that was won by this Scottish guy called Paul. I totally believe in signs! Even though we didn’t meet in Arizona, I got in touch on my return, and straight away started training with Paul. Being coached has transformed my running. It has taken it to a level beyond where I could have imagined. I am proud to be part of Team Pyllon and super excited about the journey ahead!

I love running in the mountains and connecting with nature. The scale, beauty and tranquillity fill my soul. Being able to run and explore in the mountains brings out the best me. And those tough days, when it’s a hard, those are the days that define us, that let us know we’re alive.

Tahoe 200 in 2017 (3rd). Moab 240 in 2018 (2nd). And, 1 full loop at Barkley Marathons, which holds a very special place in my heart. In July I headed to Colorado to run Ouray 100 (which was amazing - I had a great result in a very tough race - 1st), and September I will be in Italy for TOR Dret. So you can tell I like beautiful and challenging landscapes with a lot of vertical!