Widely regarded as the most important and most demanding trail event in the world, UTMB sees tens of thousands of trail enthusiasts descend on Chamonix in France to be part of the festivities.
"The start of the race was absolutely crazy! There were people everywhere, hanging out of hotel windows, lining the streets… all there to support us in our crazy decision to run 100 miles around Mont Blanc," said Katie.
"After the first 5-10 minutes of the race, my face hurt from smiling so much! When the night finally set in I found myself not feeling so great and losing motivation. But I kept seeing familiar faces and hearing people cheering my name and I was able to hang in there.
"Then I met up with another female runner at an aid station and spending some time running and chatting with her really brought me back to why I was out there in the first place - to share an adventure with so many great people.
"I’m really proud to have finished my first UTMB and my first 100 mile race without any major issues, and show myself that I’m strong enough to stick it out through some tough lows and make it to the finish line.
"Getting news of Germain looking strong and moving up in the field was a huge relief and gave me a little extra energy to keep moving, I was so happy and proud of him! I’m so grateful for all the people who came out to support us, from our crews at aid stations to friends who hiked in just to give a cheer and a hug.
"We’re so lucky to have such an amazing community of support around us! Now we’re looking forward to getting back the Parc National du Mercantour for some fun, slower paced days in the mountains this fall."