Interview with Simon Paccard, fifth at the UTMB CCC: “Keep working to move closer to the front”

Annecy’s Simon Paccard, 26, was the first French finisher at the 2026 UTMB CCC in 10:50:59, taking fifth place ahead of fellow French favourites Thomas Cardin and Benjamin Roubiol. The Salomon athlete looks back on a breakthrough race.

Simon, there had been a lot of talk about Thomas Cardin and Benjamin Roubiol as the French favourites for the CCC, and you had been somewhat overlooked…

No, you hadn’t forgotten me. It’s only natural to highlight Benjamin and Thomas, who are both established names, and there was no way of knowing that things would go badly for them. As for me, this was one of my season goals, although I also wanted to put together a good race at home in Annecy, over the 60K at the MaXi-Race, which went well too. I’m really happy with my race here. It means a lot to me, and it also confirms that I can put together a strong performance over a 100K, which is what I came here looking for.

As the kilometres ticked by, did you start looking ahead and believing the podium was within reach?

No, I stayed focused on myself. The original plan was to get as far as Champex-Lac. After that, it was a bit of an unknown for me, over a distance I haven’t mastered yet. From Champex onwards, I tried to race at the front on the climbs, but on the balcony trails and the descent to La Fouly, I went a little too fast. The top three were even quicker than me through that section and they were impossible to catch. In the end, I was more concerned with what was happening behind me, because I knew the five runners behind were all within five minutes. I had to stay mentally strong and stick to my race. But everything went pretty well, and I’m really pleased.

How did removing the climb to La Flégère affect your strategy?

It probably worked in my favour because I see myself as a punchy runner. I like courses that are more dynamic, more nervous and more broken up, and I think this new finish suited me. After the climb to Béchard, I could feel that I still had plenty left. I found a second wind and had a lot of strength, so perhaps the climb to La Flégère wouldn’t have bothered me either…

Was a top-five finish a secret goal in the back of your mind?

On the classic course, the idea was to run around 10:30 and aim for the top 10. So fifth is incredible. The podium was out of reach. The guys ahead were simply too strong for me, but we’ll keep working and try to move closer to the front.

The CCC is sometimes a stepping stone to the next level. Is that how you see it?

I don’t want to put the cart before the horse. In my view, a lot of runners make the jump from 100K to 100 miles too quickly. That still means twice as many hours of effort. I’ll make the transition to the UTMB distance gradually, perhaps starting with 120K races. I can still perform at a very high level over shorter distances, up to 85K. The 100-mile distance doesn’t appeal to me yet. I want to work on my speed and gain experience over 100K, but 100 miles remains a long-term goal. I discovered trail running through the UTMB. It’s the race everyone dreams of, a true legend, so I think I’ll turn towards it in about three years. For now, though, that’s not the plan.

We saw Golden Tickets for the Western States awarded to the top three finishers at this CCC. If one of them drops out, you could inherit one of those tickets. What would you do if that happened?

That’s a good question. I’m not going to think about it today. I know Hans Troyer would take the ticket, but I don’t know about the other two athletes. I think it’s still a little early for me to race such a fast 100-miler. There’s also the environmental side to consider. I’m increasingly reluctant to fly.

You mentioned the environment. You’ve followed the controversy surrounding the impact of UTMB week, which could potentially be called into question in the future. As an athlete, where do you stand?

I think it’s good to ask ourselves the right questions and challenge the way things are done, but that doesn’t mean everything has to be cancelled. Trail running is still a relatively clean sport compared with others. We athletes are ready to work with UTMB on this issue and reduce the event’s impact even further. There’s no doubt the event has grown to a scale that’s difficult to control. We need to find the right measures in consultation with everyone involved, especially local residents, so we can understand what they expect. It would be a shame to lose such a great celebration.