The 2025 Hardrock 100 is the primary time France’s Manon Bohard Cailler is lining up for the occasion, and she or he says that the course holds lots of the parts that French mountain runners search for. Within the following interview, Manon talks about getting acclimated to the realm and the way the excessive elevation makes pacing tough, her intentions for consuming and consuming all through the run, and attending to have her dad, Patrick Bohard, as her pacer.
To be taught extra about who’s racing, take a look at our preview earlier than following our stay race protection throughout the race.
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Manon Bohard Cailler Pre-2025 Hardrock 100 Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Meghan Hicks of iRunFar. I’m with Manon Bohard Cailler. It’s a few days earlier than the 2025 Hardrock 100. Hello, Manon.
Manon Bohard Cailler: Howdy, Meghan.
iRunFar: I assume I bought your title type of proper.
Bohard Cailler: It’s okay. Manon Bohard Cailler. It’s it.
iRunFar: Very good to satisfy you. Welcome to Silverton. That is my dwelling and that is iRunFar’s headquarters.
Bohard Cailler: Me too. Actually superb to complete your first Hardrock, there may be one on two right here, I believe, right here for you.
iRunFar: Yeah, a few Hardrocks for me.
Bohard Cailler: I hope I can be one other finisher for this 12 months. Sure.
iRunFar: You can be.
Bohard Cailler: I hope. I’ve been right here for 2 weeks. So the altitude, the acclimatization is sweet, the physique is nice. So, I’ve ready my thoughts, and mentally to participate on this unimaginable journey.
iRunFar: Proper. So that you’ve been right here for 2 weeks, you stated you’ve been acclimating to the altitude. Discuss that altitude for a bit bit as a result of a lot of this race takes place at 4,000 meters, which for those who had been within the Alps, you’d be unable to run. You’d be on glaciers or climbing. Discuss what it’s like so that you can come right here and be operating at these excessive altitudes.
Bohard Cailler: I’m actually positively stunned by my capability to have feeling in altitude. However sure, while you climb at 4,000 meters, it’s sophisticated. The tempo doesn’t actually up, however the feeling, it’s extremely troublesome. Possibly take breaks, perhaps air flow lots, drink lots right here, and eat extra as a result of we now have extra wants, energetic wants in altitude.
So, I believe I’ve all of the parameters to be tremendous throughout the race. However I’m scared concerning the one, two, three, I believe 15 or 16 climbs, and eight tops with—
iRunFar: 4,000 meters.
Bohard Cailler: 4,000 meters. It’s unimaginable. So, I simply wish to be on my tempo, on my race, and have a very gradual begin to assimilate all of the tops, and all of the parameters, consuming, altitude. And it’s an extremely, so it’s, for the physique, it’s so—
iRunFar: Lengthy…
Bohard Cailler: Lengthy and with variability, cardiac variability, muscle. Possibly while you run in excessive altitudes, perhaps you protect your muscle tissues. So perhaps I’ve shock after 100 kilometers. I don’t know. However I’m excited and I’m stunned. Then curiosity about my physique, and wish to make the race in good talents.
iRunFar: Superb.
Bohard Cailler: Sure.
iRunFar: It’s essential to trust although, as a result of you’ve got a lot expertise at large mountainous races. You had been the Diagonal des Fous winner final 12 months. You could have gained Madeira [Island Ultra-Trail], you’ve got gained TDS. Additionally, your loved ones, your father is well-known for his mountain operating and you’ve got been operating with him because you had been a baby. So you should trust bringing all that have, despite the fact that there are new issues right here.
Bohard Cailler: I don’t know if I’ve quite a lot of expertise as a result of in extremely path, 100 miles, it’s simply my third. So I’m, once more, an beginner, I believe. However sure, my feeling about this type of endurance. It’s unimaginable. I like it. I’ve actually good capability when there’s a laborious climb and lengthy down. So I believe it’s my profile, however with altitude, with the entire parameters I inform about simply earlier than, I don’t know. However I believe it’s a first expertise and I hope perhaps if there may be one other risk, to produce other experiences of this type of run. Sure.
iRunFar: I’m all the time very as a result of French mountain runners and extremely mountain runners love Hardrock. They join the lottery after which they arrive right here. The French extremely athletes appear to have a lot curiosity. Are you able to assist to elucidate a bit bit, in France, how do folks take into consideration Hardrock? Why is there this draw for folks such as you to return to right here?
Bohard Cailler: Possibly in France and in Europe, the path takes an enormous exponential [growth.] Even when feminine, we aren’t sufficient firstly of the extremely, perhaps it’ll be modified, I hope. However in France we like this type of environment, with wild and, austere?
iRunFar: Austere?
Bohard Cailler: Austere environments. If you, after two, three, 4, 5 hours, while you return to civilization with atmosphere, good emotions, optimistic emotions, like right here while you go to Silverton, it’s a metropolis. However for a very long time you might be alone with the character, with wild, and your thoughts, and your self. I believe we seek for this type of journey. We take this race like an journey.
In France, we wish to participate at American races, American desires, like Hardrock or Western [States]. We comply with quite a lot of this type of race for lot of issues. We love this Hardrock. My buddy is admittedly jealous, my buddy, my household actually. We study this in my household. My father [entered the lottery], quite a lot of [times]. So sure, it’s actually a privilege to be right here for this, for operating this race. Sure.
iRunFar: You talked about your father, Patrick Bohard. He’s a well-known icon of French path operating. He has utilized for the Hardrock many instances himself. He’s right here to tempo you.
Bohard Cailler: Sure, as a result of I advised him, put [in] the ticket, quite a lot of [times]. We went to Colorado after I was younger as a household to go mountain climbing and uncover the nation. So it’s regular and it’s a likelihood, fortunate for me to have my father tempo me, comply with me, assist me throughout this race together with his expertise as a result of I’m constructing my expertise. However he has quite a lot of expertise about this, from Tor des Géants. It’s perhaps it’s feeling, it’s like the identical…
iRunFar: Comparable emotions.
Bohard Cailler: Comparable emotions and comparable world. So I believe it’s a good assist, mentally and bodily, and the journey, with out him, it’s not the identical. My husband made the crew. So it’s a household journey for me throughout this vacation and race. We uncover tradition, sport, uncover Durango, uncover all of the locations round Silverton. It’s vital for us too.
iRunFar: I like it. Better of luck making your first lap within the Hardrock 100 and benefit from the household journey.
Bohard Cailler: Yeah, thanks, Meghan. Want me a bit little bit of luck as a result of I believe luck, it’s vital for extremely. There is part of luck.
iRunFar: Some confidence and a bit little bit of luck.
Bohard Cailler: Okay, cool.
iRunFar: Thanks.
