anouche and tom are friends of 4T2 and they are on a trail running discovery. we love how they share their unfiltered experience and although tom was a bit unfortunate in the race, we hope he will find 'get lost' a better shoe to run in then 'sayonara'. the drop and stack difference of the two shoes defines whether they work for you, or not. that is why we created both.
read more from anouche and tom.
40 km, 2.300m of vert
and two very different
adventures.
Our first UTMB race began with a slightly absurd idea: take a one-hour
bus from Chamonix to Martigny, Switzerland, then run almost all the
way back through the mountains, with considerably more elevation.
Anouche and Tom both chose the 4T2 Sayonara for the MCC: a fast
trail shoe with reliable grip and a drop that felt right for this
runnable but demanding course.
anouche finds her fast.
Anouche started boldly, briefly sprinting with the front group before
settling into a smart, controlled race. She managed the long opening
climb beautifully, gained places on the descents, and was still inside
the women's top ten late in the race. Cramps arrived around kilometre
35 and cost her a few positions, but she reached Chamonix in five
hours and finished an excellent 16th woman.
tom discovers dehydration.
Tom's race followed a more experimental storyline. The first seven
kilometres felt great; the remaining 33 were a fairly impressive tour
of the pain cave. His cramps began at kilometre 12, followed by severe dehydration and two ankle twists on the final descent. For the record, the Sayonara remain innocent until proven guilty, although an
independent investigation into shoe drop is apparently ongoing. His
finishing time has been classified, but his determination to finish,
occasionally assisted by nearby trees, deserves a mention. A day and a half in hospital followed, and he has temporarily returned to the
lower-drop Get Lost.
reunification.
The best moment came at the end: Anouche found Tom as he entered Chamonix and crossed the finish line with him, hand in hand. The UTMB photographers loved it, we loved the pictures, and the post race beer eventually happened, although Tom sensibly waited until after the hospital chapter.
An unforgettable first UTMB experience: huge mountains, an incredible atmosphere, one brilliant result, one lesson in resilience, and two pairs of 4T2 shoes that carried us back to Chamonix.
See you very soon for the next adventure!
Anouche & Tom
Team ANOM