Manuela Sokol after winning 100-mile ultra in Australia: “I wanted to take first place even if I was crawling”

Two months after Laura van Vuuren won the 100 miles Nice Côte d’Azur by UTMB, another Belgian won an ultra on the UTMB World Series calendar.

35-year-old Limburger Manuela Soccol won UTMB’s 100-mile Kosciuszko, an ultra-trail run in Australia’s snowy mountains last weekend, covering 167.5 km and 5,173 meters of elevation gain in 2482h24. A time that allowed him to establish himself at No. 6 in the scratch rankings dominated by Australian Chris Lenkic.

After dropping her first 100-mile attempt in the US last year, the Belgian former marathoner rode a smart race, moving from third to first ahead of last year’s winner Stephanie Aston (Aus) and Claire O’Brien-Smith. (Aus).

“UTMB is in my sights”

“Winning is definitely a bonus because I have to finish no matter what I crawl through”, says Manuela Soccol. “I ran into Stephanie a lot (Austen). We talked a lot. Every time, I tried to catch up after the technical passages as I am very bad in these areas. We entered the last aid station together and I never saw her again.

Exhausted after completing her first 100 miles, Manuela Sokol now dreams of UTMB. “The first thing I said to my boyfriend at the finish line was that I’m never going to do 100 miles again. But I’m going to change my mind. UTMB is in my sights!”