Blandine L'Hirondel is one of the most versatile female trail runners France has produced in recent years. Hailing from the heartland of European trail running, she grew up surrounded by the culture and terrain that has made France the dominant force in global trail racing. Her ability to perform at the highest level across distances ranging from 40 km to beyond 100 km makes her a rare talent in a sport where most athletes specialise in either short or ultra distances.
L'Hirondel's career trajectory has been defined by consistency and steady improvement. She first gained widespread attention through strong performances at CCC (Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix), the prestigious 100 km race in the UTMB series, where she demonstrated the endurance, technical skill and mental fortitude that would become her trademarks. Her results at CCC established her as a serious contender for any race held in alpine terrain, particularly those featuring sustained climbs and technical descents.
What sets L'Hirondel apart from many of her rivals is her dual capability: she can compete for podium positions in both the Trail Short (around 40 km) and Trail Long (around 80 km) disciplines. This versatility requires an unusual combination of speed endurance for shorter races and the deep aerobic base needed for ultra distances. Few athletes at the world championship level can bridge this gap as effectively as L'Hirondel demonstrated at the WMTRC 2023.
Training in the French Alps has given her an intimate understanding of the demands of high-altitude racing. The exposed ridgelines, rocky single-track and sudden weather changes that characterise alpine trail running are second nature to L'Hirondel, making the Stubai Valley and Innsbruck terrain ideally suited to her strengths.
L'Hirondel's performance at the WMTRC 2023 was arguably one of the most impressive of the entire championship. She entered both the Trail Short and Trail Long — a demanding double that required racing at world championship intensity across two gruelling alpine events within the space of a few days.
In the Trail Short (approximately 40 km, 2,200 m elevation gain), L'Hirondel ran a tactically astute race, holding back in the early kilometres before moving through the field on the climbs. Her silver medal demonstrated her ability to compete with the very best on shorter trail distances, even against specialists who focus exclusively on this distance range.
In the Trail Long (approximately 80 km, 4,500 m elevation gain), she produced another outstanding performance to claim a second silver medal. Racing the Trail Long after already completing the Trail Short made her achievement all the more remarkable — the accumulated fatigue from the first race would have affected most athletes, but L'Hirondel showed the deep reserves that come from years of ultra-distance training.
Her double silver earned France valuable team points and confirmed L'Hirondel as one of the most complete female trail runners competing at the world level. Across the entire WMTRC 2023, few athletes matched her combined output across multiple disciplines.
| Discipline | Placement | Time | Course |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trail Short (Women) | 2nd Place (Silver) | 4:28:15 | ~40 km / 2,200 m D+ |
| Trail Long (Women) | 2nd Place (Silver) | 10:42:38 | ~80 km / 4,500 m D+ |
Blandine L'Hirondel is from France and trains in the French Alps. France has a deep tradition in trail running and mountain racing, and L'Hirondel is one of the country's leading female athletes in the sport, with experience across distances from 40 km to over 100 km.
L'Hirondel won two silver medals at the WMTRC 2023 — one in the Trail Short (women) and one in the Trail Long (women). This double-medal performance was one of the standout achievements of the entire championship. All WMTRC 2023 results are available on the results page.
L'Hirondel is known for her exceptional versatility across trail distances. She has strong results at CCC (part of the UTMB series), various French trail championships and international events. Her ability to compete for podium positions at both 40 km and 80+ km distances is unusual at the elite level.
L'Hirondel competed in two disciplines: the Trail Short (approximately 40 km) and the Trail Long (approximately 80 km). Racing both events at a World Championship required exceptional fitness and recovery. Detailed course profiles are available on the courses page.
France was one of the strongest nations at the WMTRC 2023, earning multiple medals across trail running disciplines. L'Hirondel's two silver medals were a major contribution to the French team's overall success, building on France's long tradition of excellence in trail and mountain running.
The women's Trail Long at the WMTRC 2023 covered approximately 80 km with 4,500 metres of positive elevation gain through the Stubai Valley and surrounding alpine terrain. It was the longest official discipline at the championship, demanding sustained endurance, technical skill and nutritional strategy over many hours of racing.
Yes, L'Hirondel has strong results in the UTMB event series, particularly at CCC (Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix), the approximately 100 km race. Her CCC performances helped establish her reputation as one of France's top female trail runners and demonstrated her ability to race at the highest level on alpine courses similar to those used at the WMTRC 2023.
Profiles of athletes including Jim Walmsley, Stian Angermund, Denisa Dragomir and Allie McLaughlin are available on the athletes overview page. Complete race results can be found on the results page.