View from the Crew

Successfully crewing an elite runner at UTMB depends on a mix of impeccable planning, logistics, psychology—and love

By Adam Fearnall

Over the heads of Chamonix’s unique mix of trail-running fans and bar patrons, I lock onto the bouncing headlamp and shadow-cast face of my partner, Kelsey Hogan, as she approaches the finish line of the 2024 Hoka UTMB Mont-Blanc. Without moving my eyes, I click the side of my radio, calling the crew at the finish line: “Eyes on Kelsey.” I break into a running-commercial jog toward the finish line, where the rest of our crew members are handing out phones for photos, preparing Kelsey’s post-race kit and squinting into the distance, as if being the first to see her was the sport itself. Then, after 29 hours in the mountains, Kelsey careens around a corner and into view. Someone grabs my shoulder and someone else cheers as Kelsey almost…

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Canadian Running (Digital) - 1 Issue, Trail Special 2025

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