Photo by Dave Warner – Members of Main Street First sent Rob Richard their best wishes via a photo posted to Facebook prior to the race.
Little Falls, NY – People are capable of accomplishing the extraordinary. Little Falls resident, Rob Richard, has demonstrated just that as he crossed the finish line of the Mont Blanc ultra trail marathon (UTMB). While most of us were sleeping during the early, still dark hours of Sunday, September 1st, Richard was approaching cheering fans as he concluded a 103 mile footrace spanning three countries.
The UTMB begins in France and continues as a single loop through Switzerland and Italy, circling back to France. The event website describes the UTMB as “a mythical race, a unique experience,” and is presented by Columbia involving approximately 2,000 volunteers working day and night to help and comfort the runners.
Out of 2,561 participants, Richard finished the race as number 588. Runners are permitted up to 46 hours and 30 minutes to complete the course. Richard crossed the finish line after 38 hours and 36 minutes on the trail. He faced 31,500 feet in elevation gain as he raced through mountains amidst challenging weather conditions.
Matt Powers of Little Falls shares, “Rob’s accomplishment is one that our entire community can take pride in. The UTMB is highly respected and he has put us all on the map! The event website now lists Little Falls and Rock City Runners as one of the elite finishers. We are all incredibly proud of him!”
When Richard is not busy serving as Chief Video Officer for Uncommon Schools or training for his next physical challenge, he devotes much of his time toward the resurgence of Little Falls. He is an owner of ‘The Shop’ on East Main Street, a business that hosts live music, stage theater, community events, craft beer tastings and more. He also spent several years as acting President for Main Street First (MSF) which is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation that focuses on promoting sustainable initiatives to revitalize the Little Falls community.
Judy Wolf, current MSF President, shared the following comments on Facebook, “We are so proud of our beloved member, friend, and past president Rob Richard. Congratulations on a huge accomplishment that shows what people can do when they put their minds to it. Thank you for the inspiration!”
For more information on the UTMB, visit https://utmbmontblanc.com/en/page/1/the-event.html.