Since its inception in 2013, the Matterhorn Ultraks has grown into one of the premier trail running events in the world. Held in the stunning Swiss Alps, this race quickly became a favorite among athletes due to its challenging course and iconic setting.

The Ultraks series was designed to celebrate the spirit of mountain running, drawing inspiration from the rich mountaineering history of Zermatt, home to the legendary Matterhorn. Over the years, the race has attracted top international athletes and passionate trail runners alike, all eager to test their skills on this spectacular and demanding terrain.

With steep ascents, technical descents, and unpredictable weather, the Ultraks 50K is not just a race—it's a journey through the heart of the Alps, where athletes push themselves to their limits, following in the footsteps of adventurers who have long revered these peaks.

Join, James Stewart of Couch to the Summit, an accomplished trail runner and performance coach, as he guides you through this unforgettable race experience. James showcases the spirit of ultra trail running and the unique essence of the Matterhorn Ultraks "SKY" 49km race.

While a longstanding hamstring injury prevents him from competing at full speed, James pushes through to document this onceinalifetime race that he's always dreamed of running.



This is a film I've always wanted to make embedding myself into the front of a field of a scenic European race and filming what goes on to the best of my ability. This is the most scenic race I've ever run in, with views of the Matterhorn throughout the 49km course with 3300m of ascent. Everything came together even better than I hoped for and I'm glad I captured the essence of this race and can reflect back on it in the future.

I couldn't go at 100% limit (for obvious reasons when you watch the film), as getting some of the best shots requires stopping to frame shots of other runners, including chatting with other racers and sometimes stopping to banter with spectators. I was also limited by injury from racing at 100%, but as luck would have it, I had a really good feeling day and was still able to still finish in 41st overall out of ~750 racers.

I spent a bit more time on this film improving production quality than my previous films, and this one runs at 1hr24mins, but the few non runners I got to watch the film before release said they were engaged the whole time and enjoyed the film. So if you're looking for something to watch on a rainy day (or rest day), or if you're looking to experience what it's like in a European ultra (that's not a UTMB race), then put the feet up and enjoy!

STRAVA LINK OF THIS RUN:   / strava  

If you need help getting fit or striving for new personal achievements feel free to get in touch with me at my website Couch to the Summit: http://www.couchtothesummit.com​

I offer performance coaching services for people of all abilities focused on developing vertical focused running endurance.

Website: http://www.couchtothesummit.com​
IG: @couchtothesummit
Strava:   / strava  

Music Credits:
AMBYION   / ambyion  
BLAKE EWING   / blakeewing  
SENSITIZE & ITO   / sensitizeitofracturesensitizeremix  
VAEROS   / vaerossounds  
RHIAN SHEEHAN   / rsheehan  
MATT VICE   / mattvicemusic  
EVERIE   / everie  
TEARZ   / trzbts  
THE AMBIENTALIST   / theambientalist