France’s Manon Bohard Cailler improved massively on her 2022 Trail World Championships performance in taking third at the 2023 Trail World Championships 80k. In the following interview, our first with Manon, she talks about her history with sport, how her family plays into that, how her race went, and what race she’ll focus on next.
For more on what happened in the race, read our 2023 Trail World Championships 80k results article.
Manon Bohard Cailler Post-2023 Trail World Championships 80k Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Bryon Powell of iRunFar here, with Manon Bohard Cailler after her third-place finish in the 2023 Trail World Championships 80k, how are you?
Manon Bohard Cailler: Hello Bryon, I am fine.
iRunFar: Yeah, I little tired?
Bohard Cailler: Little bit but my sleeping is not very well but very exciting, very proud of how team and of myself for the race of yesterday.
iRunFar: At the end of the race like this everyone is very tired but you looked completely exhausted. You gave everything you had, yes?
Bohard Cailler: It’s a reality. I finish the race difficult, I am sick at the end of the race, problem of stomach. So no energy, no carbohydrates, so very complicated to make and push and make an effort at the end of the race. So the mental resources take part of the end and for how team and for my … To stay in the third place, it’s a very, very difficult moments but very proud of myself.
iRunFar: You should be. So the first 50 kilometers of the race you are running with your teammate Marion [Delespierre], how did that go?
Bohard Cailler: Yeah, shared great moment with Marion and I think she’s in a great day so it’s a very secure and very fun to take part with her at the big … Big part of the race. More experiences and very assured to go to take gold medals too, so very good moment with her.
iRunFar: So gave you maybe some confidence to be running with her? That you were both running a smart race?
Bohard Cailler: Smart race?
iRunFar: Yeah, you know that Marion has had also great success so running together, you could know, could think that you were…
Bohard Cailler: Yeah, good feelings and together we are more stronger. So I want to test to try to pressure at the part where there is a claim and because it’s my type of, my kind of race my cup of…
iRunFar: Terrain?
Bohard Cailler: Terrain. So I try but after I have problem and I see Marion is a great performance and great day and she go to win and I am very proud of her and for team it’s exceptional day.
iRunFar: In those last, maybe the last 30k, did you think it any time you might catch Katharina [Hartmuth] ahead of you, from Germany?
Bohard Cailler: Yeah, I think I can take her, and I push to go her but when we are no energy it’s very difficult to claim, to eat, to drink. I just want to try to stay in my position and let’s, time to have a moment, more comfortable to maybe push later. But it’s not for yesterday but maybe another day.
iRunFar: The stomach never got better?
Bohard Cailler: All the races complicated in this… Problematic it’s very, very regular so I know what I must be … More job and the factor to amelioration factor to the other race of the season.
iRunFar: Last year at the Trail World Championships you didn’t have a very good race – it happens. Does it feel even better this year to place third having not had a good race last year?
Bohard Cailler: Yeah, it’s a big frustration in Thailand. I passed next to my race completely, an effort was very complicated since the beginning of the race, and I want a very, very strong … Make a performance in the team of friends. It’s a great revenge.
iRunFar: Yes, that’s great.
Bohard Cailler: To the Thailand I think.
iRunFar: You’re not new to ultrarunning, I’d love to first know a little bit about your history with sports or running.
Bohard Cailler: I make skiing and judo. But skiing, when I was younger, before I work, I ski so it’s a endurance sport.
iRunFar: So touring?
Bohard Cailler: Yeah. And after my father is a notoriety, a famous name in trail running and I see it with a lot of exciting, a lot of pressure, and I run since six years old so yeah, it’s not really cold and in composition I have a mind competition so I want to make a bib or no, but just want to surpass myself and make the better for test the limits.
iRunFar: So you’ve been actively involved for sports your whole life and then you watch your father.
Bohard Cailler: All the day.
iRunFar: And became interested?
Bohard Cailler: It’s a good … We share lots of things with my father, a race, training, discussion, doing eating or doing – my father and my mother, have a guest house. And a lot of runner go to guesthouse to have a experience, he experience a lot of share, a lot of anecdote, and a lot of pleasure to be with other events with, in this environment, family environment.
iRunFar: And it was never your family pushing you, you’ve always been excited by this and still are?
Bohard Cailler: No, never. They come back to Innsbruck yesterday to follow the race and it’s a very great moment to see their mind and to see it at the last of the race.
iRunFar: And to the audience, your father is Patrick Bohard. Who has won TDS, has won Tor des Géants. Has been in the top 10 a few times at UTMB. You have also won TDS, correct?
Bohard Cailler: Yes, I win the TDS 20 years after my father. And I win the MIUT [Madeira Island Ultra Trail] 20 years after my father so maybe UTMB, one more time, I don’t know.
iRunFar: And it seems like you also like the same types of races and training in terrain as your father.
Bohard Cailler: Yeah, alpine, technical, we love this kind of nature and kind of race. It’s the family inspiration.
iRunFar: And your family is probably pretty good at hiking up mountains?
Bohard Cailler: I hope, yeah.
iRunFar: What else do you have on your calendar for this year, any other races?
Bohard Cailler: UTMB.
iRunFar: UTMB? Okay.
Bohard Cailler: Yeah, I have three objectives this year. The French [trail national] championships, [Trail] World Championships, and UTMB. And I make MIUT in Madeira. Pierra Menta, wonderful course, race in alpine.
iRunFar: The ski, because there’s also the running version.
Bohard Cailler: Both of them. Two person with a friend a Switzerland friend. And I go to Île Maurice to take part of the events. And after UTMB I stop my season in September because big season and months old and physically I want to be careful with myself.
iRunFar: Congratulations Manon.
Bohard Cailler: Thank you.
iRunFar: Merci beaucoup.
