B.C.’s Ethan Peters wins Patagonia Bariloche by UTMB

When Ethan Peters of Fernie, B.C., arrived at the start line of the inaugural edition of Patagonia Bariloche by UTMB (in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina), he was coming off a season where almost every race seemed to stack another breakthrough performance. Earlier in the year, Peters had demolished a long-standing course record at the Canadian Death Race in Grande Cache, Alta., and he won the 100-mile event at Ultra-Trail Snowdonia by UTMB in Wales. Even so, he arrived in Argentina unsure how much he still had left after months of hard efforts.

Peters hoped for a big day, but he was honest with himself—he didn’t know if his legs would hold together or if the course would chew him up after such a long year. By the time he hit the finish line of the 132 km course, after navigating 6,516 metres of climbing, Peters had answered that question, finishing first in 15:09:27, 45 minutes ahead of the next runner.

Why Patagonia?

Peters’s reasons for choosing Patagonia were twofold. “First, I had never been to South America, let alone Patagonia, and secondly, I felt I needed to end my season (such a great season) with a better experience than my explosion at TDS,” he told Canadian Running. (Peters finished 23rd at TDS, a 153 km race that is part of the UTMB World Series Finals held at the end of August.) “Not necessarily winning another race, but completing something to be more proud of.”

Peters wasn’t looking for this to be a big redemption run; he simply hoped to close out the year with something that felt cleaner. The setting of the race didn’t disappoint. “Argentinians are extremely passionate and friendly, and those from Patagonia really value when foreigners can appreciate and run fast in their mountains,” he says.

Rewriting his approach

One of the things Peters changed for this race was how he prepared himself mentally. He made what he called a “brain plan,” something he kept alongside his pacing and nutrition notes. “This mainly consisted of three words to concentrate on for each third of the race: Intention, Focus and Belief, sometimes speaking or yelling them aloud.” He used those words as anchors when the effort got heavy, and the long climbs started to wear him down.

He also carried a handful of memories with him—people he loves, and the moments tied to them. “Whenever I had doubt, heavy exhaustion or the itching feeling to slow down, stop or give up I brought these to the surface and let them fill me up.” Peters was surprised by how well these shifts worked. “I honestly wasn’t ready for the surge of energy, happiness, and positivity I received while doing this simple mental exercise.”

B.C. ultrarunner Ethan Peters demolishes Canadian Death Race course record

Moments to remember

Peters’s best moments in the race came around the 90 km mark, after a long climb: “I topped out on a beautiful ridge in the alpine. It was around 8:30 am. The morning sun was crisp and clear, the wind relatively calm, with spectacular mountains and glistening lakes all around me.”

This serene moment was followed by a stretch that Peters says could have gone sideways, with a 7 km descent and then 15 km of smooth, fast terrain where anything can happen, especially if someone behind you has been pacing smart. “If the competitors behind saved their legs, I could easily be caught, unless I stayed vigilant and efficient,” Peters says.  But instead of rushing, Peters stopped and took the place in. “I took a moment to look around and take in the beauty, how far I’d come and how proud and happy I was.”

That small pause flipped something for Peters: “I took a deep breath, then got to work on the most critical section of the race, when I firmly established my lead, and furthermore, the win.”  He says that moment, where he was able to choose calm and gratitude over panic, will stay with him for a long time.

For full results of Patagonia Bariloche by UTMB, head here.