Kilian Responds on Instagram

As mentioned in the previous article Kilian responded on his personal Instagram after the meeting that was held between UTMB and I assume PTRA and Kilian and Zach:

With the aim of starting productive discussions as well as showing our discontent as athletes, we initiated discussions to realign with community expectations. This involved mobilizing athletes to express concerns, not to boycott but to raise awareness.

Yes, the private email didn’t directly call for a boycott, but not addressing the issue you have with an organization with who you have direct connection with, but choosing to go behind their backs and not setup a meeting to gather facts, but go and find an alternative race together feels very much like a boycott.

After a January 23 meeting with the UTMB Board, I’m hopeful for stronger, open communication between the community, including elite athletes represented by PTRA, and UTMB focusing on the sport development with its values at the center.

It’s really bizarre to me that the PTRA was created for exactly that purpose. And UTMB has shown signs to engage with the organization and listen and adapt their practices. Taking this Whistler issue and not going the proper route shows to me that many of the elites and voices of our sport were duped into believing a narrative that was build on falsehoods and misunderstandings and no one had the balls to ask the right questions. Everyone just went with the vibe.

By mobilizing elite trail runners, together with @zachmiller38, we aimed to foster collaboration between race boards and runners, finding common ground for the sport betterment. This isn’t about creating discord but about fostering constructive dialogue to preserve our sport’s integrity and values. 

How did that go?