Juuso Simpanen Wins Four 100-Mile and 100 km Trail Races Including Nice by UTMB

Finnish vegan trail runner Juuso Simpanen has won four 100-mile and 100km races this season, including victory at the Nice Côte d'Azur by UTMB 100K.

In Finland he won the Karhunkierros 100 mile, the Ylläs Pallas 100 mile and the Peura Trail 100km, along with the Nuuksio Classic 70km, Great Vegan Athletes reports. Then in September he went to the south of France and won the Nice 100K in 12 hours, 34 minutes and 58 seconds, almost 20 minutes clear of Genis Porqueras, with Dominik Matt third, according to u-Trail.

He wasn't finished. After a short-notice entry he was second at the Istria 100 mile in Croatia only weeks ago.

That's a lot of long-distance racing for one season, and he kept on winning. He also won an 8.5km race at Äkäslompolo, a sprint by his standards, before finishing his season at Kullamannen by UTMB in Sweden.

He's been vegan since 2014, and like a lot of athletes it started with his own health:

At first, it was mainly for the sake of my own health

"I suffered a lot from gut issues," he explained. "Then, environmental and ethical reasons quickly became a major factor as well." Twelve years on, his gut is carrying him through 100-mile races.

Plant-powered runners have owned the long trails lately. Damian Hall won the Northern Traverse and the Lakeland 100 last year, smashed the Pennine Way record in 2020, and this July Harvey Lewis set a Badwater age-group record.

Four big wins on plants. No meat, no problem.