This race had been circled on my calendar for a while. I’ve had the chance to race abroad a few times now, and while the logistics can be tricky, there’s something truly special about exploring a city on foot in the vibrant atmosphere of race day.

Paris has always held a certain magic for me. This was my third time there, and I chose to go earlier in the week to soak it all in - no itinerary, just training and fully immersing myself in Parisian life. Each morning, a walk to a new café followed by a run along the Seine. I spent most of the days exploring the city pretty aimlessly.

On Friday I watched two of my favorite athletes, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, battling it out under the lights at Roland Garros. The intensity between them was palpable, and the energy of the crowd was electrifying. It was easily one of the most memorable sporting events I’ve been to - just a masterclass in focus and grit.

Saturday the UVU team had arrived from London. We spent time catching up, having some laughs in the midst of talking race strategy and feeding off each other's energy, getting fired up to rip through the streets of Paris on Sunday.

I came into this race off a relatively short build-up, but something about the training in the weeks leading up felt unusually sharp. My main goal for this race was to lean into the discomfort. Every runner knows those points in a race - when your chest tightens, legs start to go, and doubt creeps in. I was determined not to ease up when that moment hit. I was ready for ~32 minutes of keeping my foot on the gas, trusting both my fitness and instincts - all the way to the Arc de Triomphe.

With a slight downhill to start, I opened with a 4:52 mile, followed by a 5:01. Then I settled into a rhythm around 5:08 pace. The final mile was a brutal uphill stretch into a headwind - a tough way to close a 10k - but I crossed the line in 31:58. I don't think you could script a more stunning route, and I tried to soak it all in as best I could.

Watching the rest of the team cross the line was one of the most rewarding parts of the trip. Thinking about where we all were just a few months ago made it even more meaningful.

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