CHASING THE PERFECT RACE

The UTMB is one of the worlds most prestigious trail running events. Starting in Chamonix, France, the race travels through 3 countries as athletes make their way around the majestic Mont Blanc.

For athlete Scotty Hawker, this race has always held a special place in his heart. From the moment he heard about the race it has continued to inspire him, driving him to compete not only against the worlds best athletes, but also against himself.

Having finished 3rd in the UTMB in 2019, and 2nd in the CCC in 2021, Scott returns to Chamonix once again, in search of his “perfect race.”

The Brief

To create a raw, human account of professional ultra-runner Scott Hawker’s campaign to run his perfect race at the world-renowned UTMB — a journey years in the making.

The Challenge

Unlike scripted commercial content, this was a fully unscripted, real-time story. We had no guarantees. Scott had trained relentlessly, prepped across continents, and arrived in Europe in peak condition — but there’s no controlling how a 100+ km mountain race unfolds.

The creative challenge was to build a compelling narrative regardless of outcome — to stay flexible, adapt to the story as it happened, and focus on the emotional truth rather than the result.

Our Approach

We embedded with Scott in the lead-up:

• Filming early training in New Zealand


• Capturing final prep in Chamonix, France


• Shadowing race day with a nimble team, covering key course points


Our focus was always on the person behind the performance. Not just the effort, but the hope, self-talk, and reflection along the way.

When the race didn’t go to plan, we pivoted. Rather than forcing a triumph story, we leaned into the vulnerability and resilience — the deeper story that often gets left out of high-performance narratives.