The North Face Explores Pressure, Risk and Grit in Documentary Series 'Sufferfest'

The North Face and Think Less Studios have launched its latest series, 'Sufferfest: Welcome to the Pain Cave.' Sufferfest is a three-part unscripted documentary series that follows elite trail runners as they prepare for and compete in UTMB Mont-Blanc in Chamonix, one of the world’s most iconic 100-mile races.

The series takes a character-first approach, examining the physical and emotional demands of preparing for UTMB - not just the race-day outcome. Through intimate athlete perspectives, training footage, and the cultural backdrop of Chamonix, 'Sufferfest' reveals what it truly takes to reach the start line of this legendary event.

In addition to athlete stories, the series features the voices of local residents, volunteers, and race organisers, capturing the community and culture that make UTMB more than a race: a global pilgrimage for trail running. That sense of reverence and intensity carried into the 2025 event, where dramatic weather forced organisers to neutralise Pyramides Calcaires, the course’s highest point, for runner safety. The rain and snow that led to the section closure are captured first hand in the series, underscoring the volatility, risk and emotion that define the UTMB experience.

About the Athletes

'Sufferfest' features Jon Albon, Josh Wade, Ruth Croft, and Emily Hawgood as the main athletes.

Ruth Croft – 1st place finisher, UTMB 2025; first woman to complete the UTMB World Series Triple Crown (OCC, CCC & UTMB); named 2025 Worldwide UltraRunner of the Year

Josh Wade – 3rd place finisher, UTMB 2025; 3x Ultra Trail Snowdonia champion; Transgrancanaria winner

Jon Albon – DNF, UTMB 2025; 6x OCR World Champion (2014–2019); 2019 Trail World Champion; UTMB OCC winner (2021)

Emily Hawgood – 526th finisher (27th in category), UTMB 2025

Episodes

Episode one: Follow The North Face Athletes Jon Albon and Josh Wade, alongside Emily Hawgood and Ruth Croft as they train for the world’s most revered 100 mile race: The Ultra Trail Mont Blanc in Chamonix, France. Spanning 171km, over 33,000 feet of elevation gain and three countries, the race is nothing short of mythic. And with everything on the line, these elite runners come face to face with the pressure, the risk and what it takes to win. After all, as Jon said: “We don’t spend every single day of our life preparing to come in tenth. We’re there to win.”

Episode two: Night falls on UTMB, bringing an onslaught of rain, snow and rain. Muddied, bloodied and approaching halfway, the runners are forced to adjust their strategies and assess their pain tolerance - not just the physical anguish of pushing through aching muscles and weary bones, but the heartbreak of potential unrealised. Through the darkness and downpours, they grapple with the question: when running is not just your career but your identity - who are you when the ice shatters beneath your feet? 

Episode three: As the sun rises, the remaining runners discover the difference between exploring limits and exceeding them. Surviving the night is one thing - the real race begins at Champex Lac, the crew aid station 78 miles in. From there, the runners take on a series of gruelling climbs, technical descents and their own exhaustion as they find a way to navigate the ups and downs of the trail... and the love and suffering that give the finish line its meaning.