2022 CCC winner and course record holder Petter Engdahl won’t be on the start line at Kodiak Ultras by UTMB this weekend as he recovers from a broken collarbone. The 29-year-old from Sweden underwent surgery to repair a broken collar bone after crashing during an easy recovery ride on his bike going 60km/h.
Coming back from his setback at Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB), Engdahl was feeling tired and disappointed.
Engdahl was spending some much-needed time back in Romsdal, Norway, which he calls home, with compatriot Jon Albon. Engdahl was minimizing high-impact training in order to more effectively recover from the stresses of the UTMB World Series Final and a generally long season.
During an easy recovery ride on his bike with Albon, Engdahl came off the road going 60km/h. As a result, he fractured his collarbone, which required repair surgery, leaving any ideas of starting at Kodiak Ultras off the table.
Engdahl, however, considers himself lucky. He writes on Instagram, “It could have been much worse considering the speed!”
Despite his injury, Engdahl has had a season to be proud of. Speaking with Engdahl, he couldn’t pick just one highlight from the season.
From a performance standpoint, he would undoubtedly choose Marathon du Mont Blanc as the highlight, a tough race where he placed third.
Speaking to Marathon Handbook of his race,“3rd place in such a strong field is something I place very high, and it was a good race to show myself that I had the capacity to race in marathon distance.”
But it wasn’t just performances and results that brought Engdahl joy this season. He said that despite the disappointment at UTMB, it was the race he targeted and worked the hardest towards, a process he really enjoyed.
“Even though it didn’t go as I had hoped, it is still my highlight of the year because all my training and preparation was going towards that week, and I enjoyed it a lot.”
In terms of injury recovery following surgery, Engdahl says all is going well now. The current focus is pain management and he’s hoping to begin getting more mobility through his shoulder.
Engdahl says he will begin riding his bike on a stationary indoor trainer soon and will be able to hike up his local hills while taking the gondola down.
Expecting full strength back in March, he is hoping to build back enough to do some skiing in the winter.
“So far the process has been good and fast.” he says “When snow comes, I hope to be able to ski without poles as soon as possible. I am expected to be able to use 100% strength in March.”
While he recovers, Engdahl will focus on his schooling and design projects, as he is currently a design student at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
Looking forward to next year, although he does not have an exact race calendar, Engdahl has some key races in mind. The Swede will be looking to target races such as Transvulcania, UTMB, and Sierre Zinal. He will also have a personal project in Mont Blanc.
“My goal for next year is to first of all be back again at 100% capacity, be focused, to push and enjoy every race I do,” he told Marathon Handbook.
After an incredible season, we look forward to seeing Petter Engdahl back in action at major events in the 2024 season.
