„Martina Ballerina” danced under the Mont Blanc

During her career, she has won nine medals in Polish Championships, including 4 in trail (mountain) long-distance running. The best in Polish Championships in 2023 on a long-distance triathlon. Ex-dancer and ballet teacher. After her performance at the UTMB festival, where, fighting for first place with Toni McCann on CCC distance as the first Polish woman, she entered the so-called elite of the elites, according to the ITRA ranking. So far, that achievement has only ever been accomplished by two other trail runners - Bart Przedwojewski and Andrzej Witkowski. In this interview, you will learn about Martyna Mlynarczyk’s past and plans for the future.

Interview by Agnieszka Windak, the main photo: Paul Brechu ©UTMB®

Translated by: Julia Kaminska

Agnieszka Windak: We all know what happened recently, why there was so much buzz about you. The second place on CCC is, after the silver medal of the men's team in the European Championship, the biggest success in trail running of our country this year. But let’s start from the beginning, please tell me about how, where and when did it all begin?

Martyna Mlynarczyk: Actually I am celebrating my 10th anniversary of running so I got myself a pretty nice gift (laughs). It all started pretty typically. I read somewhere that running is great and helps to relieve stress, which I had a lot of back then. I worked in a theatre and a boutique and gave dancing lessons. I realized that I was missing another activity to add to all of this! At that moment it was ordinary, flat asphalt running, but I quickly came across people, who introduced me to the world of trail running. After one year I raced in my first Polish Championships in Szczawnica and that’s how it all began to take off. I started going farther and longer.

It’s good that you met those people, who introduced you to the mountains!

Definitely! I think that we often have our breakthrough moments by accident, you meet someone and it turns out that your life changes direction to the right path. I can say with confidence that running has changed and defined my life. 

After the last UTMB you got a new nickname „Martina Balerina”, commentators contacted the ULTRA editorial before the live report to find out more about you than just bare facts. That’s how they knew you were a professional dancer. We know they got a bit carried away, describing your long-running stride, but they are fascinated by it. I wanted to ask you about your dancing then, I hope you won’t get angry at us?

I don’t think, I will ever get rid of that nickname… (laughs) Yes, I have been dancing since I was a kid, since I was 7 or 8. I graduated with a degree in Dance and Choreography. Later I started working at a theatre in Cracow, but I quit after 2 years and focused solely on teaching others. I worked at a private ballet school, and then in cultural centers. It has always been my big passion, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else in life. From the perspective of time, I see that the field of study I had chosen wasn’t the best in terms of financial stability, but I didn’t think about that back then at all. I was convinced that if you have a passion in life, the rest will simply fall into place on its own. Until running became part of my life, dancing was my biggest love.

Are you still a teacher?

Yes, but each year, the number of classes I teach is decreasing. Running is taking up more of my time now, and on top of that I’ve started a full-time study in physiotherapy. I have my own running group as well, so those activities piled up. 

All right, so you’re a professional runner, student and teacher at the same time?

Yeah, kind of, there is definitely a lot to do! Everything revolves more around running now, but I’m really happy about that.

Do you think dancing has given you anything for trail running?

A nickname, that’s for sure. (laughs) I want to take this opportunity to dispel that „ballerina somehow”, because even though I used to teach classical dance (ballet), my focus is contemporary dance. As for the question, whether in ballet or contemporary dance, coordination is a very important skill, that later supports running development. Mobility, speed and agility are other qualities, that I can confidently say are reflected in the mountains. I think that coordination and mobility helped me adapt to technical terrain and also lengthen the running stride. I think I simply have a talent for endurance sports. Dance and running are, after all, two completely different disciplines, so there is no direct correlation. Maybe my past helped me get to the next level, but the foundation of success is those 10 years of experience and building endurance. 

You mentioned mobility as an advantage, but a runner probably can’t have the same range of motion as a dancer, is that right?

Naturally, dancers need to be more flexible, whereas runners need to have everything well-supported. When I started running, I was, you could confidently say, hypermobile and doing splits wasn’t a problem for me. With years of training those ranges decrease and this is completely normal and desirable.

Now, that you’re studying physiotherapy, you probably start to understand your body better and how it has changed through running. 

Yes, definitely. Physiotherapy is one thing that I’m interested in and those studies were a little 33-th birthday gift for myself. Everything connects nicely together. 

I know you had a lot of injuries during your career. Maybe they were not as serious as I thought, but have you ever had a moment where you considered that running is not necessarily for you?

There were no such moments. I was very frustrated, when after a well-worked season, an injury would occur. Frustration, that what limits me is not poor preparation, too few training sessions, but something beyond my control. However, I always had the mindset that I would eventually find my way and methods that would allow me to train more effectively and reach the next level. And that’s what I did, I kept searching. I think I am one of those people, who have changed coaches the most in our running community.  It doesn’t come from reluctance to those specific individuals or that something didn’t click between us. I just had to find a method that would allow me to maintain high-level training without interruptions caused by overexertion.

You finally came across Jacek Tyczynski and that’s where it clicked? Did the triathlon school help?

At first, it was a very fresh and modern approach. I actually began to cooperate very effectively with Jacek. We are slowly shifting away from the triathlon school. Last season was still quite conservative, we didn’t know how much we could push ourselves. This year we were able to make a lot of changes, but that training is flexible; evolves over time and adapts to the current capabilities. Last year included all elements of triathlon - running, cycling and swimming, not to mention strength training. This year we have moved away from swimming, leaving just cycling. We have managed to build a solid base and manipulate the training units in a way that maintains continuity. That is key for me. Of course, during the season, when there is a lot of intensive work, you can’t avoid minor strains. However, it is important to catch them early and respond accordingly. 

And in your team, do you use those triathlon elements borrowed from your coach? 

That really depends on the profile of a runner. There are lots of people, who can run a lot without getting injured. I think that, I more often introduce additional disciplines for the girls. We are a bit more delicate and have to be more careful to avoid causing excessive strain. It all depends on the person you work with, though, everyone is different. 

So you never planned to quit running and switch to triathlon?

I heard about those rumors and I need to dispel them! The triathlon was just a means to an end. Planning the season, I absolutely didn’t think about becoming a professional triathlete and competing for slots in Hawaii. (laughs) For a moment I had an idea to connect those two things, running in the mountains and sometimes racing in a triathlon, however now I’ve completely moved away from that. It was a nice way to maintain my motivation, because it’s much easier to focus, when there are upcoming races in your calendar and build a base through swimming and cycling training. 

You could be a bit like Heather Jackson, although she switched from professional triathlon to mountain running and not the other way around. 

It’s a bit different level. Heather fought for a podium finish in Kona, so now she can afford to take such „retirement”. I see, however, that those worlds are blending together a bit and I think that’s great.

Exactly! This year’s CCC winner was Eli Hemming, a former triathlete. I think that when you are spending hours on the road or the trainer, staring at the floor, you automatically start looking for some diversions.

There’s something to it. Mountains give that freedom, once you get a taste of it, you no longer want to step out of that world. I know a few people, that have tried trail running and didn’t get hooked. I have this experience, mainly with amateurs, my athletes, they usually come to me with a focus on road running, I subtly introduce the idea of a trail race and after completing it, we already plan the next season around mountain running. (laughs) These trips, events, people and atmosphere are something that can’t be replicated and that’s what makes world of trail running so attractive.

That is my case as well, so I completely get it! Moving on to the CCC, did you know what you were capable of in this season’s preparation?

This year everything went very smoothly. There were some slight strains, but nothing that would take me out of the training, so that was a very good sign. CCC podium was this goal, a dream from five years ago. I watched that event and got emotional when I saw runners cross the finish line. I was a bit afraid to participate in such a big event, because I had almost no experience in competing abroad, and it comes with a different kind of pressure. As long as the girls, Kasia Solińska or Kasia Wilk race abroad sometimes, for me, except for Tenerife, it was the first race of that kind. Up till the start, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew which training I had completed and what my competitors had done but until I started running alongside the top artists, everything was one big unknown. I felt that I was in the best shape of my life and that I was getting better each month. I had and I still have a great environment to growth. It consists primarily of my husband Marcin, who is a significant part of that success. He supports and believes in me on a daily basis, sometimes even more than I do and he picks me up off the ground in case of failure. 

Jacek Tyczyński, that takes care of both training and training-related topics. In the middle of the year a dietitian Zosia Piotrowicz, a great expert with a lot of knowledge and experience, joined the team. Our little team has really started to function well. I felt great before the start, but I was also afraid of putting too much pressure on myself. It appeared, anyway because I also had thoughts like: „I'm testing my limits. - either I’ve got what it takes or not: but I didn’t want to let those thoughts in. My minimum goal was top 10, I would have been satisfied with top 5 as well, but the fact that I would be fighting for the first place and it would be within my reach surprised me. 

Yes, I was following the race and indeed, that first place was within your reach.

It will also be a lesson for me and my next races, to stand at the starting line with everyone as an equal. I think I reached a level where I can race with the best runners in the world. It’s an amazing feeling, very motivating and boosting my confidence. 

So you’re saying that entering the world’s elite will motivate you and not add extra pressure?

I think so, although for me, the emotions right after the start can be quite different from what I will feel a month later. Right now I am really happy and it gave me a significant boost of motivation.

And about the race, did it go as smoothly as the preparations? Or was there any significant crisis? 

I didn’t have any bigger physical crises, which came as a surprise. CCC was my second hundred in life. The first was on the European Festival and when I think back on my training and overall preparation, I had no right to finish that Krynica comfortably. Here, however it was physically great till the end. The only thing that took me out of the direct competition for first place was a recurring stitch. Toni was stronger on the climbs, while I chased her on the descents and those stitches, appearing after leaving the aid stations, limited my abilities to make up for lost time. The end was very tough, not only because of those conditions. I also faced issues with blisters on my feet, toenails coming off, and on top of that - plain exhaustion.

What about the nutrition aspects? I know that Kasia Solinska raced the entire UTMB last year only on gels. 

Me too. Of course, the UTMB is almost twice the distance, so it’s hard to compare, but I had a similar strategy. The requirement was calculated for around 12 hours, I had gels and lemon sodas in flasks. There were crackers and sandwiches at the aid stations, but I couldn’t eat those so I stuck with gels. I managed to realize 95% of the nutrition plan and I think that’s why it was good till the end of the race.

You mentioned Krynica earlier, but I think it’s hard to compare with CCC. 

Very hard, it’s a completely different running, different mountains. I wasn’t familiar with the CCC route before, so a month before the start we went to Aosta to get accustomed a little bit. When I did the first reconnaissance I was terrified with how hard the trail was.

I finished the training session, my contestant was waiting for me at the parking lot. I told him that I was so exhausted after that 40-km section and I had no idea, how I would race the whole thing. At that moment I couldn’t imagine that, but it was better each training session. It’s good that I went there, so I could get familiar with the alpine trails, adjust my running stride to them and get used to the constant steepness. 

Have you raced in the Alps before?

Lucky for me, the CCC route is not technical. The steep ascents and descents there are challenging, a 20-25% gradient is pretty standard. The trails themselves are single tracks with a few stones, which are quite pleasant to run on. Besides a significant gradient this course favors runners with that proverbial speed reserve. I think it was more suited to me than for example trails in the Pyrenees, where the World Championships will take place next year, which I fear about a little. 

Great, so you have a craving for WC. In the interview for Bieganie.pl you said that usually at the finish line you get the feeling like „I’m so glad it’s over”. What did it look like at the finish line of the CCC?

It was an explosion of happiness, I had never felt something like that before. I don’t even recognize myself in some pictures from the finish, I didn’t know I could smile so widely! Everything that’s going on there, the supporters that come and say that they followed the report, congratulate you and are happy and excited with you, it is amazing.  Even though I have watched the finish line so many times, it still didn’t prepare me for that. Each time I saw the famous Kasia Solinska’s reel from last year, it brought a tear to my eye and I thought to myself „God, I want that too!”. And suddenly you do it, run to the CCC podium carrying a Polish flag! Those hours of training, hectoliters of sweat, tears and blood, everything is worth those 30 seconds on the finish line. I still get shivers when I think about that.

Now everyone has a tear in their eyes when they see you crossing the finish line! 

That’s beautiful you know? I get very emotional during those moments. I like to watch athletes at the championships or Olympic Games because I know how much hard work and sacrifice it took.  When I see them on the podium I want to cry myself. I am very glad that I can evoke such feelings in others.

That joy is even more special, because usually you seem rather reserved.

That’s actually how it is, but maybe „reserved” is not the best word, I would say really task-focused, which can create a certain distance. I feel like a perfectionist when it comes to sport and I’m rarely proud of myself. I always see a lot of faults, things I can improve, and how much work I still need to do. That was actually the first race I was proud of, and maybe that’s why I had so many positive emotions. However, it has been a week since the start and I already see a lot of mistakes I made… (laughs) Fortunately there’s still room for improvement!

So you wouldn’t be completely satisfied even if it was a win with a 30-minute lead?

Actually, I am very happy and proud of this race. This doesn’t change the fact that everything can be done better!

Do you think that this second place and 791 ITRA points opened up international running for you?

I hope so! Everything is still so fresh, I want it to develop naturally. I’m not hiding that I have international plans. The first one is very ambitious, to the Western States at the beginning of next season. CCC gave me that opportunity because I received a Golden Ticket (a direct qualification to Western States Endurance Run - editor’s note) on the podium. It’s a race that has always been on my list, I heard somewhere that only the top 2 competitors get it, but I think I forgot about it during the preparation. After the decoration, when I got off the podium and met with my coach, he looked at the ticket, then looked at me and asked - „So, are we heading to The States?” I don’t know when I would have that opportunity again, so the answer was simple! It will require intense preparation as well as significant financial commitment, so I hope I can manage to pull everything together.

I heard that you had dinner with the Hoka team shortly after the race, have you already received any offers?

Such things enjoy silence, so I’m not revealing anything yet.

All right, let’s say it didn’t come up! Getting back to the CCC topic, I saw somewhere on Instagram that they compared You and Toni: You, with trekking poles and her without them. Was it a good decision to bring them along?

For me, yes definitely. It was an element that we added only at the end of the preparations. I have experience in ski touring, so it wasn’t an unfamiliar move for me. I noticed that I get accustomed quickly to those technical elements and I think that motor coordination, we talked about before. I also met with Marcin Świerc, who gave some useful tips, so the poles quickly started to pay off.

Your future plans? We started with Western States, what’s next?

I just received the information, that I’m qualified for next year’s CCC, so I’m definitely going back on the route, because I still haven’t achieved everything. (laughs) And honestly, this is a race that I will happily repeat. I think it can be done a lot better. And my third biggest goal is the World Championship. Of course, you need to qualify first and we still don’t know which rules will apply, so we will see. To sum up: WSER, CCC and World Championship.

Do you dream about the main UTMB loop or You’re not planning such long distances yet?

Of course, I do. But it will all depend on the next season. If I realize my goals for next year, then maybe in 2026 I will try major distance. Although, when I think about it I’m a bit scared. Looking at the finishers at the festival, those from the hundred kilometers didn’t look too bad, and the ones from the main loop… (laughs) However I feel that the desire to feel that atmosphere on your own skin will be stronger than fear. As soon as I remember the finish line, that moment when Vincent Bouillard or Katie Schide crossed it, I get shivers!

A bonus question: a thing that not a lot of people know about You, a funny anecdote. 

Maybe a fun fact: when I was 13, I won a beret toss competition during a harvest festival in my hometown, Chmielowice (below Opole). The majority of participants were men, but driving past the festival with my friend we decided to compete as a joke. My throw turned out to be the longest. The funny thing is that the award was a crate of beer, so the organizers had to quickly organize a rate of CocaCola. I guess I have always had a knack for competition. (laughs).

I wasn’t expecting that! Thank You very much for this interview, I wish You many successes at the world level and a continuous drive for competition.