TOR X 2026

TOR X. Behind this name that hits like a hammer on an anvil 🔨 (and that does indeed sound a bit like the Norse god of thunder—surely not by chance ⚡️) lies one of the biggest, craziest, and most respected ultra-trail events on the mountain planet 🗺️. Not a race, no. A multi-day journey into the heart of the Aosta Valley, in Italy, where thousands of runners from all over the world take to the trails of the Alte Vie, the Valdostan High Routes 🇮🇹.

It all began in 2010 with an idea: to organize a 330-kilometer single-stage race, with 24,000 m of positive elevation gain, in partial self-sufficiency, in the mountains of the Aosta Valley 🏞️. No forced stages—just trail runners, a stopwatch, and a maximum of 150 hours to get it done (a little over 6 days 🧑‍🏫). This slightly mad project was then called the Tor des Géants and it crosses 34 municipalities in a region surrounded by four massifs that rank among the biggest in Europe: Mont Blanc, Gran Paradiso, Monte Rosa and the Matterhorn 🏔️. The race expanded over the years. In 2017, the "TOR130 - Tot Dret" joined the family: 130 km, 12,000 mD+, a straight-line traverse (tot dret means "straight ahead" in Valdostan patois 😄) between Gressoney-Saint-Jean and Courmayeur. In 2019, for the tenth edition of the Tor des Géants, the organization decided to make a statement with an uppercut: the "TOR450 - Tor des Glaciers" was launched. 450 km. 32,000 mD+. 190 hours maximum. Reserved for athletes who have already finished the TOR330 in under 130 hours. For those who thought 330 km was enough, it’s the kind of announcement that makes you wonder whether the organizers ever sleep at night. In 2024, a fourth race was added to the lineup: the "TOR100 - Cervino Monte Bianco", 100 km and 8,000 mD+ between the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc ⛰️. And for the curious who want to test their legs before committing to something more serious 🦵, the "TOR30 - Passage au Malatrà" offers 30 km and 2,300 meters of elevation gain, just to see what it feels like 🤓.

Since 2019, this whole ecosystem has been called TOR X—the X for eXtraordinary, eXtreme, eXperience—and takes place every year in September, just a few days after the UTMB, which is held just on the other side of Mont Blanc in Chamonix. Two trail-running giants, two vibes, about ten days apart in the Alps. September in the mountains is, clearly, high density 🗓️. The "TOR330 - Tor des Géants" remains the centerpiece—the race that started it all and around which everything revolves 🪐. The loop starts and finishes in Courmayeur and successively follows High Route No. 2 down toward the lower valley, then High Route No. 1 back up toward Valdigne. On this course, runners cross 25 passes above 2,000 meters in altitude, skirt 30 lakes 🛶, climb up to 3,300 meters, and pass through two leading protected natural areas 🌲: Gran Paradiso National Park and Mont Avic Regional Park. The last pass before the finish is Malatrà Pass, at 2,900 meters, about ten kilometers from the finish in Courmayeur 🏁. The basic concept of the Tor is as simple as it is formidable: the organization doesn’t require you to stop in this or that place, or sleep at any particular hour 😴. Runners manage their effort, rest, and refueling however they like, across the full 150 hours allowed. There are more than 40 aid stations on the TOR330 and 7 major life bases that split the race into sectors, where you can eat, retrieve your drop bag, and sleep on a camp bed 🛏️.

The weather is part of the game. September in the Aosta Valley marks the end of the Alpine summer and the beginning of autumn’s whims 🍂. Snow, fog, and cold can show up without warning on the high passes, turning an already technical section into something seriously demanding 🌨️. The 2015 edition was in fact partially interrupted due to extreme weather conditions—only six male runners had crossed the line before the race was stopped. The mountain doesn’t negotiate ❌.

As for records, the 2025 edition is the one of the tricolor feat. The Franco-Belgian Victor Richard, a professional timekeeper, won the TOR330 by erasing the course record with a time of 66 hours 08 minutes and 22 seconds, beating the mark set by four-time winner Franco Collé. The performance is all the more remarkable given that he had major nutrition issues in the first third of the race. In the women’s race, Dutch runner Noor Van Der Veen took the win 🏆 in 79 hours 34 minutes and 30 seconds. To take part in the "TOR330", you first have to go through pre-registration, which opens each year at the beginning of February. This is not a final registration: it places you on the draw list to ensure total fairness. The organization applies a system of nationality quotas guaranteeing at least two runners per nation represented in the pre-registrations 🌍. Runners who have already finished a race in the TOR X circuit receive direct entry without going through the draw 🎰. For the TOR450, the entry requirement is explicit: having finished a TOR330 in under 130 hours.

Courmayeur, the start-and-finish village, is nestled at 1,200 meters of altitude at the foot of the south face of Mont Blanc. During TORX week, the village lives entirely to the rhythm of the races: the streets and terraces are filled with runners, supporters, and curious onlookers watching the champions go by 👏. That’s the Tor. 💪