Mountain Races

First and foremost, it's essential to note that there's something for everyone and every level with mountain races! 🏃‍♂️ The discipline is primarily characterized by courses with significant elevation, from 50 to 250 meters per kilometer 🕺. The surfaces are varied: you will most often run on existing trails, but snow or asphalt are sometimes encountered. You can cross forests, meadows, vineyards (yes indeed!), alpine pastures, skirt lakes, encounter animals, all while... of course, gaining altitude. In terms of distance, you will be spoiled for choice, from short distances to demanding ultra-trails, including the famous vertical kilometer... 🤠

To go back to the origins of mountain racing, take a little leap back in time 🧐, to the early 20th century… After the first running competitions (1896 at the Athens Olympics), it didn't take long for the first mountain races to appear. Indeed, in 1904, the Vignemale race, the highest massif in the French Pyrenees, was born out of the rivalry of mountain guides from the region... The first alpine mountain race dates back to 1922 in Italy, with the Ivrea-Mombarone, located in the Italian Alps (between Milan and Aosta). Elsewhere in the world, other legendary races gradually blossomed on mountainsides: the ascent of Mount Fuji 🇯🇵, the Pikes Peak Marathon 🇺🇸, the Mount Washington race… 🇺🇸 Sounds dreamy, right? The prestigious Sierre-Zinal race in Switzerland 🇨🇭 connects the village of Sierre to Zinal in the middle of the Valais Alps. The extraterrestrial Kilian Jornet 🇪🇸 shone there, as did Boris Ghirardi, a runner amputated of one leg who achieved the feat of finishing the race equipped with a prosthesis. Here's a little curiosity Made in England 🇬🇧 before diving into the mountain trail calendar: on the other side of the English Channel, the Fell Running culture is very widespread. These are events that involve climbing up and down a peak, with no necessarily marked-out path. Why not?

In France, the FFA has organized the French Mountain Running Championships annually since 1989, while since 1985, the WMRA (World Mountain Running Association) has governed the World Championship of the discipline. Once you feel ready for intense efforts, equipped with suitable shoes and gear 🔦 (in some events, walking poles will be useful), then turn to the mountain racing and trail calendar. Depending on the events, refreshments may or may not be provided. Be cautious ⚠️ about nutrition and hydration, as mountain racing disciplines are very demanding on your body. In France 🇫🇷, let's say we are somewhat spoiled in terms of mountainous terrains, with sublime landscapes 😍. To the North, the South, the West (how come the Alpes Mancelles don't count?), the East... Let's mention, in no particular order, the Jura, the Vosges, the Massif Central, the Pyrenees, the Alps... The Dutch, Belgians, and Germans do not envy us just for our gastronomy 🤷‍♂️ and are fond of our mountain races 🏔! Welkom in France!

Many opportunities to discover local wildlife 🐐 and flora 🌲. High mountains, medium mountains, when it comes to competitions, there are plenty of options, both in summer 🌝 and winter ❄. The races of the UTMB (Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc) are already legendary despite the relatively young age of the event, founded in 2003. The Diagonale des Fous (Grand Raid) in Reunion also boasts a great reputation among trail runners… And what about Les Templiers, gathering thousands of trail runners at each edition... Let's also mention the Ventoux Half Marathon (Vaucluse), the Ubaye Snow Trail Salomon (Alpes de Haute Provence) or the Trail du Mont d’Or (Doubs). In the Vosges, in Chantraine, the Trail des Brosses offers several formats, including a night trail that will allow you to face your fear of the dark! 👻 Night trails in the mountains abound in France! If you like intimate events, you could also take a peek at the Tour des Glaciers de la Vanoise. Each destination offers a chance to discover a heritage, a culture. Want something truly original to boast about at the coffee machine on Monday morning? ☕ You can then challenge yourself with a beautiful white trail, like the Inuit one for example!

Play it like Kilian 🏎️.