A Gentleman Trailrunner and a Royal Caroline

News Release / 25.06.2016

At 4am, 1 076 runners,  of whom 107 women, were at the  start: ahead lay 82km and 6 000 m ascent in less than 24hrs, on a course which was modified due to significant snow cover at altitude. The highest points like the  Col de la Terrasse, the Tête de l'Arolette and the Signal were avoided.

First observation this morning: the temperature. At 4am, at the start in Chamonix , tee-shirts were the order of the day. A sultry heat which would certainly have consequences for numerous runners during the day ...

The rhythm of the favourites was very fast and without surprise over the first part. At the Tête au Vent (19.8km), the Swiss man, Diego Pazos was well within the leading group with the Frenchmen Français Guillaume Beauxis, Vivien Reynaud, Sébastien Chaigneau, Sacha Devillaz, Rémi Berchet and Pierre Minary. Second in the 2016 MaXi Race 2016 and the day's favourite Aurélien Collet abandoned at Chatelard(42km).

It was necessary to wait until the col du Passet and further on the refreshment point at (38.7km) in Switzerland to see him leave the group with 6 minutes advance on Guillaume Beauxis. The Swiss man from Lausanne with his red bow-tie kept the lead until the finishing line. Little by little he edged further ahead, but behind him, the battle raged. Beauxis kept his second place by  following closely behind Diego and ran a magnificent race. Rémi Berchet and Vivien Reynaud  were playing cat and mouse, taking it in turns to run in third place. Finally, with a 9 minute advance  Rémi claimed his place on the podium.

With this victory, Diego confirms that he is on good form for the beginning of this season. 4th in the 2016 XL-Compressport XL-Race  (82km) in Annecy at the end of May, 3rd in the  Transgrancanaria (126km), he emphasises : "I suffered a lot on the descents and  Guillaume was stronger on them than me. On the other hand , on the ascents, I enjoyed myself. With the sublime landscapes, it is the most beautiful 80km that I have ever run." In front of the public, he warmly thanked his wife by wishing her a happy birthday.

For the women, Caroline Chaverot (FR),the favourite, did not disappoint ! She had made the  80 km du Mont-Blanc one of her objectives for the season. A race which she had already won in 2013, its first year of existence, and which she particularly likes. Other than her first place, Caroline realised an exploit by joining the leading group and nibbled away the minutes, overtaking alternately Sébastien Chaigneau then Pierre Minary.

In the  TOP 5 at the end of the race, a malaise on the climb to Montenvers lost her a little time and a  position. She passed the line in 6thplace, only 48 minutes after Diego. A true exploit. "Nonetheless  this morning, I was not good and the first part of race was not easy. After my moment of weakness, I felt really better at the end. There, now I am really tired and I told to myself that it is hardly half of the UTMB ® ... But I adore this race, the course is magnificent, even more with the snow, and the organisation was great!"

Caroline has collected her second great victory of the season after the 2016 Madeira Island Ultra-Trail 2016 (115km) which is going to give her confidence for her two other objectives; the UTMB® and the World Championships in Portugal.

When Caroline crossed the finishing line, the second woman Mailys Devon (FR) was arriving at Le Bois (64km), so 2hrs15mins behind Caroline.

For all the other trail-runners the route is still long...The night will bring some freshness but the line must be crossed before 4am tomorrow morning...

Results

Men

1. Diego Pazos (Sui) - 10h52'45

2. Guillaume Beauxis (FR) - 11h05'10

3. Remi Berchet (FR) - 11h16'14

Women

1. Caroline Chaverot (FR) - 11h40'59