13 Jul 2016
Trail running is an increasingly popular sport, with more and more fans seeking new challenges. However, it can be an intimidating sport and seems daunting to some people.
The Bureau des Guides de Val Cenis, in Haute Maurienne Vanoise, runs an initiation to trail running every Monday morning. Beginners can learn how to run on mountainous terrain while enjoying the beautiful landscape of the Haute Maurienne Vanoise.
This session costs €10 per person. http://en.haute-maurienne-vanoise.com
Occasional runners can also learn the technique of trail running in Pralognan. Every Monday, Sigrid runs half-day training sessions. Participants have to run/walk around 8km, with a maximum vertical ascent of 300m. It is a great introduction to the sport! www.pralognan.com
The UCPA in Chamonix organises a seven-day training course for trail runners who want to improve their running technique and get ready for a race.
This is from €390 for six nights, with training and meals included. www.ucpa-vacances.com
The Bureau des Guides in Megève organises half-day or full-day sessions, either in a group or one-to-one.
Group: Half day: €30 per person - Full day: €45 per person
Private: Half day: €150 - Full day: €220 www.guides-megeve.com
In Praz de Lys Sommand, Laurent Perrier, a mountain guide, and Olivier Morin, a physiotherapist and trail runner, organise training over weekends in the summer.
It is €220 per person for two nights of half board and the training sessions.
Laurent Perrier: +33 (0)6 30 01 35 49 - www.prazdelys-sommand.com
And after training, why not take part in a race? There are many trail running events taking place in Savoie Mont Blanc. Here is a selection:
Ultra Tour du Beaufortain, 23 July
Participants will have to run 105km across 6,400m of vertical ascent. It can be done solo (500 runners maximum) or in a relay of two runners (50 teams maximum and at least one woman per team).
27th 6000D, La Plagne, 28–30 July
Several races of different levels will take place across these three days. The hardest is 63km long, with 4,000m of vertical ascent and a section on the glacier at 3,200m.
KV and K2
KV stands for kilomètre vertical (vertical kilometres). The aim is to climb 1,000m over the shortest distance, as fast as possible. A K2 is a 2,000m climb.
Manigod KV Challenge
Manigod, a small picturesque village in the Aravis, is well known among trail running addicts, with its classic trail circuits (10km and 20km) and the first permanent KV circuit in France. Manigod hosts the Manigod KV Challenge, which has four stages: 6 July, 16 July, 3 August and 17 August.
Trail week, Val Thorens, 6-13 August
Europe's highest resort organises a week dedicated to trail running. The programme includes talks about nutrition and training, several new events and the Vertical Val Tho, a KV, on 6 August.
La KV de Mottaret, Méribel, will take place on 14 and 15 August.
2nd TPS Vertical K2 Villaroger, Les Arcs, 31 July
This race was the first true Vertical Double Kilometre (K2). Around 300 competitors will take part in the second edition. Runners start in the village of Villaroger at 1,220m, go through the forest, cross the Varet Glacier, and climb to the summit of the Aiguille Rouge – the highest peak in the resort of Les Arcs, reaching an altitude of 3,220m.
X-trail, Courchevel, 6–8 August
There are several races organised across these three days: 54km, 33km, 20km and 9km. There is a K2, the C2000, and a 2.3km trail for children.
UTMB®, Chamonix, 22-28 August
Launched in 2003, the Ultra-Trail Mont-Blanc is now one of the most famous races in the world.
