Around the town of Chamonix, in the early morning, bakeries and delicatessens open their doors and let the smells of freshly baked breads and pastries fill the streets. It is a real treat for all.
The employees of these stores offer everyone passing by a friendly smile and a “hello,” knowing that over the next few hours these cul-de-sacs will slowly fill with spectators and support teams to greet the first arrivals of the PTL – a 300-kilometer race that began Monday.
This year, only 120 teams of two or three people were carefully selected to take part in the race from Chamonix. By the fifth day, almost half of the participants had withdrawn. The route through the Alps, passing through Mont Buet in France, the Crête Sèche in Switzerland and Mont Paglietta in Italy, among others, proved simply too difficult for some.
What makes the PLT – La Petite Trotte A Leon – unique compared to other endurance races this week is not only the team aspect, but also the focus on the mountains. Teams typically climb over 25,000 metres on the course and distance, which changes every year, allowing riders to experience different parts of the Alps.
Additionally, many trails are unmarked, requiring some orienteering experience, hence the need to be selective when it comes to this particular challenge.
As spectators flocked to take their places as the finish line approached, the area became a cacophony of noise. The race was won by the Alps Experience team – Candide Gabioud and Jules-Henri Gabioud – in 99 hours, 35 minutes and 36 seconds. Somehow, the Swiss duo were able to return to the course seconds after finishing the race and share moments with fans on both sides of the track.
Adaptive athletes run the same course as other competitors, regardless of the terrain
The Gabioud brothers embrace after completing the 300 km PTL in less than 100 hours, more than 10 hours faster than their closest rivals
It was the fourth time the brothers had won the race and they admitted afterwards: “There is no secret, you just have to love and respect the mountain.”
So it’s no secret that this week has been all about inspiring other runners – or non-runners – around the world to take up trail running.
This festival aims to inspire people from all walks of life and show them that nothing stops them from going out and exploring nature. Boris Ghirardi is the manager of the UTMB disability team. Nicknamed Robot Foot, he has shown that a disability is not a limitation, but rather a means to develop resilience and strength.
“The challenge was to make sure that adaptive participants arrive, that they exist,” he explains. “This is the first time at the UTMB. I have the chance to offer a different visibility, to find problems. There are amputees, autistic people, different disabilities, including invisible ones, so it is important to me that we represent different disabilities and show that it is possible for everyone.”
“The race is quite tough but there is no difference for us. It’s the same race, the same start. We have to train like everyone else. We have a certain adaptation but it’s more for safety than anything else.
“An amputee spends about 25% more energy than an able-bodied person to move around, so as you can imagine, it’s a real challenge. We’re not superheroes, we’re not powerful. The only powers we have are the ability to adapt. We’re super adaptable. We’re human, we have to train too.”
This was the first event to include a division of adaptive athletes, which was a success.
The PTL riders went around Mont Blanc and admired several other peaks in the Alps chain
More than 500 journalists attended the event this week, and influencers and commentators provided coverage in six different languages: French, English, Spanish, Catalan, Thai and Italian. The event’s reach continues to grow, but for the organizers, money is no object.
One staff member admitted: “It’s like the Tour de France. In the lead-up, we did a lot of little stories about things like a little church, a little village. You know, if you travel, you look, you learn things about life in the mountains.”
“We want to reach new people, new fans and promote trail running worldwide. Part of our job is to inspire people, so we invest. So far, we don’t make any money from our production. But our goal is not to make money; it’s just to inspire people and distribute our content worldwide.”
“In some segments, we might have a King or Queen of the Mountain. A lot of trail runners know who the stars are, but for the majority of people we want to attract, it’s about trying to explain who the people are, tell their stories and connect our speakers with the fans.”
Runners tackle challenging, unmarked trails while participating in the PTL, but are surrounded by stunning scenery.
Bakeries and delicatessens are starting to close up shop for the evening, but the party is far from over as the last race of the week started at 6pm last night.
The runners are ready to go, the carbohydrates have been stuffed. In about twenty hours from the start, the winner of the UTMB Mont Blanc should cross the finish line. There will be a crowd and pastries galore.