Two of the weekend's most popular races took place today, despite rain and wintery temperatures.
It was raining at 8:30 this morning when the Cross du Mont Blanc runners set off and it is resolutely chucking it down still as I write. Hats off to everyone who took part today as the conditions were far from ideal and seeing the bedraggled souls squelching their way over the finising line with wud-spattered legs and dripping wet clothes was a sorry sight. Anyone who didn't know there was a race on this weekend would have thought that foil capes were the new fashion item, as practically everyone who finished was immediately bundled up in one to conserve their body heat. Might catch on, you never know...
The Cross was the first of the races to set off this morning with the winner, Jonathan Wyatt, crossing the finish line just 1 hour and 55 minutes later. This may not sound like a particularly fast time for a half marathon (24km) but factor in the 1456m of altitude gain and the tricky Alpine trails and you can see why this course is tougher than most! Arnaud Bonin and Alain Gillet finished a very close 2nd and 3rd at 1:56 and 1:57 respectively - well done chaps! The fastest women were Aline Camboulives at 2:19, Marlene Vannesson at 2:33 and Julie Giacomelli at 2:34, impresive times all round.
The 10km had so many participants that they were started off in 3 waves, spaced 10 minutes apart. This race attracts a much wider range of runners, there are still plenty of "serious" athletes taking part to get the best time over a shorter faster course but the distance also makes it a more attractive option for beginners wanting their first taste of trail running, and for older runners who have "been there, done that" at the bigger races but still want to be part of the event.
The winners of the 10km were Christopher Berraho (39m 49s), Arnaud Michel (40m 01s) and Noamen Ksouda (41m 55s), with the top 3 women being Maud Gobert (48m 56s), Malene Munkholm (49m 14s) and Celia Stachowski (49m 59s).
Chamonet.com's very own reporter Helen McGrory came in at 1 hour 16 minutes, a most respectable result considering she is a self-confessed non-runner who spent her last night before the big day drinking Irish coffees in Casa Valerio... bravo!
Results for all races can be found here.
Fingers, toes and everything else are crossed for better weather tomorrow. The marathon starts at 7am in the centre of Chamonix and finishes up at Plan Praz, with the first finishers expected to arrive between 10:30 and 11am. Kilian Jornet completed the 42km course in 3 hours 38 minutes last year, the fastest it had ever been done, so all eyes will be on him to see if he can break his own record or even if anyone else is in with a chance of taking it off him.
If you have friends or relatives running tomorrow you can follow their progress online here, all lifts in the valley will be open for spectators who wish to get up to the trails to cheer them on. The Brevent Plan Praz lift close to the tourist office in the centre of Chamonix will take you straight up to the finishing line, ticket information can be found here.
