Well I’ve been doing a bit of stretching this week; few lunges here and there; bit of limbering up and generally swanning around town in my lycra and trainers. Why, you may wonder? Because it’s the Chamonix Marathon this weekend! Not, I hasten to add, because I will be partaking in any of the events – they are really long after all and really uphill – but I will be there in full supporters mode clapping and cheering away for hours on end as hundreds of runners pound their way around the valley.
There are 4 main events this weekend, starting on Friday at 4pm with the Vertical KM. Whilst a relatively piffling 3.8km in length, participants in this race will basically run/stagger/crawl as fast as they can from the centre of Chamonix to Plan Praz directly underneath the Brevent gondola. So yes, pretty much straight up for 1000m! Last year, the winner did it in 36min: 39sec so they don’t hang around. This is actually one event that I could perhaps be tempted to try but I don’t think I could face the humiliation of setting off from the start only to begin walking 200m round the corner as you start to climb the Brevent hill to the base of the gondola...... People just don’t do that round here. There are still places left for this event but I’ve got a bit of a blister at the moment ... and a slightly hurty knee so I may have to wait until next year now.... ahem...
Anyway, the main races take place on Saturday and Sunday, with the Cross (the half marathon) setting off at 8.30am from the parapente landing field near MBC and then the 10km runners begin their loop at 9am from the same spot. The route of the Cross goes up the north side of the valley, past Argentiere to Montroc where they cross over the main road at Tre-le-champ and begin the climb to Flegere. The winner is usually at Plan Praz in just under 2hours, so around 10.30am if you want to see them finish. There is also a mini-cross event for kids on Saturday that takes place from 11am in and around the parapente landing field.
On Sunday it’s the big one – the Mont-Blanc Marathon. 2000 runners will set off from Place Balmat in the centre of Chamonix at 7am and follow the route of the Cross as far as Tre-le-champ. From here they continue on over the Col des Montets to Vallorcine where they then have the brutal 900m vertical climb to the Aiguilles des Possettes (2201m), high above Le Tour. Dropping back down to Tre-le-champ for a second time, they then continue on the Cross route via Flegere to Plan Praz. Generally the winner will cross the line in just under 4 hours so you’ve got plenty time to get some croissants from the bakery, have a nice latte on the balcony and then get yourself to Plan Praz for around 10.45am to see the winner.
I had a little nosey up Brevent today because I was curious to see how much snow is still hanging around on the trails. Generally I reckon the runners will have a clear run throughout this weekend, even on the highest sections at Le Tour, because they are south facing and have taken a bit of a beating in the sun these last couple of weeks. When I set off from the lift station at Plan Praz this afternoon, there was a notice up warning hikers to beware of “névés” above 2000m, which are patches of snow on the trail. At this time of year, the snow is often a bit “rotten” underneath meaning that you can take a step and suddenly sink to your knee or easily turn your ankle. It’s definitely advisable to take walking poles with you for these sections rather than slippy trainers and a pulling dog as I opted for.
However, there were only snow patches on the first section of the Grand Balcon Sud today, between the top of the Parsa chair lift and where it joins the Cornu piste (if you cast your mind back to winter). From there on, the trail is perfectly clear, which is ideal as the Grand Balcon Sud is one of the most popular hikes for visitors. If you want to head up higher towards Lac Cornu and Lac Noir then you will definitely still encounter more snow patches for another couple of weeks yet, so go prepared.
I did a little shimmy back up the last few hundred metres of the Cross and Marathon routes today, back to Plan Praz. Logistical preparations are well underway for the finish line, the operations HQ and the all important beer tent! Honestly, that last section of the race is tough. Nothing like a slippy, gravelly hill to negotiate after you’ve been slogging round the valley for hours in the heat (and I’d only been pottering around for about an hour !) I’ve seen many a runner almost give up on this last section when the finish line is in sight, so if you are around this weekend, get yourself to Plan Praz and walk down the last 500m or so of the course as there will be many people who really need encouraged up those last few metres.
The weather in Chamonix this weekend is looking pretty good and hot, but we’re likely to get some thundery showers later in the day so stick your waterproof in your bag if you’re heading to the hills.
