What about trail races?
Many Alps trail races, like Sierre-Zinal, Eiger Ultra, or the Mont-Blanc Marathon, are internationally-renowned and attract big crowds and some of the world’s best mountain runners. Others, like Switzerland’s Valais Cup series, are friendly, local races with community meals served afterwards. Throughout the Alps, trail races are a much bigger deal than in the United States. There are cash prizes, and the winner will likely find themselves on the front page of regional or even national newspapers, the next day.
If you are taking part in a trail race during your time here on a Run the Alps trip, one of the first things you’ll receive is a copy of our Guide to Trail Racing in the Alps.
Read a few of the blog posts from the Run the Alps crew to learn more about the Alps trail race scene here.
Most Alp trail races are very well supported! There are regular aid stations, and it’s not uncommon to see fans out along the trail, providing their own impromptu support in the form of water, cheese or other snacks. We’ve seen everything from a 70-kilo wheel of Gruyere cheese to fresh buttermilk. In general, though, you can expect the following: Water; “Iso”—short for Iso-tar, a sports drink with electrolyte; Warm Broth; Hot Tea; Coke; Sugar cubes; Bananas, oranges; Chocolate; Ovomaltine; And, yes, cheese, salami and bread!
Some trail races are point-to-point, with transport provided back to the start. Larger races often include complimentary travel vouchers for mountain transportation before or after the race. If the race is point-to-point, they’ll often transport a small bag for you to the finish. This is a great opportunity to include a change of clothes, snacks, phone, and additional warm clothing. Longer races also provide drops of supplies at intermediate points in the course. If you’re running a race as part of a tour, we’ll provide all these details prior to the race.
You’ll need to register directly with the race organizers or via Run the Alps. For major races, Run the Alps has partnered with Race Directors, and has access to bib numbers. In those cases, we’ll register you directly or give you a promo code for race registration access. In all cases, we can guide you through the process. We’ll be glad to help, too, if you’re adding a trail race on to your stay in the Alps, before or after your trip with us.
In the really major races, like the Mont-Blanc Marathon, the category you enter might depend on the number of ITRA points you have.
In France and Italy, a medical certificate is required to participate in trail races. For those of you running with Run the Alps, we’ll guide you through the process.
