Tour du Mont-Blanc 2024
Classic Tour du Mont-Blanc
Guide: Gary Daines & Marion Giraud
Photos: Sam Hill (See more pics from our trip here)
Our 2024 season has kicked off! Gary and Marion guided the first Run the Alps Tour du Mont-Blanc trip of the summer. A lot of snow remained on the high cols and thunderstorms were predicted for most days. It was a wild and wet start, but they had fun running for the sun.
From Gary: “The wild weather conditions and snow only seemed to make us grow tighter as a group, and we laughed in the face of the storms that soaked us to the skin. And we did not stop laughing. There were of course all the trimmings, the great hotels, different foods of each country, and flowing trails. Unfortunately a lot of the time on this trip they flowed with water.
Our last day crossing back into France and to Chamonix over the col de Balme gave us well-deserved blue skies and sunshine.”
Classic Tour du Mont-Blanc
Guide: Gary Daines
Photos: Kim Strom (See more pics from our trip here)
During our TMB, we took an extra day in Courmayeur for the GTC, the Grand Trail du Courmayeur. While the rest of us took a rest day, three of our group raced the 30km. Psych was high both for the racers and the supporters. When the start whistle blew, our intrepid three set off into the distance. I took the bus up the Val Ferret and ran up to Rifuigo Bonatti to cheer them on with the Run the Alps cowbell loud “Allez Allez.”
Back at the finish line our whole group was waiting to run the last couple hundred meters through town with our racers. We made so much noise, I think I can still hear the laughter and happiness echoing through the valleys.
The very next day we continued on our Tour du Mont-Blanc. We crossed from Italy to Switzerland and then back into France, arriving in Chamonix with plenty to celebrate.
Classic Tour du Mont-Blanc with Marathon Training Academy
Guides: Alistair Crompton and Marion Giraud
Photos: Kim Strom (See more pics from our trip here)
Do Hard Things. The strapline of everyone’s trail caps from Marathon Training Academy, the host of this private Tour du Mont-Blanc trip, summarizes the experience of running around Western Europe’s highest peak. Our first shake-out day in the Chamonix valley was the hardest as we woke to thunder storms and contended with wet conditions all day long. However the hard work was still to come and the group embraced each day with a ‘can do’ attitude.
Hard work aside, smiles and laughter were no doubt the theme of the tour. On our arrival to Champex Lac, a few runners noticed that pedal boats could be rented and nothing was going to stop them. Most of the team took to the water or hitched a ride on the boat for a short detour from the trail. This was a first for me as a guide, and certainly a stand out moment of the trip. Should we consider a spinoff for next summer…Float the Alps?!
Classic Tour du Mont-Blanc
Guide: Paul Spackman
Photographer: Toni Spasanoski (See more pics from our trip here)
Our run along the balcony above Val Ferret was superb. We were blessed with incredible weather and the terrain was ideal for mountain running. The views of Mont Blanc and the Grand Jorasses were breathtaking and continually changed as we progressed along the trail together. When we crossed the pass into Switzerland, we looked back and could see our entire route through Italy…all the way from the border with France. Everyone agreed that despite it being the longest and hardest day, it was without doubt the most beautiful for us.
It’s always special crossing the border back into France too…photos from our final day: Trient to Chamonix.
Classic Tour du Mont-Blanc
Guides: Coline Paquereau and Mike Murray
Photographer: Majell Backhausen (See more pics from our trip here)
A Tour du Mont-Blanc story: After the first few days of running together, we felt like a group of friends that had always known each other. We enjoyed a cheese tasting at our friend Bernard’s authentic farm, and waved goodbye to France as we started our climb towards Italy. The beautiful trail under the glaciers took us to the border. As we looked out over the Val Veny and Val Ferret we were all filled with excitement about the rest of the journey ahead of us. We enjoyed blue skies, big mountains, and amazing pasta in a mountain hut as we made our way to Courmayeur.
After our cruise through Italy and Switzerland, we returned to France to complete the loop on a gloriously sunny day over the Col de Balme coasting down to Chamonix.
Run the Tour du Mont-Blanc with us
The Tour du Mont-Blanc (TMB) is our most popular guided and self-guided tour, and for good reason. The route follows the world-famous trail race of the same name, as it winds its way from France, through Italy, then Switzerland, before returning to its iconic starting point on the steps of the old church in Chamonix, France.