Snow and the late arrival of Spring continues to cause issues for race organisers. Earlier today we notified of changes for the Ronda dels Cims route in Andorra and now it looks likely that changes may need to be made for the 80km race at the Mont Blanc Marathon weekend. This freak weather has not been experienced for over 11 years!
A plan in has been put in place to prioritize safety!
This year the Mont-Blanc Marathon is inaugurating a new race: the Mont-Blanc 80KM. With an ultra profile (6000m vertical gain) and a peak at 2643m (col de la Terrasse), the snowfall accumulated from spring has made certain portions of the race very delicate. To ensure a smooth race format, the organization have provided alternatives to the original race route to circumvent the areas with abundant snow prioritizing athlete safety.
If by the end of the June the temperatures stay below normal for the season, and the snow does not melt sufficiently, the organization will use plan B for the Mont-Blanc 80km race. This alternative route will still be 80km long with 6000m of vertical gain and loss.
Even though snow was initially expected on certain sections of the 80km race (regularly present end of June at certain altitudes) it must be noted that this is the first time in 11 years that the organization has been faced with this amount of snow at this time of year. Measures are being implemented to guarantee a safe route for all participants.
The organization are not worried about the snow for the other races. For the Mont-Blanc 10K and the Vertical KM the routes are totally clear of snow.
For the Mont-Blanc Cross and Marathon there are currently still snow patches on the traverse from Flegere to Planpraz but they should quickly disappear. At the summit of the Aiguille des Possettes the remaining snow should also melt by the end of June allowing Marathon runners to take this portion of the course without any trouble.
Registration records for all Mont-Blanc Marathon races
This year the five races of the Mont-Blanc Marathon have shown to be a total craze among runners. The Marathon sold out in ten days! Today there is not a single spot left in any of the races!
Never seen before!
Even the 10Km is full, demonstrating the success of trail running in all formats. 6150 registered runners that will take the start line.
The Mini cross, reserved for the youngest runners, is also showing a huge success with 100 registrations thus far, and 400 expected the day of the race. There are three distances depending on the age group:
800m = Ecole d’Athletisme category (7-9 years old)
2km = Poussin category (10-11 years old)
3km = Benjamins category (12-13 years old) & Minimes (14-15 years old)
Registration is free and there are still spots available.
For registration please visit: http://www.montblancmarathon.net/fr/les-courses/mini-cross.
Race-Weekend Program
Race-bib distribution at the Chamonix Sports Complex:
| Thursday June 27, 2013 | from 14:00 to 20:00 |
| Friday June 28, 2013 | from 3:00am to 4:00am – 80kmfrom 10:00 to 20:00 – other races |
| Saturday June 29, 2013 | from 6:00 to 20:00 |
| Sunday June 30, 2013 | from 5:00 to 6:30 |
Friday June 28, 2013
Place Balmat
4:00: Start of the 80km
16:00: Start of the Vertical KM
20:30: Awards ceremony for the Vertical KM
Saturday June 29, 2013
Paragliding Landing Field
8:30: Start of the Mont-Blanc Cross -23km
9:00: Start of the 10km Mont-Blanc race (depart in three waves)
11:00: Start of Mini-cross
Richard Bozon Sports Complex
From 12:00 : Buffet Mont-Blanc Cross (free for runners)
From 18:30: Pasta party, live music…
Place Balmat
15:00: Awards ceremony for the Mont-Blanc 10KM
16:00: Awards ceremony for the Mont-Blanc Cross
16:30: Awards ceremony for the 80Km
Sunday June 30, 2013
Place Balmat
7:00: Start of the Mont-Blanc Marathon – 42,195km
16:30: Awards ceremony for the Mont-Blanc Marathon
Chamonix Sports Complex
From 12:00: Buffet for Mont-Blanc Marathon (free for runners)
IAN CORLESS 