Event Race Nation Italy | Sport Trail running Region Aosta Valley | |
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Participant 700 from all over the world (660 before) Date yearly, from 13 to 20 September (2015) | ||
Tor des Géants (meaning Tour of Giants in Valdôtain patois) is an endurance trail race which takes place in Aosta Valley, Italy, in September.
Contents
Description
It provides prizes for all participants who complete the run before the cutoff. The start and the finish are in Courmayeur. The total length of the race is 330 km (205mi) which must be completed in less than 150 hours. There are 43 refreshment points at which the runners can eat, sleep and, if needed, obtain medical care. There are also 7 life bases, which are bigger than refreshment points. They are placed about every 50 km (31mi). Because of its difficulty, many athletes do not complete the trail. The completion rate is about 60%. Around 1,200 volunteers are used to organize the race. Due to the difference between the highest point and the lowest point, weather can be an additional obstacle. As they travel, the competitors can encounter sun, rain, wind, and even snow. The number of participants is limited to 700 (660 before) because of the complexity of managing people over the 330 km trek. For the 2015 edition there have been 2291 pre-registrations. For 2016 it will be conducted under ITRA regulations, the governing body for trail races in the Mont Blanc and Alpine region.
The first inaugural edition was in 2010.
The 2012 edition was interrupted on the fourth night and stopped on the fifth day at En Bosses (303 km). About 70 runners completed the whole course.
The 2013 edition was marked by the death of the Chinese runner, Yang Yuan. He fell and he hit his head on rocks during the first rainy night of the race. There is a monument at the site of the accident. The cairn has inscribed a poem written by Yang Yuan.
The 2015 edition was interrupted on the third night due to severe weather and stopped on the fourth night, because Col Malatra got covered by ice. Only six runners completed the whole distance.
In 2016 local authorities organized a competing race 4K VDA. The suspected reasons were concerns for runner's safety and the costs. The race started and ended in Cogne and went clockwise (unlike Tor).
Path
The trail is a tour of Aosta Valley following the two "High Routes" of the region, Alta Via Duo or French: Haute route n°2) for the first half of the race and Alta Via Uno ( (or French: Haute route n°1) for the second half of the race. During the tour, the runners cross 34 municipalities, 25 mountain passes over 2000 metres, 30 alpine lakes and 2 natural parks. The minimum altitude is 300 m (985ft) and the highest is 3,300 m (10800ft). The total elevation gain is about 24,000 m (78700ft).