Trail of the week / 17-23 Oct.
The Grand Raid de la Réunion, Ecotrail® Funchal Madeira by Compressport®, the Festival des Templiers and the Salomon Cappadocia Ultra Trail® are all the amazing races ITRA is presenting to you. Let's have a quick overview of these challenging trail races!
Ecotrail® Funchal Madeira Compressport® - Portugal
Besides Funchal, the Ecotrail is held in Paris, Brussels, Oslo and Madrid, and new races are expected to materialize next year. The philosophy of this race is based on the recognition of accessibilities, on sustainable development, on solidarity and on culture. The event is composed by 4 different races: an 80K with 5 400m D+, a 40K with 2 500m D+, a 25K with 900m D+ and a 15K with 250m D+.
It is, therefore, a comprehensive concept that attempts to combine the sporting component, the ecological and environmental concern, which is materialised in a series of measures that are taken into consideration when organising the competition, but also after the event, for instance, by promoting an interventionist approach in terms of ecology (reforestation, requalification of green spaces, cleaning and recovery of paths) among other projects.
The Ecotrail Funchal – Madeira Compressport highlights the unique characteristics of Madeira Island and of Funchal's city, more precisely, in what concerns the environmental component and its natural beauty, as well as the ecological and sustained concern.
View the event & Website & Full video
Grand Raid de la Réunion - Reunion Island
Over its 2500 km2, Reunion Island offers the variety of a full size continent. Tropical landscapes become alpine while wetlands turn to dry volcano slopes. Human history has produced a blend of cultures from Africa, Europe and Asia. Forming an almost perfect circle with its circular road 240 km long, Reunion island is a mountain in the sea, born from two volcanic eruptions.
The Diagonale des Fous, 167 km and 10 100m D+ from St Pierre to St Denis took place on the 20th of October. A well-known and historical challenge of a marvellous island, won by François D'Haene on the men side, in 23h44min57s, followed by Antoine Guillon (24h15min22s) and Javier Dominguez-Ledo (24h36min24s). Regarding the women, Andrea Huser reached the first place in 27h44min13s, followed by Juliette Blanchet (29h26min07s) and Emma Roca (30h10min53s).
The Trail de Bourbon, started in Cilaos to end in St Denis also, is a challenge of 111 km and 6 730m D+, held on the 21st of October, as well as the Mascareignes, which is a 65 km route with 4 000m D+, beginning at Grand Ilet.
Festival des Templiers - France
The Festival des Templiers is a very challenging event, which offers to competitors many races with distinctive levels. Millau and the Black Causse are a fantastic playground for trail running, a very special area of freedoom to run a great adventure. The race goes through secrets ravines, olds castles, ruined villages, the Riou Sec, Roques Altes, the beautiful village of Montméjean and the village of Roque Ste Marguerite where many people are there to support the runners. After a magical start in the night, runners are going from surprises to surprises, with very few roads, a good mix between large and single-track trails.
The well-known races Grand Trail des Templiers (75 km and 3 000m D+) and Endurance Trail (100 km and 4 900m D+), took place respectively on the 23rd and 21st of October. Regarding the men ranking, Miguel Heras won the 1st place on the Grand Trail, followed by Jared Hazen and Cédric Fleureton. Jasmin Nunige was the 1st to complete the race on the women side, followed by Yngvild Kaspersen and Nuria Picas. On the famous Endurance Trail, Benoît Girondel reached the 1st place on the podium, followed by Arnaud Chartrain and Sébastien Chaigneau who finished 3rd. Regarding the women, Caroline Benoit won the 1st place, followed by Nathalie Henriques and Sandra Vancayzeele!
Salomon Cappadocia Ultra Trail® - Turkey
Despite being its third year only, the Cappadocia Ultra Trail has been added to the Ultra Trail World Tour 2016 calendar as a "Future Event". The aim is to guarantee certain standards in the organisation and offer higher points to the domestic and international runners. The routes let you run in wonderful landscapes, where you cross troglodyte houses and fairy chimneys, passing by the Red Valley and the White Valley and stopping to refreshment points situated in small villages overlooking the Cappadocia region.
Situated in the valleys and plateaus of Cappadocia region listed as one of the Unesco World Heritage places, Cappadocia Ultra Trail is a trail running event with 114 km length and climbing of 3 340m D+. Out of 72 Turkish and 100 foreign competitors, who started the race, 122 finished the race in 2015.
The Cappadocia Trail 60K is 61 km long and contains 1 810m D+. Except some places in the route, it is mostly on the dirt road and rocky terrain. In this competition, 210 runners (128 international) started the race and 194 of them finished in 2015. The Cappadocia Trail 30K is 35 km long and contains 940m D+. During the combative 30K run, 379 runners (53 international) started the race and 268 of them finished in 2015.
To see the others races registered on our international calendar it's here
Dear members, if you want to present your race in our "Trail of the week", send your information (summary, history, spirit, pictures of your race, videos...) to the following address: contact@itra.run