September
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TOR DES GEANTS 2024: FRANÇOIS D´HAENE GOLD. HARTMUTH LEADS
TOR DES GEANTS 2024: FRANÇOIS D´HAENE GOLD. HARMUTH LEADS. Our MOUNTAIN RACING CALENDAR 2024 brings us the last news on this race. François D’Haene won the 2023 TOR330 – Tor des Géants® in his debut, finishing the 330 km endurance race in 68 hours. Despite early challenges, he overtook Louis Calais in a dramatic turnaround to claim victory. In the women’s race, Katharina Hartmuth is leading and on track to break the women’s record
Photo Alessandro Zambianchi
TOR DES GEANTS 2024
TOR 330
The 2024 edition of the TOR330 – Tor des Geants has crowned François D’Haene as its new champion. D’Haene, one of the world’s most accomplished ultra-trail runners, crossed the finish line after 68 hours of relentless effort. Despite falling behind earlier in the race, he fought back with an inspiring comeback, overtaking Louis Calais and Beñat Marmissolle to claim his first-ever win in the event. His success marks the second-ever French victory in the TOR330, solidifying his legendary status in the ultra-running community.
The race was a fierce contest primarily among three French athletes: François D’Haene, Louis Calais, and Beñat Marmissolle. These runners constantly exchanged positions, keeping spectators on edge. D’Haene, a seasoned ultra-trail runner with multiple UTMB victories, initially led but faced challenges that saw him drop to third place mid-race.
Louis Calais, a 29-year-old IT consultant, maintained a consistent pace, avoiding the pitfalls that befell other competitors. He managed to extend his lead over D’Haene to about an hour at one point. However, the race took a dramatic turn at Ollomont. D’Haene launched a determined comeback from Oyace, narrowing the gap and eventually overtaking Calais. He arrived at Ollomont just 13 minutes after Calais but left before him, seizing the lead.
Beñat Marmissolle also staged an impressive resurgence. After contemplating withdrawal at Rifugio della Barma due to fatigue, he rested for five hours. Revitalized, he climbed back up the ranks to secure a spot on the virtual podium, ready to capitalize on any mistakes from the leaders.
Finally the podium has been in the men’s category
🥇 Francois D’haene (69h08’32”)
🥈Beñat Marmissolle (73h10’18”)
🥉Martin Perrier (75h35’59”)
D’Haene’s Historic Win
Crossing the finish line in Courmayeur at 7:08 AM with a time of 68 hours, 8 minutes, and 32 seconds, D’Haene became only the second Frenchman in 15 years to win the TOR330. His victory is even more remarkable considering this was his first participation in the event.
Reflecting on his achievement, D’Haene expressed immense satisfaction: “I am really thrilled to have finished this race and to have done so with a victory, which I never thought possible. It’s the cherry on top – said D’Haene. I was happy to experience it with my family and friends who supported me. Finishing the Tor des Géants® makes you forget the pain, though I still need to recover before thinking about coming back. I slept only one hour in total, and the hardest moment was Sunday night with the snow at Col Loson, but the best was yesterday morning with the Matterhorn in the background.”
Women’s race
In the women’s category, Germany’s Katharina Hartmuth delivered an extraordinary performance. Holding sixth place overall, she is running over four hours ahead of the women’s record set by Sabrina Verjee in 2022. If she maintains her pace, Hartmuth could become the first woman to complete the race in under 80 hours. Sabrina Verjee, is securely in second place, while Claire Bannwarth has moved into third after overtaking Lisa Borzani, who had to pause due to discomfort.
Photo Andrea Testa
TOR450 – Tor des Glaciers
The TOR450 – Tor des Glaciers continues to unfold with its own set of surprises. South African runner Tiaan Erwee maintains a commanding lead, over 11 hours ahead of his nearest competitor, Alessandro Roncato, who recently surpassed Volker Fohrmeister. Erwee has about 100 kilometers left and should arrive in Courmayeur during the night between Wednesday and Thursday
The women’s ranking has changed a lot in the last day. Marina Plavan has gained the first position during the night between Niel and Rifugio Frachey. There, Marina met Katja Fink who led the race since the beginning and the two shared a chat before Marina went off this morning around 10 a.m.. Katja left the Rifugio about an hour later, but not before having the opportunity to meet Sarah Hansel who gained the third position in the night. Erika Flavelle, the canadian who ran with Marina for the majority of the race, is now fourth, having stopped at Niel yesterday, while Marina continued.
TOR100 – Cervino-Monte Bianco
The excitement doesn’t end there. On Wednesday, September 11th, at 9:00 PM, the inaugural TOR100 – Cervino-Monte Bianco will commence from Breuil-Cervinia. This new race spans 100 kilometers with an 8,000-meter elevation gain, connecting two iconic peaks: the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc. The event quickly reached its capacity of 300 participants, attracting top athletes like Jules-Henri Gabioud, William Boffelli, Enrica Dematteis, and many others.
Photo Riccardo Cabella
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