By The Pill Magazine

Light and dark, experiences and emotions, fatigue, injuries, sleep deprivation, spectacular and magnificent scenery. The 330km and 24,000 meters of elevation gain of the Tor des Géants are all this and much more.

After a year of stop, what is known as the “tour of giants” in the Aosta Valley dialect, resumes its run and celebrates its 10 years +1. That +1 is the year without Tor, 2020. The pandemic emergency period and general uncertainty has in fact imposed a year of stop but it has also proved to be an opportunity to reorganize ideas. Today more than ever, organizers, runners and enthusiasts are rediscovering an even stronger desire to start over again, with new ideas and lots of enthusiasm.

The race considered the hardest ultra trail in the world will see its participants lined up on September 12th, with departure and arrival set in the city of Courmayeur, Aosta Valley, and a maximum total of 150 hours to complete this unique and inimitable race.

The route winds along the beautiful trails of the region, at the foot of the most important Four-thousanders of the Alps and first follows the Alta Via della Valle d’Aosta 2 towards the lower valley and then returns to Courmayeur via the Alta Via 1, retracing the paths of some of the most important peaks of the Alps and crossing the Gran Paradiso National Park and the Mont Avic Regional Park. The route crosses 25 hills over 2000 meters, 30 lakes and has an elevation gain between 300 and 3300 meters. More than forty refreshment, rest and rescue points are planned, as well as seven larger reception bases (life bases) which divide the route into seven sectors. However, forced stages are not imposed, the race is left to the individuality of the runner and the one who will win will be only the one who will spend the least time managing rests and stops at the refreshment points.

Tor des Géants, for more than 10 years, has been a unique and spectacular competition in terms of length, beauty of the landscapes, hardness of the course. A great emotion for anyone who participates as a runner, spectator or volunteer. But Tor is above all a journey to discover yourself, the unique scenario and the people you meet along the way.

The race among giants

Tor des Géants is not only a race: it’s a 330km long madness. The first edition dates back to September 12th, 2010 when, from Courmayeur, 310 competitors from 17 different countries launched themselves into the crazy circuit on the Alta Via 2 and 1, linked in a single trail that touched the four Four-thousanders of the Aosta Valley: Gran Paradiso, Monte Rosa, Matterhorn and Mont Blanc.

The first one to reach the finish line, after 80 hours of racing and an altitude difference of 24,000 meters, was Ulrich Gross from Merano. The South Tyrolean athlete crossed the finish line in Courmayeur on Wednesday just before 18.30. Annemarie Gross was instead the female winner with a time of about 91 hours, the same that will lead her to triumph in the 2011 edition as well.

During the editions there were many Italian athletes on the podium, including Francesca Canepa, winner of the 2012 and 2013 editions, Franco Collè, winner in 2014 and 2018, Oliviero Bosatelli, first place in 2016 and 2019 and second place in 2017, and Lisa Borzani, the 2016 and 2017 champion and on the second step of the podium in the 2014 and 2015 editions.

TorX: extraordinary extreme experience

For the 11th edition, there are 4 different competitions scheduled featuring four extreme distances.

TOR330 – Tor des Géants
This is the Tor des Géants that everyone knows and to which everyone aspires. The first and only race to combine long distance with the individual style of runners. There are no compulsory stages, and the winner will be the athlete who completes the race in the shortest time, everything is left to the runner who will have to manage himself or herself in the best possible way to hope to be the first to reach the finish line. A unique journey within yourself and a real challenge against yourself lasting up to 150 hours. The TOR330 involves the entire Aosta Valley region, it runs along paths at the foot of the most important Four-thousanders of the Alps and through the Gran Paradiso National Park and the Mont Avic Regional Park.

TOR450 – Tor des Glaciers

An exceptional and unmissable event, launched to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the TOR330 – Tor des Géants. An endurance test reserved exclusively for 200 runners chosen to take on the little-known trails and ridges of the Aosta Valley, to add a spark of adventure to the competition aspect. Most of the trail’s 450km route is along the forgotten Alta Via 3 and 4. It crosses ridges that are largely unknown and touches ancient glaciers far away from the usual trekking routes. These paths are frequented only by people who are in their element in alpine landscapes, adore solitude and appreciate the grandeur of the high peaks. A truly exclusive, unique and unmissable trial that you will undertake completely alone, with only the magnificent high-altitude lodges for reference points and support.

It crosses ridges that are largely unknown and touches ancient glaciers far away from the usual trekking routes. These paths are frequented only by people who are in their element in alpine landscapes, adore solitude and appreciate the grandeur of the high peaks

TOR130 – Tot Dret

This race is a considerable taste of the magical environments that Tor crosses and of its inimitable atmosphere. A trail race of 130 kilometers with 12 thousand meters of elevation gain starting from Gressoney and ending in Courmayeur. A real, challenging, fascinating race, with the most desirable mountains in the region, Monte Rosa, Matterhorn and Mont Blanc, as a majestic backdrop. The hour barriers are fixed by calculating the average distance over 3.02km/h for the slowest passages, a tough but unique race for its beauty suitable for well trained and prepared trailers.

TOR30 – Passage au Malatrà

Closing the list there is new 30km race. The route winds on high-altitude technical trails, through majestic and unique landscapes including the narrow passage of the Col de Malatrà, at 2925 meters high: with the entire Mont Blanc range on one side and the ridges of the Grand Corbin that reach heights of over 4300 metres on the other. The TOR30 can be classified as a “short” race but it also requires preparation and knowledge, both in terms of differences in altitude that the athletes will confront, and the altitude at which the race is run.The race will take place on the last day, on Saturday September 18th, and the maximum time to finish it is set at 8 hours.