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WORLD MOUNTAIN RUNNING ASSOCIATION

Tag: Montee du Nid d’Aigle

Valsir Mountain Running World Cup Heads to the Eagle’s Nest

Written by Tomo Sarf on . Posted in Latest News.

La Montee du Nid d’Aigle provides the stunning backdrop of Mont Blanc for our next gold label World Cup race. Since its introduction into the World Cup in 2021 La Montee du Nid d’Aigle has swiftly become a classic.

At 19.5km with 2000m of ascent it provides our next classic mountain race in this year’s competition.

MNA profileThis event is one of the oldest mountain races in France and it is marking its 36th edition this year. It is an integral part of the identity of Saint Gervais, with hundreds of spectators and volunteers welcoming the runners and making it a huge celebration.

The uphill-only route starts at Le Fayet at 596m and heads along the river towards Saint Gervais, and then to La Villette, climbing gradually. It then heads away from the road and into the trees and begins to climb more steeply all the way up to the finish at Refuge du Nid d’Aigle at 2394m. The Nid d’Aigle (or Eagle’s Nest) is a renowned departure point for mountaineers climbing Mont Blanc via the Voie Royale.

The organisers have been focusing on limiting the impact of the race on the environment over the last few years. They use local partners for the organization, food and timing of the event, they collaborate with conservation bodies to ensure the preservation of fragile habitats along the trail, they encourage participant travel via train, putting on shuttle buses, they use the Mont-Blanc tram to transport equipment, and they do not use single use plastic items for water or food. For more information on their environmental policy see here.

Last year, memorably, we saw the course records shattered by Kenyans Patrick Kipngeno and Joyce Njeru, with stunning displays of front running from both. Excitingly, both runners return this year! But they will face still competition if they want to retain their titles.

Women’s field

In the women’s race Njeru is coming in straight off the back of a victory at Fletta Trail last weekend, and a second place in Montemuro a few weeks previously. She is joint leader inJoyce Njeru credit Marco Gulberti the women’s World Cup rankings, alongside Scout Adkin (GBR) who will not be in Saint Gervais this weekend. Fellow Kenyan Lucy Murigi will be taking part and was the winner here in 2021, as well as coming fifth last year. She knows this course well and can never be discounted.

Camilla Magliano (ITA) was third here last year and was recently fourth at Montemuro. She is consistently strong in uphill-only races and will definitely be one to watch, as will Susanna Saapunki (FIN). Having made the move from cross-country skiing to mountain running over the last couple of years Saapunki has quickly achieved strong results at the European and World Championships in 2022 and was 6th at Fletta Trail last weekend. Charlotte Cotton (BEL), who was seventh at Montemuro, will also be toeing the line, as will US athletes Sarah Carter and Andie Cornish, 12th and 21st respectively at Fletta.

Men’s field

We could see a very interesting showdown between Kipngeno and fellow Kenyan Philemon Kiriago in the men’s race. Kiriago broke the men’s course record at Fletta Trail last weekend after coming second in 2022. He was second here in 2022 so will we see this motivate him to go one better again? But Kipngeno won Piz Tri Vertical last weekend, he is our World Champion from the vertical uphill race in Innsbruck and it’s impossible to bet against him. It will certainly be an interesting contest and any number of men could also challenge them.

Zak Hanna credit Marco GulbertiZak Hanna (IRL) finished in 11th place here last year, so he knows the course, and he finished fourth in a very competitive Broken Arrow VK back in June. Joe Steward (GBR) had a good weekend in Malonno, finishing third in Piz Tri Vertical and eighth in Fletta Trail, as well as finishing eighth in the World Championships vertical uphill race, so he will be interesting to watch. Fellow British runner Jacob Adkin, the 2019 European Mountain Running champion, finished 10th here last year and could well improve on that this year. Ondrej Fejfar (CZE) achieved two top ten finishes at Broken Arrow this year and will be looking to his World Cup points tally, and Alric Petit (FRA), 14th at Fletta Trail and 25th here last year, could also feature on home turf.

We look forward to bringing you all the news from the race on Saturday via our social media channels.

Find out more about La Montee du Nid d’Aigle here: La Montée du Nid d’Aigle : 1 course légendaire au Mont-Blanc (saintgervais.com)

Here are the current World Cup standings: https://wmra.info/files/world_cup/2023_WORLD_CUP/World_Cup_Work_-_Rd6.pdf

First Look at World Cup Race Montee Du Nid D’Aigle

Written by Tomo Sarf on . Posted in Latest News.

This year’s World Cup is made up of some old favourites, some newer races you may not know so well, and some classic races which are joining the World Cup for the first time. Montée du Nid d’Aigle is definitely in the last category. This iconic race will be taking place for the 34th time this year. But because it’s new to the World Cup, we thought we’d tell you a bit more about it.

Montée du Nid d’Aigle has been an integral part of St Gervais’s identity for the past 34 years. The race has a rich history, boasting the same course since its early days – 19.5 kilometres in majestic surroundings. Departing from the Thermal Park, the participants run up through Saint-Gervais towards the charming village of Champel and the Plan de l’Are before reaching the final climb. The finish, at the Nid d’Aigle (Eagle’s Nest), is a renowned departure point for mountaineers who want to climb Mont Blanc via the Voie Royale (Royal Route). The race ends in style with a ride down to Le Fayet aboard the famous Mont-Blanc Tramway, the highest rack and pinion railway in France.

Montée du Nid d’Aigle is not just a race, it is also a true moment of sharing and conviviality, an opportunity for athletes, spectators and nearly 200 faithful volunteers, to gather together every year around the same passion. Renowned for its authenticity and simplicity, the Montée du Nid d’Aigle is due to take place this year
on Saturday 17th July.

This year the organisers are calling it ‘the mountain race that constantly reinvents itself’! And we know that adaptability is pretty important these days. Here are the major changes taking place and what you can expect from the race this year.

Firstly, as we might have mentioned, the race is joining the World Cup this year. This is something the organisers feel very proud of, as it will give them the chance to showcase this amazing race on an international stage. And as well as hosting some of the greatest mountain runners in the world, they are also super excited to give their regular runners, young and old, the opportunity to race against and rub shoulders with the best in the world. If you’re an elite racing hard in the World Cup, or a runner of any level just looking to enjoy it, they want everybody to have a great experience in the mountains.

Secondly, they’ve worked hard on their ethical and environmental approaches for 2021. They promise a 100% local organisation, involving a maximum number of local partners and professionals. Plus, they have made a very strong commitment to reduce their carbon footprint and general waste, with more recycling and a reduction in plastic waste among other initiatives.

Lastly, they’ve decided to overhaul their communications this year, with a fantastic new race poster (above), a new Facebook page (see here) and an Instagram page (give them a follow). They’re also promising some great options to follow the race digitally, which we’ll tell you more about closer to the race. So wherever you are in the world, you’ll be able to see the race unfold in real time.

Find out more and enter the race here.