The forthcoming European Off-Road Running Championships will deliver the first major athletics event of the summer in France, ahead of the Paris Olympic Games.
The Annecy-hosted event takes place on 31 May to 2 June featuring 10 races in trail and mountain in and around the French Alps across senior men, senior women and U20 classes. It will be covered live on the Eurovision Sport platform and on the European Athletics website.
It is the second edition of the championships, which first took place in El Paso, La Palma, Spain two years ago.
The trail races provide a thrilling spectacle and leg-sapping test for running, who will face 57.64km distance, 3509m in total ascent and 3571m descent and will take place on Saturday 1 June.
From the start in Faverges, the course will loop through Sambuy to the host city of Annecy, with some technically challenging terrain and significant differences in altitude. Right at the start of the race, runners must climb 800m in 7km, and at 16km, they will see themselves in front of another 500m climbing to cover in just 1500m of running.
Local hero
The big favourite in the men's trail race is also the local hero. Benjamin Roubiol from Annecy knows the area like the back of his hand. Plus he’s the reigning world champion, having taken gold in the trail discipline at the 2023 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships.
His triumph in Austria’s Innsbruck-Stubai region saw his relegate Italy's Andreas Reiterer to silver. Reiterer returns to renew their rivalry in Annecy. Among the other 85 participants, there are names that could be in contention for the top spots, including another Frenchman, Thomas Cardin, third in El Paso two years ago.
Plus another Italian, Francesco Puppi, who has impressed with victories at the Chuckanut 50K in Bellingham, Washington, USA and the Lake Sonoma 50 mile race in Healdsburg, California, USA in recent months.
The Greek challenge is led by Fotios Zisimopoulos, three-time winner of the Spartathlon, and Konstantinos Paraseidopoulos, winner at last year’s Trail du Saint-Jacques by over 50km. At last year's World Championships, Great Britain's Thomas Roach finished second in the individual short trail event and cannot be ruled out.
French favoured in female trail races
As in the men's race, the role of favourites in the women's event seem to rest on the shoulders of two runners in particular. Blandine L'Hirondel is the defending European champion and her France compatriot Clementine Geoffray is the reigning world champion in the trail – short discipline.
But there are 61 others who could make life difficult for the home heroines. including Marcela Vasinova of Czechia, who was on course for a medal two years ago, before fading to sixth due to injury.
Camilla Magliano of Italy, winner of the traditional Maremontana (55km) and runner-up at the Chianti Trail (42km), and Esther Fellhofer of Austria who won the 160km race at this year’s Ultra Trail Vipava Valley in Slovenia are likely contenders.
Or will Switzerland's Ariane Wilhelm, who has shown great performances with victories at Madeira Island Ultra Trail (85 km) and at the Trail du Petit Ballon (54 km) upset the favourites?
The results of the best three athletes from each participating nation are added together for the team ranking. Two years ago, France won gold in both the men's and women's events - and it they will be keen to repeat their success in front of a home crowd.
Egon Theiner for European Athletics