It’s time for the penultimate race of the GranCanaria World Trail Majors; the Grand Raid des Pyrenees (GRP) in Vielle-Aure, France. This race, and the last race, the RMB Ultra Trail in Cape Town, will decide who will go home with the gold.
The classic 100 mile distance (9.843m+), the main event at the Grand Raid des Pyrenees, is the points scoring race for the World Trail Majors series. The ultra runners will cross the spectacular landscapes of Gavarnie, Estaube and Troumouse, Piau-Engaly and the Aygues Cluses valley. Extra factors in this race are the altitude and the technical sections that make running often impossible.
Anne Champagne can win it all
In the women’s race the eyes are on China’s Junyue Zheng (Kailas), currently sixth in the general classification with an eighteenth place at Hong Kong 100 and an eleventh place at Mt. Fuji 100, and Anne Champagne. The Canadian Salomon runner won the Quebec Mega Trail, which means a victory in France would bring her in first place, together with Courtney Dauwalter, who won the North Face Transgrancanaria and Mt. Fuji.
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For the GranCanaria World Trail Majors ranking the two best results count. If two runners end up in first place, the runner with the best combined ITRA race score will be placed ahead. If the runners are still tied, the prize money for their positions will be added up and divides equally.
Other contenders for the podium are Juliette Archambeau, Aurélie Morisaux (both France). Morisaux won last year’s Tour des Cirques (120k, 7.500m+) at the GRP, and Yanid Arango (Colombia).
A French battle
The men’s race looks like a battle between the French. At the start line are: Jan Gutermann (ITRA 843), recent winner of the Maxi-Race 48k, Nicolas Gaillot (843), winner last year at Trail du Mourtis and Sébastien Capus (809) who this year has won Trail Glazig and scored a top 20 in Trail 100 Andorra.
