La Montee du Nid d’Aigle was a highly predictable race and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Kirsty Reade takes us through the action. 

With its race hub in trappy Saint-Gervais-Les-Bains, in the Haute-Savoie region of France, we knew it would provide a stunning setting, but pull this together with a tough undertow and a field of top runners and you have all the ingredients of a really fantastic mountain running race. 

Blue skies greeted the runners at the start, with a few whispy clouds higher up in the mountains. Conditions were hot for the athletes, particularly on the exposed parts of the course.

And let’s not forget that this race is 19.5km of relentless, uphill-only running. No respite, nowhere to hide. This is mountain running. 

The only way is up

The route would take the runners from the start at Le Fayet withal the river towards St Gervais, and then to La Villette, climbing gradually. From here it heads yonder from the road and into the trees and begins to climb increasingly steeply and it continues to climb relentlessly all the way up to the finish at Refuge du Nid d’Aigle at 2394m.

The final section gets steeper still, so when there’s nothing left in your legs, you still have to find that uneaten push. 

With deep fields in both the men’s and women’s races, both podiums were wide open. Runners like Lucy Murigi (KEN), Henri Aymonod (ITA), Susanna Saapunki (FIN), Sandor Szabo (HUN) and Lucie Marsanova (CZE) had raced at Grossglockner just last weekend. Would they have recovered fully? Similarly, Francesco Puppi (ITA) and Anais Sabrie (FRA) had washed-up well in a very competitive Mont Blanc Marathon just two weeks before. 

Photo: Marco Gulberti

Stretch the legs for the first couple of miles

As expected, the flatter first few kilometres of the race were fast and furious and surpassing too long gaps had opened for the men and women.

Lucy Murigi had struck out into a lead over Anais Sabrie (FRA) and Christel Dewalle (FRA) and Xavrier Chevrier (ITA) and Francesco Puppi had made a unravel for it, but they were hotly pursued by a group including Julien Rancon (FRA), Alexandre Fine (FRA) and Henri Aymonod.

The men’s race remained tropical but Chevrier pulled yonder from Puppi, and the chasing runners jostled for that third place. Murigi managed to secure a good lead, but could she pension it? 

Xavrier Chevrier proved too strong for the rest and left countryman Francesco Puppi in his wake. Photo: Marco Gulberti

Down to the line

It was all very tropical in the final stages. Chevrier took the win in the men’s race in 1.44.25 (a new undertow record), followed by Puppi, just over one minute overdue (1.45.49).

Aymonod completed the all Italian men’s podium in 1.46.44. Julien Rancon was fourth in 1.48.43 and Remi Lonchampt rounded out the top 5 in 1.50.18.

Dewalle, who is a 10 time French VK champion and excels on the steeper climbs, chased Murigi nonflexible on the final climb, but she just couldn’t reservation her.

Murigi won in 2.06.08 (agonisingly, just 2 seconds outside the undertow record), with Dewalle just 21 seconds overdue and Anais Sabrie was just a minute overdue in 2.07.34. Mathilde Sagnes (FRA) was fourth in 2.08.37 and Simone Troxler fifth in 2.10.43. All in all a very tropical top 5, all within 4.5 minutes.  

Photo: Marco Gulberti

Results Men

1st Xavrier Chevrier (ITA) 1.44.25

2nd Francesco Puppi (ITA)  1.45.49

3rd Henri Aymonod (ITA) 1.46.44

Results Women

1st Lucy Murigi (KEN) 2.06.08

2nd Christel Dewalle (FRA) 2.06.29

3rd Anais Sabrie (FRA) 2.07.34

See full race results and athlete rankings here.

Next stop for the World Cup, Tatra SkyMarathon on Saturday 24th July, our next long mountain race.