Due to the Covid-19 crisis, trails and ultra-trails have been canceled on French territory for several months. Collective races will not resume before August, but the 2020 edition of the Mont-Blanc Ultra-trail, the world summit of the season, scheduled between August 24 and 30, has been canceled. This exceptional situation has not prevented the cross country runners from going solo on the alpine paths or in a small squad since the beginning of the deconfinement.
A record dating from 2011 in 37h51'39 ''
Saturday at four in the morning, the ultra-trailer Martin Kern accompanied by Grégoire Curmer and Baptiste Robin, will set off to assault the record for the Chamonix-Briançon crossing. An indigestible program of 202 kilometers on the legendary GR5 with 12,500 m of elevation that the trio plans to complete in thirty-two hours. An ambitious time, significantly lower than that achieved by the current holders of the reference time, François d'Haene, triple winner of the UTMB, Michel Lanne and Thomas Véricel in 2011 (37h51'39). In recent years, several dozen teams have broken their teeth.
The three men decided to link the two capitals of French mountaineering via this globally known route somewhat by accident. Martin Kern discovered on social media during the health crisis that his two future brisk walking companions were planning to tackle the record. The trail runner of the Arc'teryx team and recent winner of the Ventoux Xtrail, then hastened to offer his services to complete the team. The challenge was born.
Despite the imposed confinement and difficult preparation, the athletes imposed themselves an intense weekly training: 20 to 30 hours of trail running and cycling. During their journey, they will benefit from five supplies by carrying on their backs 3 small kilos of equipment. A basic material for this type of alpine sprint where every superfluous gram is an enemy: a jacket, a spare t-shirt, rain pants, pair of gloves, a cap, a liter of water and food. The trio will rest a maximum of 20 minutes during each break.
GPS tracking to track the record attempt
The trio will not be entirely alone in the mountains since each runner will be supported by an assistant who will rally the refueling points by car. A small production team of three will be responsible for making a short film which should be presented at festivals at the start of the school year. The opportunity to (re) discover one of the most beautiful GR in France with snow-covered portions that we hope are magnificently lit by the sunrise Saturday and Sunday morning. For those who will stay comfortably at home, it will also be possible to follow the adventure on the trail with GPS tracking via a dedicated platform.
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