Trail Running & Triathlons in Morzine 2016

This summer Morzine will be decorated in red spots for the arrival of the Tour de France and the world's eyes will be on Les Gets when Crankworx comes to the town in June. The Portes du Soleil is undoubtably focussing on its offering for bikers this year. However, bubbling quietly under the surface is a growing love of and passion for trail running. 

There's no shortage of trails to choose from around the Portes du Soleil and there's something for every ability. Alongside this, camps and running holidays are popping up all over the place. It seems to be growing rapidly in popularity especially in Morzine. I started noticing this when the once worn trail markers around resort were replaced with brand new signs... I knew something was brewing! 

It turns out the signs have been replaced in order to encourage runners to come and try the trails in and around Morzine. They're colour coded and also indicate difficulty so that it's easy to stick to a route that's suited to your ability. There's nothing worse than heading out on a run and finding you've bitten off more than you can chew. These markers are a godsend. 

If you like getting competitive about your running as well, there are loads of activities happening over the summer to get involved in.

The Hauts Fortes Trail Race: 13th August 2016 

The biggest and most prestigious trail running event of the season is the Hauts Forts trail race on the 13th of August. It's a 23km or a 45km run around the mountains which link Morzine and Avoriaz. It's a notoriously tough one, with early climbs including the Vallee de la Manche and the base of Lac Mines d'Or. 

Evergreen Endurance Triathlon, 10th-11th September 2016

Although it may not have official Ironman accreditation, the Evergreen Endurance Triathlon aims to be one of the toughest in the world, as well as one of the “greenest”. Their motto of “hammer the race, leave no trace” is testament to their determination to organise a monster of an event that makes as little impact on the environment as possible. There are three races to choose from; Evergreen 58 (1.5km swim, 40km bike, 12.5km run), Evergreen 118 (2km swim, 95km bike, 21km run) or Evergreen 228 (4km swim, 181km bike, 43km run). The routes stretch between Montriond and Chamonix passing through some of the roughest, toughest and most beautiful terrain in the Savoie region along the way. 

Morzine's Three Peak Challenge - 23rd of September 2016

Test yourself and see if you can run or hike up Morzine's 3 major peaks- Nantaux, Ressachaux and Nyon. This will be a really tough day, but you're safe in the knowledge that there's a party at the Aubergade afterwards to dull the pain a little! Join the event on facebook. 

However... Before competition comes training..

In a minute, I'll tell you a couple of my favourite training runs but first- I'll point you towards the experts! There are monthly runs organised Olivier Laurent. He's the man behind a Facebook group called Morzine Mountain Running which organises group expeditions in and around the mountains of the region. It's also quite a social thing with special events arranged at the end of the season. It is also bringing trail running camps to the resort.

These are full catered holidays where you're taken out and taught technique and shown some of the best routes in the region. The first is taking place on the 27th July. You can also spread your wings and try triathlons if you fancy combining your love of running, cycling and swimming. Tri4theAlps and Jack and Jill Holidays are good starting points for some triathlon advice. 

If it's been a winter of slightly too much fun and you're looking to get back into trail running in a gentle fashion then here are a few of my favourite runs to get you started:

Easy 

Head to the Dereche via the Palais de Sports car park and do as little or as much of the loop as you want! You can do 1km to the second bridge and back or go as far as La Baume which is all the way down the valley towards Thonon. As you leave Saint Jean d'Aulps the path starts to climb and this is where the run moves from easy to hard. This run would clock you about 24km. So it's a good one to do if you're getting ready for the Hauts Forts.

Medium

There's an amazing path which takes you from Montriond all the way to the lake. It's undulated and tough on the way up but much more pleasant on the way back. You can easily add laps of the lake to build up your kilometres. Similarly, if you're coming from Morzine, you can run along the Dereche to begin with. This is a round trip of 15km depending on how many laps of the lake you do. 

Hard

If you're a seasoned runner, why not try the KMV? It's a kilometre up the side of Nantaux. You can then carry on to the top of the mountain. It's a tough one and not one I can say I've attempted...... Yet! Happy running.

#SummerofRunning