CdC takes on UTCAM.

UTCAM-SQUARE-1.jpg__PID:f87c332c-fcf5-4e42-a9d8-eef0771d4950

From the tops of the trails to the bottoms of the valleys, UTCAM showcased the best trail running the Mercantour has to offer.

UTCAM-BIGBANNER-1.jpg__PID:332cfcf5-de42-49d8-aef0-771d49508e5e

The Ultra Trail Cote d'Azur Mercantour (UTCAM) is our local trail race and an index event for the iconic UTMB World Series. Now a decade old, the latest event took place at the start of July, and this is the second year as a partner.

UTCAM-CARsquare1 2.jpg__PID:b22997f0-3453-4f11-b8cd-53a60a60b28f
UTCAM-CARsquare1 1.jpg__PID:28b22997-f034-433f-91b8-cd53a60a60b2
UTCAM-CARsquare1 3.jpg__PID:2997f034-533f-41b8-8d53-a60a60b28f81

Surrounded by the majestic peaks of the Mercantour National Park, competitors took on distances ranging from a vertical 5km race up to a new 100-mile (160 kilometre) epic challenge, presented over three stages running from the Mediterranean into the heart of the mountains.

UTCAM-SQUARE-2.jpg__PID:35de6ab1-19e1-4db2-a91f-ba0494d6e7f6
UTCAM-SQUARE-4.jpg__PID:6ab119e1-0db2-491f-ba04-94d6e7f68433

Departing from the heart of Monaco, the cliffs rise vertiginously up, and participants quickly rose above the skyscrapers, finding little respite thereafter, as the trails rose to a maximum height of more than 2,600 metres.With the 50km and 75km events designated as Sky Marathons, there really was something for everyone.

UTCAM-BIGBANNER-2.jpg__PID:33825cec-fa5a-4c55-b525-b02800f1d12b

Three Café du Cycliste employees took to the start line in the different distances. It was “an extraordinary adventure in the Vésubie Valley,” said Valentin, who participated in the 75-kilometre race, taking in over 5,000 metres of elevation. “From cols at over 2,500 metres, hit by hailstorms, to the scorching heat at the bottom of the valley. A slump in the middle of the day could have stopped everything... But that's without counting on the support of my family and friends who got me back on my feet! A demanding trail race, brutal at times, but unforgettable and deeply human.”

UTCAM-CARsquare2 3.jpg__PID:531d32c2-876b-4e1c-ac35-de6ab119e10d
UTCAM-CARsquare2 2.jpg__PID:1d32c287-6bce-4c2c-b5de-6ab119e10db2
UTCAM-CARsquare2 1.jpg__PID:f8531d32-c287-4bce-9c2c-35de6ab119e1

“This weekend, I discovered a new dimension to effort,” said Maïlys, who took on the 50-kilometre distance. “I had already run 50 km before, but never with such an elevation gain – 4,200 metres! The UTCAM really pushed me out of my comfort zone. It was tough, but absolutely magnificent. The Mercantour is a breathtaking place, where you feel alone in the world, surrounded by nature.”

UTCAM-BIGBANNER-3.jpg__PID:5cecfa5a-dc55-4525-b028-00f1d12b4ece

Nils, meanwhile, ran the 10-kilometre course. “The ‘Vésubienne’ was the opportunity for me to do my first trail race in a magnificent playground,” he said. “Three adjectives: magnificent, (very) intense, technical. I pushed myself to my limits"

UTCAM-SQUARE-3.jpg__PID:c9654638-8212-40c3-99c9-ce039a6d9280

The UTCAM has become renowned for its after-race buffet, and at the finish all competitors helped themselves to local specialities including gnocchi, soupe au pistou and fresh fruit, and a massage to ease aching legs.

UTCAM-CARsquare3 1.jpg__PID:6bce1c2c-35de-4ab1-99e1-0db2691fba04
UTCAM-CARsquare3 3.jpg__PID:c2876bce-1c2c-45de-aab1-19e10db2691f
UTCAM-CARsquare3 2.jpg__PID:876bce1c-2c35-4e6a-b119-e10db2691fba

The Mercantour National Park, which begins only an hour north of Nice, has almost endless trails in its 679 square kilometres of protected mountainous terrain. It’s a place you can get away from it all, and immerse yourself in pristine nature – but running in those surroundings, with the support of the community the UTCAM provides, is unforgettable.