Blog
Getting back pre-race butterflies: thoughts from racing Sierre-Zinal
It was nice to feel the pre-race butterflies again. The familiar feeling – nerves rising from the pit of my stomach – came on strong as I walked towards the bib pick-up in Sierre, a small town in the Swiss canton of Valais that borders France and Italy. The onset of pre-race jitters was both
Four decades of Sierre-Zinal: Race Founder Jean-Claude Pont Looks Back
Run the Alps is pleased to offer this short piece from past Sierre-Zinal Race Director Jean-Claude Pont. Pont, retired from careers as a university professor, researcher, and Swiss mountain guide, remains a sort of Renaissance man – deeply intellectual, charismatic and thoughtful, though often holding views counter to the prevailing sentiments of the day. I
Five Reasons to Run Trail Verbier St-Bernard
I never thought I’d get the itch to do an ultra. The trail races I grew up with were typically less than 10 miles, and four years of collegiate training for 6km cross-country and 5km on the track made trail racing of any distance beyond 10 km seem like a whole different world. Besides, part
Picking up the Pace: Run the Alps Q&A with our Very Speedy Staff Writer
This summer, Run the Alps added a new position to our list of seasonal crew – intern and staff writer. Julia Maxwell, a recent graduate of Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calfornia, joined us in Chamonix in June and will be staying through the end of August. Julia splits her time between Run the Alps
Self-Guided Trail Running on the Tour du Mont Blanc
Run the Alps is pleased to share this story from our self-guided guest, Carl Stauffer, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Carl and three friends trail ran the full, 100-mile long Tour du Mont-Blanc. Here’s their experience as they wended their way around Mont Blanc. Ever since I was a young child and heard the story of Heidi, I have