For the second year, Nice is hosting the Ultra Trail du Mont-Blanc races. 5,000 athletes will run from September 29 to October 1, 2023, from the mountains to the Mediterranean with the finish line on the Promenade des Anglais.
The Maralpine mountains, the Nice hinterland, and the Mediterranean basin become trail lands for four days. 5,000 athletes are expected for this sporting event, the younger sibling of the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, a reference event for trail runners worldwide.
This competition is part of the UTMB World Series Events. These are dozens of trail running events organized per year across all continents. After Slovenia, Switzerland, Brazil, and the United States, this September, the competition arrives in Nice for the fourth and final French stage of 2023.
For this 2023 Nice edition, four races are planned. They all share a challenging course through breathtaking landscapes, whether on the mountain side or the Mediterranean basin side, and especially a finish in Nice on the Promenade des Anglais. The start times and locations vary depending on the distances of each event.
Four Races Across Sea and Mountains
The 100 M, the flagship event of the competition with its legendary 165 kilometers will start from Auron on Friday, September 29 at noon. The athletes will quickly reach the highest point of the course, over 2,650 meters in altitude, at Colle Longue. Then, they will head to Isola and pass through the towns of Valdeblore, Levens, Drap, and once past Mont-Boron, they will descend towards the blue of the Mediterranean. The event, with its more than 8,400 meters of positive elevation gain, must be completed within 48 hours maximum.
The 100k race starts from the village of Roubion, located south of the Mercantour National Park, on Saturday, September 30 at 6 am, for a trail of 115 kilometers with 4,800 meters of positive elevation gain. The route joins that of the 100M after the Vignols track.
The 50K with its 62 km begins in Menton on Saturday, September 30 at 8 am. The direction is towards Col du Berceau, where it will be possible to admire the Borrigo waterfall before crossing the medieval village of Sainte-Agnès to reach Cime de Baudon, the race’s highest point at 1,266 meters in altitude. This provides a 360° panorama where one can admire Corsica and the peaks of the Mercantour. The finish in Nice must occur within 17 hours maximum.
The 20K, the shortest event of this Maralpine event, will start from the port of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat on Sunday, October 1 at 7 am. An adventure of 22 kilometers and 700 meters of positive elevation gain passing through Beaulieu-sur-Mer before climbing to the Saint Michel plateau and descending by Mont Alban.
Night Relay and Youth Races, New Features of the Year
This year, some new features are added to the program. The day before the Nice Côte d’Azur by UTMB, a night relay race, in pairs, accessible to amateurs is organized. The start is at 8 pm on the Promenade des Anglais. Each runner completes four laps of 1.5 kilometers.
“The relay course is designed to be short, fast, and both fun and physical. It is an ideal opportunity to surpass oneself, support each other, and experience a team sports moment,” say the organizers.
The Nice Côte d’Azur by UTMB experience wanted to open up to youth this year. Races for children and teenagers will take place on Saturday, September 30 starting at 9 am on the Promenade des Anglais. Depending on the age of the participants, three courses with progressive distances have been devised. The 10-11-year-olds will run 1.5 kilometers, the 12-13-year-olds 3 kilometers, and the 14-15-year-olds 4.5 kilometers.
