The 6th edition of the Ultra-Trail Côte d’Azur Mercantour will indeed take place from September 3rd to 5th and will be the reopening event of the 2020 season.
Initially scheduled for next weekend and then temporarily put on hold, UTCAM 2020 will indeed happen. This is a chance not afforded to the UTMB, one of the main events of the season, which has been definitively canceled. This is a boon for the Azurian event, which is expected to attract many renowned athletes. The lineup promises to be competitive for this 6th edition, which will include four events with a novelty.
The 130 km Ultra-trail distance between Levens and St-Martin-Vésubie, with a redesigned course, will start at night at 10 PM. The program includes several ascents, including Mont Férion (1,421 M), Col de Lobe (1,224 M), the breach of Utelle brec (1,604 M), but especially Mont Tournairet, which peaks at over 2,000 meters in altitude, making the race extremely challenging, much to the delight of the participants. More than 1,000 have already confirmed their registration, matching the number from the previous edition. An unprecedented enthusiasm since it will be the first race organized on the territory post-COVID.
The three other events taking place over the weekend will offer lower-level athletes the opportunity to tackle less extreme circuits of 70 and 45 km as well as a vertical kilometer.
Reviving the Department’s Economic Activity
The race, organized for the first time by the teams of New Dream Côte d’Azur, is part of a plan to revive the local economy. More than 3,500 people (volunteers, spectators, participants…) are expected over the weekend and should particularly help hoteliers and various merchants resume their activities. For the department, more than two-thirds of the trail runners will come from outside the department and are thus expected to stay for five days in the towns crossed by or neighboring the event.
Additionally, the green light given by the department and state authorities is part of the reopening program for the Vésubie Valdeblore Valley facilities for the summer season.
A breath of fresh air after these long weeks of confinement!
