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Would it be the stunning beauty of the course—the race has five 4,meter peaks, as it is called? Could it be the world-class competition? Perhaps the long history and communal atmosphere? The jumping off points are endless, but they also feel inadequate. A race like this must be experienced. All I can hope to convey here is a first impression, a sense of why this is one of the greatest races around. And why you need to come run it. My experience began on the Wednesday before the mid-August race. As I hopped off the train in Sierre to transfer to a bus for the final leg of my journey, I spotted a Team USA suitcase outside a supermarket at the station. Then another. Andy had a beer in one hand, which seemed like a lovely idea, so I followed suit. Like me, they were headed for Zinal to see what this race was all about. Over our brews, we chatted about our recent races and European adventures while our bus snaked its way up a rapidly climbing road, mirroring what would be the first ascent of the race. The course connects the two towns over a kilometer route. However, it takes you relatively high into the mountains trails above the road we were traveling, such that it features meters or about feet of climbing and meters or feet of descending. When we got off the bus in Zinal, we were greeted by American Pablo Vigil, a legend of this race as a four-time winner and former course record holder. Pablo lives in Colorado, but he finds his way back to Switzerland every year for Sierre-Zinal. The race is proud of its heritage and past champions—especially the multi-time winners—and makes sure they have a place of honor within the festivities. It is without a doubt part of what makes the culture of the race so unique and convivial. It feels a bit like a family reunion. All of the greats come here, both past and present. Pablo has made an effort to get more Americans to race Sierre-Zinal, especially at the pointy end of the field, knowing how competitive and rewarding the race has been for him. He reckons that year-in and year-out it is more competitive even than the World Mountain Running Championships. Max King and I were also racing, along with much of our Salomon team. Pablo became our de facto guide for the week, introducing us to his old friends and competitors from around the world, taking us on a tour of the second half of the course, and giving us tips on how to race well here. In the days ahead of the race, as the town steadily filled with anxious racers and their families and friends, the temperature steadily dropped. Zinal was engulfed by clouds. Snow started falling and when the skies finally cleared after two days, we were seemingly in a winter wonderland—except of course that it was mid-August. By Saturday morning, the day before the race, the skies had cleared. We took a gondola to a restaurant above the town, enjoying snowball fights and magical views in addition to our lunch. By race morning, temperatures warmed enough to melt the snow along the race course, and we raced over mostly dry trails under the sun. The race itself can be thought of roughly in thirds. First, there is the massive climb out of Sierre. Perhaps the first mile and a half is at a runnable grade, but soon all runners are forced to a power hike. For me, this meant I hiked the vast majority. Once you are barely past four miles, over half of the climbing is already done. The middle section of the race continues to climb all the way to the stunning and historic Hotel Weisshorn, which dates back to the late nineteenth century, but at a much more reasonable grade and in a slightly rolling fashion. After the trying first climb, this section feels flat—at least at first—but it is deceptive in the toll it takes on you. This rolling section first takes you through the small town of Chandolin, where hundreds of noisy and cheering spectators line the narrow road. Continuing through the forest just past town, the trail then emerges above the tree line amid the skiing areas just above the town of Saint-Luc. Spectators dot the course regularly from here, many enjoying a picnic and imbibing wine or beer. Throughout this section, I moved through the field steadily. I had no idea of my place, but knew I was roughly on target for my goal of sub, based on a few key checkpoints I made note of ahead of time. The race website has a convenient chart that shows what percentage of your finish time should be completed at each aid station. This is of course for a well-paced race, and assumes you can avoid a blowup. Not easy to do! Past Hotel Weisshorn and a final short grunt of a climb, runners face a final 10 kilometers that descend first gradually and then precipitously down to Zinal. Pablo says that Weisshorn is where the race really starts. However, the trail is also at its most technical here, and plenty of runners were falling apart even with the aid of gravity. Further, since the rolling terrain demands short spikes in effort, bonking becomes a very real possibility. Taking in calories, I managed to avoid a bonk, but I would probably aim for more next time. Max King, racing his third Sierre-Zinal, took calories. He also managed to run the final two thirds of the race faster than anyone. Throughout the long, gradual descent, I continued to pick off runners. With just over a mile to go, the course veers hard to the right and down a grass slope of a 30 to 40 percent grade, before transitioning to only slightly more tame switchbacks. My GPS data had me losing feet in that final mile. The final few hundred meters of the race are run down the streets of Zinal through a corridor of cheering spectators, many of whom have already raced. A nuance of Sierre-Zinal is that runners can choose to start in Sierre at 5 a. For most people, racing the Tourist category allows them to finish before the race leaders, which enhances the race finish for everyone. This year, it was Kilian Jornet who hit the pavement of Zinal first to the cheers of the Tourist racers who had completed their running of the course. Kilian utilized his unparalleled descending skills to escape the pursuit of Robby Simpson and Max King— and marathoners, respectively. All three men finished within a minute of each other, with Kilian breaking the tape in As for me, my early race patience paid off, as I came through the finish line in to meet my time goal and finish in 28th place. I was racing a bit tired from a third-place run at the Swiss Alpine 78K two weeks prior, as well as a massive five-day, kilometer run on the trails around Mont Blanc. I already want to race it again to try to improve my time and place. If one can manage it correctly and play to his or her strengths, anyone can do well here, which is part of what makes Sierre-Zinal so interesting. Runners from a wide swath of the mountain, ultra, and trail worlds can meet here and throw-down on more or less equal footing. Once the race is finished, hours of merriment follow in a massive tent just up the hill from the finish line. Entertainment included a chorus of alphorn players, a band, and dancing, all leading up to the awards ceremony. This is accompanied by plenty of food and beer, the local melted-cheese delicacy raclette, and of course, stories. Stories of glory and carnage from the day. Stories of races past. And eventually stories set to music when Pablo busts out his guitar, as I gathered is tradition here. Every now and then, you run one that you know you must come back to. The Boston Marathon is like that. Without a doubt, Sierre-Zinal is one of these races. Run the Alps would like to thank Philipp Reiter for his excellent photos. To view more of his work, visit his web site. Share with a friend. Looking towards the Alps? Matt at home outside Bloomington, Indiana. Courtesy photo. The legend and the new guys. Photo courtesy of Philipp Reiter. Snow came early this year to the peaks above Zinal. Winter… in August?! The course profile is one reason why. Image courtesy of Sierre-Zinal. By race day, snow was off the course but lingered up high.

L'Hivernale Sierre-Zinal Winter Race

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Please note : e-bikes are not allowed. Your endurance will be changelled, not your battery! A great race in a magical winter setting! Please note, the departure will take place at pm, at dusk with a unique amazing atmosphere in the stars resort. The registration fee includes the lunch at the Tignousa restaurant and the funicular lift. Webcams Weather Live info Events calendar News. Opening hours 9 March Useful information The registration fee includes the lunch at the Tignousa restaurant and the funicular lift. Location Google Maps itinerary. Attendance : CHF Instagram Facebook.

Buy snow Sierre-Zinal