UTMB Group confirmed the creation of a new event in France, Trail Alsace Grand Est by UTMB®, which will become the fifth event on the global circuit to take place on French soil from 2023.
Supported by the European Collectivity of Alsace and the Grand Est Region, Trail Alsace Grand Est by UTMB will take place during the height of spring from 18 – 21 May 2023 across the two departments of Alsace, Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin, in northeastern France. Organized in line with the highest UTMB standards, the event will offer local as well as international runners wishing to discover the region the opportunity to experience a unique journey through time as they explore castles and vineyards, which for many will be the start of their quest to the UTMB World Series Finals.
With four races on the event program ranging from 34km to 165km, all runners will be able to embark on an epic journey through the Vosges mountains and explore fortified castles and picturesque villages, on trails where nature is both wild and preserved before finishing their adventure on the ramparts of Obernai, one of the most beautiful towns in France.
The flagship race is the Ultra-Trail des Chevaliers, which is 165km with 6,150 meters of elevation gain. Runners will set off from Colmar, the main city in Haut-Rhin, and will discover no less than 21 fortified castles, including the castles of Haut-Koenigsbourg and Hohlandsbourg, as well as the abbey of Mont St Odile and many villages on the Alsace wine route.
The 114km race, which has 4,350 meters of elevation, will start from the fortified town of Bergheim, voted the ‘favorite village’ of the French in 2022. Following the same route as the flagship race, runners will wind past the foot of numerous castles and through the vineyards while passing by the highest peak of the course, the Taennchel plateau.
Barr, a wine-growing town at the foothills of the Vosges massif, will host the starts of the 50km (1,950mD+) and 34km (1,300mD+) races, both of which will also immerse runners in the heritage of Alsace.
Offering runners the opportunity to experience an extraordinary adventure, 27 events around the world have so far been confirmed for the UTMB World Series 2023, with several new event announcements to follow in the coming weeks. UTMB World Series events are the only place where runners can collect Running Stones, which can be used to enter the lottery for the first-ever UTMB World Series Finals, which will take place in the UTMB, CCC and OCC races of the UTMB Mont-Blanc in 2023.
