On the 21st of July 2019, the Sports Club of Argentière organized the third edition of the Argentrail.
The Argentrail, a semi-autonomous running race which takes place in the hiking trails of the massif of Lognan, the Pendant and the Peclerey, welcomed more than 340 runners for its 3rd edition.
Successful race
At 8 am on Sunday morning, more than 340 people were located in the centre of the Argentière town. Their goal? To begin the race.
The 3rd edition of the Argentrail was not for everybody. A minimum of preparation was necessary, as the course was rather difficult.
In total, the race constituted 27 km (16.77 mi) in distance, with 1,700 m (1.056 mi) of vertical downward and upward terrain.
Crossing the village to reach the mountain pastures of La Durant climbing up the almost interminable Trapette, then passing by the Lavancher before returning to the village centre. The first loop is already a beautiful step.
The second loop took the runners to the Planet, then Peclerey and Pierre Bosson.
However, the trails are well known to the Chamonix valley residents. And if some of them rushed to the finish line, others took their time to admire the breathtaking scenery.
Fundraising for the Argentière Sports Club
The goal of the Argentrail was to raise funds to equip the skiers of the Argentière cross-country ski club.
With the presence of Coralie Bentz for the second year in the World Cup and Antoine Tarantola in the European Cup, the sports club is gaining momentum.
This year was marked by a double podium for the very famous race of Nordic skiing: the championship of France of the clubs. Thus the sports club of Argentière passed in the second division.
The club's progress requires more resources to pay coaches, maintain equipment in good condition and renew it. Thanks to this trail, the club can complete its budget for the winter of 2018/2019.
To conclude, the third edition of the Argentrail was a success in all plans. The weather had been pleasant and sunny and runners, tourists and locals had a wonderful day.
You can check the results for all the three races of Argentrail here.
