Round 3 / TRAIL RUNNING - PLUM KV COURCHEVEL - Friday 21 August 2015

3rd round of the Plum KV Courchevel trail running version: new record for Yoann Sert and Stéphanie Duc confirms!

On this Friday 21 August, 67 runners were at the start of the 3rd round of the “Plum KV Courchevel”. After taking place 4 times last winter in ski mountaineering on an approved course of 5 km and 1,000 m of elevation gain, this Vertical Kilometre (KV) competition was run in trail running version over the summer on the same route. Starts are given at Le Praz and staggered in a time trial from 6 pm to 7 pm, 7 pm being the slot reserved for specialists of the discipline whose aim is to climb in under 1 hour. This format has the advantage of bringing all participants together at the summit of La Loze to enjoy the mountain aid station and the cauldron soup prepared by Emily Roux and Bernard Chardon.

After taking the Cyclo’Courch 2015 record last Sunday, Yoann Sert, winner of the mountain triathlon “Dynastar X3 Courchevel 2015”, 2nd in the “Millet Ski Touring Courchevel 2015” and ski mountaineering record holder of the “Plum KV Courchevel 2015”, crushes everything in his path. He set a new provisional record of 38min12s, relegating the reigning Vertical Race French champion, Jean-François Philipot, to 2nd place in the overall standings with his 38min43s, a time set in the 2nd round on 7 August. Two members of the French Ski Mountaineering team complete the podium of this 3rd stage: Léo Viret 2nd in 39min15s and Pierre-François Gachet 3rd in 2min05s.

Among the women, Stéphanie Duc, a member of the French Trail Running team, confirmed her place at the top of the standings with a time of 47min52s against 49mn22s set in the 2nd round. On the podium with her are Corail Bugnard (52mn37s) and Marie Pollet-Villard (58min07s).

At the prize-giving, Albert Félisaz, director of the binding brand “Plum”, and Guillaume Prin, president of the organising association “Courchevel Sports Alpinisme”, thanked all the participants and volunteers. In the prize draw, Pierre Gross had the privilege of flying over the course, descending these 1,000 m of elevation by paraglider.

At the end of the 4 trail running climbs on 28 August, the men’s and women’s records of the season will be rewarded with prize money of €500.

Before the final on 28 August, Yoann Sert and Stéphanie Duc take the lead in the overall standings of the “Alpitrail” challenge of the Plum KV Courchevel.

The “Alpitrail” challenge of the Plum KV Courchevel is open to people who took part in a ski mountaineering event last winter and a trail running event this summer. The challenge standings result from adding the best ski mountaineering and trail running times for each participant.

At the final on 28 August, prize money of €1,000 will reward the best time by a man and a woman of the season.

Having respectively recorded times of 42min01s and 57min06s in ski mountaineering, Yoann Sert and Stéphanie Duc currently lead the challenge.

It has become a tradition in Courchevel… for the last one, come in fancy dress!!

Next Friday (28 August) will see the final climb of the season. One last chance for competitors who will come to try to beat their own record, or that of Yoann and Stéphanie for the most ambitious, and to appear in the standings of the 2015 “Plum KV Courchevel”, which currently has 189 ranked competitors this summer (234 in winter).

As every year, to close these sporting events with a flourish, registration will be free for everyone who comes in fancy dress.