”Incredible! Amazing! Wonderful!” there were no shortage of superlatives at the finish line in Aiguebelle for this 12 th edition. This year’s weather enabled the 2800 runners taking part in the 4 routes to enjoy the Echappée Belle adventure to the full. A crossing of the Belledonne massif that’s always a hit, not only for its challenging route and scenery, but also for its friendly, family-oriented organization.
This year, several new features were on the program: a maratrail format starting from Val Gelon la Rochette, an extended course starting from the Traversée Nord with a sunrise passage at the Grand Rocher, and L’Echappée Etoilée, 2 non-timed courses for a first trail experience in the Belledonne.

Jean Blancheteau and Géraldine Prost, winners of L’Echappée Belle Intégrale

The Intégrale started at 5:00 am on Friday August 23 rd in the Domaine de Vizille. The 562 runners set off for a 152km run and 11.390m of ascent across the Belledonne mountain range. Portugal’s Guilherme Lourenço set the pace right from the start, scanning at Le Pleynet 35 minutes ahead of his chasers. Behind him, Jean Blancheteau, Cédric Chavet, Benoît Chauvet, Hugo Smets, Antoine Guillon, Edouard Henriot, Maxime Thonon and Flo Gay-Hugues are very closed. In the end, it was race management that prevailed on this 12 th traversée de Belledonne, allowing Jean Blancheteau to add his name to the race’s honours list. He got off to a slow start, ranking 41 st at the first checkpoint, but created a surprise by crossing the finish line in Aiguebelle in 27:08 ahead of Antoine Guillon, announced as one of the big favourites for this Intégrale 2024. The winner of the 2016 North Crossing also gradually climbed the rankings, finishing second in 27:58, followed by Belgium’s Hugo Smets (28:06).
“This race is superb, I really enjoyed it. Exceptional weather, great atmosphere, quality route…” he declares with a smile at the finish arch, before adding “it’s a hell of a course! It was very demanding, with very little rest and some very demanding descents. It was really hard!”
Portugal’s Guilherme Lourenço took 4 th place. A race regular, he says he found this edition more difficult than previous ones. “They were stronger, the mountains put everyone back in their place”.
Her ambition was simply to ring the bell, and she won the Intégrale. Géraldine Prost won in 35:13, nearly 3 hours ahead of her rivals. “It’s just incredible! It was extraordinary! I’m living a dream… I was apprehensive, but I managed a lot.” In second place, Lucie Lacordaire and Melinda Parfait crossed the finish line hand in hand after 100 km shared on the trails. 3rd last year, Lucie set off cautiously, catching up with Melinda at the Col de la Vache where they decided to race together. “Being in pairs makes things lighter,” she explain. This solidarity enabled Melinda to take a magnificent 2 nd place (ex-aequo) on her first ultra trail, despite her
injuries.

To discover: Jean Blancheteau, winner of L’Echappée Belle Intégrale 2024!
https://youtu.be/JrLmasgoE3M?si=t8LApobq0I5taxR-

Stéphane Evêque Mourroux and Agathe Bes, winners of the Traversée Nord race

It was an even earlier wake-up call for this 2024 edition of the Traversée Nord. The 478 runners set off from the Cévéo site in Fond-de-France (Haut-Bréda) at 4:30 am on Saturday August 24 th . The program included a few extra kilometers, with a sunrise passage over the Grand Rocher and the Crêt du Poulet ridges, before rejoining the usual route. There was also a good crowd on this 92km, and in the end it was Stéphane Evêque Mourroux, who won in 14:34 on the terrain he loves and which has enabled him to perform so well. “The course is very challenging, it’s a real mess! It’s superb, I really enjoyed it”. 10 minutes behind, Mathieu Delomier took second place, closely followed by Nicolas Court. Agathe Bes won the girls’ race in 17:13, ahead of Laure De Jacquelot and Anaïs Macian.

Joël Minguet Lopez and Camille Guy, winners of the Parcours des Crêtes race

Setting off from Allevard at 8am, the 525 trailers on the 63km race were very hot. Pointe Rognier, the high point of the course, once again gave the competitors a hard time. After a great battle at the head of the race, it was Joël Minguet Lopez who came out on top in this format, just ahead of Allevardin Lionel Bouzon. Joris Botton, a fan of the event who has taken part in every edition (in a different format), rounded off the podium. In the women’s category, Camille Guy topped the podium ahead of Diana Ballet and Corinne Concert.

Small but mighty… L’Echappée Belle’s new 42km race

A great success for this new course, which was sold out right from the start. Runners set off from the heart of La Rochette – Val Gelon in a lively atmosphere, before joining the Intégrale course for the last few kilometers. A route that makes it possible to experience L’Echappée Belle in a more accessible format. Tom Genty and Coralie Blanchard are the first to add their names to the list of winners.

Discover the new 42km : https://youtu.be/HjdpMaY3mNU?si=FoHDniB4U-9e45jf

A new women’s record for the Skyrace du Rocher Blanc

The event’s favorite, leading from the start, Pyrenean Maël Allaire took the top step of the podium, very happy with his first experience in the Belledonne. “It’s super wild, it’s just incredible!” he declared at the finish line, “it’s an idyllic place to do a Skyrace, this one is worthy of the great Skyraces!” Léo Pargemin finished 5 minutes behind, closely followed by Paul Burette, who has taken part in this event since its creation 4 years ago.
In the women’s race, Maëlle Beauvir won with a smile in 03:04, setting a new record. Hot on the heels of Manon Benoît, she came in just behind her at Rocher Blanc and caught up with her on the downhill, her specialty! From Great Britain, Carys Mai Huges completed the podium.
The sun shone on this 4 th edition, and the 210 competitors were won over by the course, by its beauty but also by its technicality and commitment. A great finale to the Skyrunner National Series circuit.

Discover: Skyrace, the daring race : https://youtu.be/HXh5nMcz_hc?si=NSA3EZp_ykWjqXkc

L’Echappée Etoilée

Nearly 200 runners turned out for the first edition of L’Echappée Etoilée. Setting off from the foyer du Barioz (Crêt en Belledonne) at 06.30pm on Friday August 23, participants enjoyed their first night-time trail experience in a majestic setting. The 2 signposted, non-timed routes (10 and 20km) took participants over the magnificent crests of the Grand Rocher via the Col du Merdaret to the Crêt du Poulet refuge. The evening ended under a starry sky to the music of local bands Crinquignotes and Chapladiot.
This event was organized as part of L'Echappée Belle by the Département de l’Isère, in close collaboration with the communes of Crêts-en-Belledonne and Theys, the communauté de communes du Grésivaudan, the Office de tourisme Belledonne Chartreuse, the Bel’donne Running association, Isère Attractivité and the Barioz ski lodge. Thanks to the breeders who adapted to allow the race to go ahead, and to the forest owners for their permission to pass
through. Beautiful weather, magnificent winners, a warm atmosphere, exceptional volunteers… all the ingredients were there once again for this Echappée Belle 2024.

All the race results for the 2024 edition of l’Echappée Belle

Echappée Belle Intégrale
Men’s results
Jean Blancheteau (27:08:19)
Antoine Guillon (27:58:00)
Belgian Hugo Smets (28:06:30)

Women’s results
Géraldine Prost (35:13:18)
ex-aequo – Lucie Lacordaire and Mélinda Parfait (38:08:04)

Traversée Nord
Men’s Results
Stéphane Eveque Mourroux (14:34:58)
Mathieu Delomier (14:44:39)
Nicolas Court (14:49:20)

Women’s results
Agathe Bes (17:13:35)
Laure Jacquelot (17:47:28)
Anaïs Macian (19:22:43)

Parcours des Crêtes
Men’s Results
Joël Minguet Lopez (08:46:16)
Lionel Bouzon (08:51:17)
Joris Botton (09:08:22)

Women’s results
Camille Guy (11:21:13)
Diana Ballet (11:33:43)
Corinne Convert (11:41:58)

42km
Men’s results
Tom Genty (04:28:04)
Anthony Krupka (04:42:21)
Moha Aarab (04:48:29)

Women’s results
Coralie Blanchard (05:34:59)
Claire Dauchez (05:42:11)
Christelle Vandenbulcke (05:47:32)

Skyrace du Rocher Blanc
Men’s Results
Mael Allaire (02:42:33)
Léo Pargemin (02:47:36)
Paul Burette (02:48:02)

Women’s results
Maëlle Beauvir (03:04:15)
Manon Benoît (03:10:08)
Carys Mai Huges (03:16:23)

Full results: https://echappeebelle.livetrail.run/classement.php

Key figures:

• 562 starters on the Intégrale and 48% finishers
• 478 starters on the Traversée Nord and 60% finishers
• 525 starters on the Parcours des Crêtes and 72% finishers
• 440 starters on the 42km and 93% finishers
• 210 starters on the Skyrace and 100% finishers
• 190 participants in the Echappée Etoilée

2024 videos:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6iCsOF7r2Yd6XuESmurTqjMjG95r9_2F&si=W4Sqbslem
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