The two tests with respectively m 8500 and 4

They will be 2,500 to hurry, tonight, in the main street of Chamonix to attack one of the most challenging endurance races: tour du Mont-Blanc non-stop, is 158 km of railways Rocky, steep, or ascending through a beautiful landscape that few of them will have the time or energy to enjoy. At noon, 1,000 runners depart from Courmayeur to an 86 km trail that will lead to Chamonix. The two tests, with respectively m 8500 and 4.500 m positive height difference, is the 4th edition of the North Face Ultra Trail du Tour du Mont-Blanc which entries were closed within three weeks, to the point that the organizers had to increase the maximum number of entries 500 to not make too many disgruntled. "We have received 6,000 requests for records this year." "It did not expect a success", notes Catherine Poletti, Director of the race.

Organized by the association of the Trailers du Mont-Blanc, a small group of passionate mountain runners Swiss, Italian and French, more or less follows the route of the GR du Mont-Blanc, that hikers are seven days to go. Competitors pass through the three bordering countries in record time: 45 hours maximum, either at a rate of 4 km/h. "it is very long, but very doable," provides the Manager, which is the event to arm with Michel, her husband's, and preserves it its ethical dimension.

"This is a very special race." "It is unique in Europe and corresponds perfectly to our slogan:" Never stop exploring "("go still further", Editor's note), which is an incentive to better know and identify its limits", commented Topher Gaylor, Outdoor international President of The North Face, the sponsor title of the event with participation financial and material more of 100.000 euros. In fact, operation costs probably more than double to society, according to sources close to the Organization estimates.

Little import figures, suggests the Europe of the VF Corporation Group company boss, is the spirit that counts. Specialist sports equipment to the extreme, it realizes a turnover of 500 million (EUR 390 million), including 168 million in Europe (against only 50 million in 2001). Sponsor partner for the first time, The North Face ever welcomed to have believed from the outset, in the event. "Even if the number of runners remains modest, it is a phenomenal success in our target heart." "We have excellent press coverage, including the United States, our first market", is Topher Gaylor, who himself participated in all editions and even trained at night to be at the start today. "One of the main attractions of this test, I want to say adventure, is to be cross-border." Passing through the Italy, the Switzerland and the France, through nine villages and attracting competitors from 48 countries, it expands the contacted potential market, he says. We take the event to launch a new model adapted to this type of racing, the Arnuva, the name of one of the control points.

Find funding

In this kind of event, funding is often a puzzle to the organizers. Those of the North Face Ultra Trail benefit from substantial inflows given the number of registered at 120 euros for the long route and 85 euros for the court, for a total of 385.000 euro. "But we must feed during 48 hours near 4.500 people, competing and volunteers, a budget of over 57,000 euros, says Michel Poletti." Other large positions are security or the technical organization.

The organizers have implemented a system of monitoring of competitors, including in the corners lost where mobiles are not, and will send to the PC crossing since 23 points of control. Insurance, administrative costs, transportation, or communication, including video production, numbering in the tens of thousands of euros when there are so many world for spending to nearly 600,000 euros. The success of the event helped the organizers to complete their budget with the help of the General Council of Haute-Savoie, in the Solog computer or water Evian, or 70,000 euros of institutional financial support and a total 90,000 euros of private sponsors. The less famous trails, and they are many, have less ease, and their budget often depends on the big business corner and three classic regional sponsors: Bank, supermarket and car dealership. "The important thing for an event is to stage a fist sport," said Pierre Teyssot, which manages the communication of the Odlo Rollerski Tower. Specialist in the underwear of cross-country skiing, Odlo, give-Norwegian already partner of the France of Nordic ski team, became partner of this discipline, yet confidential but spectacular title practice on the road with two skateboards and ski clubs.

To a partnership

"We signed last year a four year partnership." Since this summer, we have delegated someone full-time on events. "It is very effective," says the head. For a modest budget, of the order of 50,000 euros per season, the specialist of the technical underwear ensures a boost of notoriety on one of its target markets and a good regional coverage. "Often, it is meeting found a sponsor for a"small sport". "Be that discipline may it please the CEO", analysis Pierre Teyssot. This is confirmed by the support of The North the trail of the Mont-Blanc: Topfer Gaylor is runner. "In this case, it built a true partnership," insists the head of the Odlo Rollerski Tour experiencing the difficulties of the quest for sponsorship. Thus, the France organizes a stage of the World Cup for cross-country skiing in la Clusaz (Haute-savoie) on 16 and 17 December. Some 10,000 spectators are expected with especially guaranteed webcast and live for four hours of tests on French, Italian and German channels. "It is a reasonable entry to 200,000 euros ticket and we are always looking for our partner title, regrets this Nordic sports specialist: perhaps that, if sought twice more money, it would be less evil.".

Number of "small sports" are dependent on its évémentiel, of the interest that a region is their discipline. Thus, in its strategy of development of the activities of full nature, of the Dordogne département has decided to allow canoe marathon world championships on 23 and 24 September. This discipline, which runs on mono or two-seater, canoes-kayaks will bring together 400 competitors at the world level. EDF, the French Federation of canoe-kayak traditional partner, intervenes in nature management of the river flow (electricity supply) on the event. "Our budget is 300,000 euros to a total cost of 800,000." It is part of our commitment to rejuvenate the traditional image of our Department, explains Michel Debet, Senior Vice President of the General Council. This also allows us to work the 1,400 employees on a transversal project. "For them, it's rewarding," adds an elected official.