Ultra Montée du Salève: What you need to know about the 2020 edition
The Ultra Montée du Salève (UMS) is the pedestrian event where everyone is challenged to achieve as many ascents of Mont-Salève as possible during 6 hours of racing; all the descents are done by cable car.
In 2010, when it was first held, the UMS, with its unique race format, was a world first. Now a must and recently voted one of the 100 favourite trails of professionals, the Haute-Savoie event continues to develop.
This year, building on the great success of the 10th anniversary edition, the organisers wanted to bring a few novelties. By mutual agreement with the Salève cable car, for the first time in the history of the event, the cable cars
will be reserved for the runners on Saturday, April 11th, the date of the 2020 edition.
This privatization will have a direct impact on the race. It will allow the organisers to review the maximum number of participants, going from 450 potential runners to 550.
Everything has been studied so that the 100 additional numbers do not deteriorate the race conditions. First of all, the privatization of the site will allow us to start an average of 15 additional runners per cable car ride. In addition, rather than offering two starts as last year, for 2020, three mixed starts will be given. The first one, at 10.00 am, will see the Elites, a bunch of the 30 best female and 90 best male riders. The second, at 10:05 a.m., will see the 215 runners making up the peloton Populaire 1. Finally, the last 215 bibs will be allocated to the runners making up the peloton Populaire 2 starting at 10:20 a.m.
As far as pricing is concerned, a single registration fee will be proposed, at the price of 70 euros. This exceptional increase of 15% from one year to the next can be explained in different ways.
Organising costs having doubled, the organisers are obliged to increase the registration fee. Furthermore, as the Salève cable car has announced the closure of its site for the whole of 2021, the 12th edition of the event will have to wait until 2022, the organisation is considering another race format for 2021, or even 2022, in the event of the unavailability of the Salève cable car.
On the sporting side, rejoicing in these new features, several of the best trailers in the world have already announced their presence. At this time, Switzerland’s Elise Chabbey (2018) and Norway’s Stian Angermund-Vik (2019) hold the records for the event. During the six hours of racing, they managed to climb the 3.2km route (663m of positive difference in altitude) eight and nine times in 4h41’07 and 4h39’14 respectively.
Please note that registrations have been launched on the 18th January 2020.
The rules of the Ultra Montée du Salève 2020 (to be read) are available here.
– A shuttle will be dispatched. During the race, spectators/accompanying persons will be given the possibility to reach the lower/upper station of the cable car by mini-bus. Fare: 6 euros return or 10€ return (payment by cheque or cash only). A departure will be offered every ½ hours from the lower and upper station with two Opel 9-seater minibuses. First departure at 9.30 am, then every ½ hours, last departure at 5.30 pm.
– As for the 2019 edition, a potential 34,000 euros in arrival bonuses will be at stake. More information to follow soon.
– On D-14, Saturday 28th March 2020, an official reconnaissance of the route will be organised. Cost of the cable car descent at the expense of each participant. More information to follow soon.