MENU

Sierre-Zinal 2014 - Up, Up, Up!

BEVERLEY THOMPSON 20 AUG 2014
News Details

The 2014 Sierre-Zinal race was to take place on Sunday 10th August 2014. The race is known as one of the greatest mountain races in the world and as such attracts the world’s best mountain runners.

The race is fairly long and very tough with the majority of the course being ascent. It is 19 miles (31 kilometres) with 7,210 feet of climbing, reaching the highest point at 7,956 feet (2,425 metres). To put this into perspective Ben Nevis is only 4,400 feet (1,344 metres)!

The race begins in the village of Sierre at around 1,600 feet of altitude climbing to the high point of around 8,000 feet. After reaching the top of the climb the course undulates along the route with a couple of shorter climbs before the short steep descent to 5,500 feet finishing in the village of Zinal.

I was persuaded to enter this race back in January 2014 by my husband Peter and a few other Clayton members. Yes, back then I was still a member on the ”dark side” but have since “seen the light” and am now a very happy Humbug!

I was running pretty well at the time and August 2014 seemed a long way away, plenty of time to put in some good serious training – or so I thought! A lot can happen in eight months and unfortunately it did with Pete having an operation on his arthritic big toe in April, me straining my back the same month then taking a bad fall on Pendle in May leaving me with a serious ankle injury, which I was told was worse than a break and would take a few months to heal properly – no running for six weeks.

Of course I tried to run up Pendle three days later but soon realised it wasn’t good. I had to make do with the gym and some spinning classes for quite some time. In June Pete and a few of my friends persuaded me to get a road bike to help with my training, I went out a few times and really enjoyed it then in July I fell off and damaged both knees.

I now had four weeks left before race day. Would I make it to the start line? Would I be able to get round and finish the race? Everything so far had gone against me. My GP told me no race, I had to wait for a scan of the ankle. I treated myself to three sessions with Denise Park, she told me to do it adding “You’ll just have to run through the pain.” Denise was going over to Zinal to support the “Elites” and said she would be there for me on race day if I needed her.

The last four weeks before we left I spent as much time on Pendle as my ankle and knees would allow. I also tested out gels, energy bars and electrolyte tablets in my drinks as I was told many times by friends that I would need them on race day – “Without these, Bev, you will just bonk out on this race.” I really struggle with gels, too sweet for me, but I found I could stomach Cliff Shot Gels and Cliff Chocolate Chip and Peanut Energy Bars. I could also manage Nuun tablets in my drinking water. I stocked up.

On Friday 8th August 2014 five of us set off to Liverpool Airport for our flight to Geneva. Four others left the day before, they were driving. Of the nine of us going, there were seven runners, six guys and me. After picking up our hire car we all met up late on Friday evening in Sion a town an hour away from Zinal where we were staying. We stayed overnight in a hotel in Sion, all of us getting little sleep as it was too hot, no air conditioning and very noisy.

On Saturday we drove to Sierre to register for the race, we joined the long queue for registration expecting it to take forever, but the Swiss are very organised and it didn’t take long once the doors opened. I picked up my number which had my chip securely fastened to it, along with my name printed on it and the year of my birth.

Everyone was in high spirits outside registration in the square, people from all over the world gathering, smiling, giggling, taking pictures looking happy and excited, this was lovely to see. There were some seriously fit looking athletes sponsored by Salomon in their fantastic team gear.

We arrived at our chalet in Zinal around 5.00pm on Saturday after driving up the mountain road with very, very scary hairpin bends and some long, long drops below – we were going to have to go back down these roads in the morning on the athletes bus to then run back up, less than 24 hours to go. A pasta supper and an early night. I didn’t sleep.

We were up at 5.30am making porridge. Numbers were pinned to vests, gear ready. I put the usual Vaseline on my feet, then compression socks and calf sleeves and making its debut my TAC vest! I was running with my Salomon pack/vest which contained a water bladder and my Nuun tablets, gels and energy bars in pockets and my waterproof.

We left the two non-runners in bed and made our way to the bus stop for 7.30am. There were several buses waiting to take us down the mountain. I looked around at people’s faces, not much smiling this morning just serious apprehensive faces. There were a few people around to wave us off.

There are two start times for the race the Touristes, a combination of walkers and runners start at 5.00 am in the dark with head torches. I had been told that many good runners enter themselves into this category so that they get a good finishing place and it looks like they’ve done really well – cheaters! Then there are the Elites who set of at 9.30am – we were part of this group. There were 2,000 people entered into the Touriste category and 1,500 in the Elites.

After a very hairy scary drive down the mountain which takes around 50 minutes on the bus we arrived in Sierre for the start. I wanted to do a quick kit check to be told no kit required – what? Yep, no kit required! You are joking. A read this – the organisers decline all responsibility in case of accidents, which are always a possibility on mountain paths. In case of emergency, doctors may need to call a helicopter and the charges for this assistance will be at the expense of the injured person!

There were seven portaloos for 3,500 people – I joined the queue, I will not describe the next scenes for you but I bet you can all guess. There were people running around peeing all over the place! We met up with some other runners from back home, a couple from Preston and Horwich plus Victoria Wilkinson – we all chatted and joked together and Fellephant was there too, he took a group photo which is on Twitter. Team GB! I was the only Humbug lining up.

I was on the start line with the best mountain runners in the world, Kilian Jornet, Cesar Costa, Jonathan Wyatt, Stevie Kremer, Maude Mathys – oh my god it’s nearly time! I couldn’t understand a word of what was being spoken around me there were so many nationalities but we were now all happy and smiling waiting to get going, bumping into each other “pardone” – I learnt a bit of French.

We’re off! It takes a while to get over the start line and record my first chip time. We are uphill straight away on a fast road section for the first 1 km or so, I’m breathing heavy already, the sun is out and it is warming up. We take a sharp left turn then we hit the trail, a steep trail and now we are down to more or less single file into a forest, climbing steeply all the time – the drop below at times doesn’t look nice. There is no air to breathe, everyone is breathing deeply, people are slipping and tripping in front and behind – we all sound like trains.

I can hear cow bells, we reach a little clearing and there are some spectators ringing cow bells and some local men playing instruments cheering us all on “Super”, “Bravo”. Then the words that will ring out in my ears for the next hour or so “Alais, Alais, Alais!” – “Up, Up, Up!”

The relentless climb through the forest continues, it is tough, very tough but I don’t feel too bad considering. Eventually I leave the forest and the track levels off slightly, the spectators are amazing cheering you on all the while “Magnific”. I reach the first check point and top of the big climb in 2 hours 19 minutes. I try to have my second gel. I’ve been drinking all the time. There is water and sliced banana and oranges at the first check point. I don’t feel right, I feel strange, light headed, dizzy and very sick. I plod on, the path undulating all the time. I take a look around, cannot believe the scenery, so, so beautiful, there is snow on the peaks but it is hot, very hot.

Running along a wide path now in the side of a mountain, I am alongside an Italian guy but can’t understand what he is saying to me. I hear a rumbling, rustling in the bushes and trees high to the left side of me, the Italian gives me a bit of a nudge on the shoulder then a big rock/boulder comes rushing out of the bushes just behind me. I said to myself “Don’t even think about it, carry on.”

There are various check points on route: Ponchetta 6,135 feet (1,870 meters); Chandolin 6,561 feet (2,000 meters); Tignousa 7,152 feet (2,180 meters); Hotel Weisshorn 7,831 feet (2,387 meters); Nava 7,956 feet (2,425 meters).

I am now running along with a guy from New Zealand we are both struggling, he’s worried he doesn’t want to get thrown out of the race and wants to ensure he makes the cut off time – I gave him the good news, the last check point was the cut off, we’ve made it in plenty of time, no worries. We both smile and then I run on leaving him behind.

I still feel really rough, sickness, dizziness, light headed. I have to pull off the narrow path at times to let a few people pass me, this really grates but it’s rocky and I know that a trip or fall wouldn’t be good. I give my legs a serious talking too, dig in, you can do it, keep going girl. Nothing I eat or drink makes a difference, nothing makes me feel any better but again the spectators are so enthusiastic – there are children high-fiving you as you run along wanting to slap palms with you “Bravo, Bravo Madame”.

I seem to have run for ever then I reach the steep descent through a clearing then down, down through a forest. This is rough going for a while with tree roots and big but short drops, I carry on, my knees are hurting, my toes are hurting. I think the total descent is around three miles I know I haven’t got far to go.

Eventually I come out of the forest and leave the soft stuff, hitting the hardcore and the Tarmac, the last 700 meters to go to the finish line. Cramp sets in on my right calf, grimacing I hear some shouting to my right “Go on Bev”, “Come on Trawden!” Run through it, I see the finish line in front of me, people cheering and clapping me home, I smile for the photographer, over the line – spent.

A girl takes off my chip reader from my number, I’m given my medal and a drink. I sit down, I can’t believe it, that is the hardest thing I have ever done. I am pleased to have got round but disappointed with my time. I’ve done off road marathons and even an ultra last year but nothing so far compares to this – Sierre-Zinal one of the best mountain races in the world.

If you ever get chance to do this race you must give it a go. If you asked me straight after the race would I do it again I would have said no – ask me now and I would say yes – if I get the opportunity to do it again I will. What an experience a truly memorable race and event.

The seven results: Mick Dobson (4:08), Ivan Whigham (4:18), Andy Firth ( 4:51), Bev Thompson (5:25), Pete Thompson (5:33), Robin Nicholson (5:41) and Pete Dugdale (6:25).

News Archive

GO