The Mont-Blanc Marathon
The creation of the Mont-Blanc Marathon
The Cross du Mont-Blanc was born on July 1, 1979, on the initiative of the Club Alpin Français (CAF) de Chamonix, presided over at the time by Georges Costaz and Christian Roussel, both keen runners. For the first edition, 450 participants took to the valley's trails, finishing in Planpraz.
Over the next 24 years, the Cross du Mont-Blanc grew to attract almost 1,000 participants every year. In 2003, the race took a turn and became the Mont-Blanc Marathon: the legendary 23km was joined by the 42km that is still known today. This was followed by the creation of the 10km, more accessible to the general public. From then on, registrations grew exponentially, to the point where the number of runners able to register for the Cross and Marathon had to be limited from 2010 onwards. The Mont Blanc Marathon then continued to develop, with the creation of the Vertical Kilometer in 2011, the 80km in 2013 (which later became the 90km), and finally the Duo Etoilé and Young Race Marathon in 2015.
The event takes on a new dimension in 2018 with Salomon's creation of the Golden Trail World Series, of which the 42km Mont Blanc Marathon will be part from the very first edition.
Today, the Mont Blanc Marathon attracts over 10,000 runners every year, taking part in 8 races in the Mont Blanc massif: the 90km, 42km, 23km, 10km, Vertical Kilometer, Duo Étoilé, Young Race Marathon and Mini-Cross.
The Club des Sports de Chamonix-Mont-Blanc is a non-profit association presided and represented by a team of elected volunteers.
It comprises 25 sports sections with over 4,000 members. At the service of sport in the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc valley, the Club des Sports has a range of vocations and missions:
- To offer a wide range of sports to the entire population of the Chamonix valley, from leisure sports to well-being sports to competitive sports.
- To enable competitors to reach the highest level; the Club des Sports has over 100 athletes competing in 16 disciplines at European and world level.
- Offering a wide range of competitions, from local events to the world's biggest, which contribute to Chamonix's image worldwide.
Our values
- Commitment
- Respect
- Excellence
- Conviviality
Because we are the privileged witnesses of climate change, the Mont-Blanc Marathon is committed to offering the valley's inhabitants and visitors an innovative model for sporting and cultural events designed to reduce environmental impact in a sustainable way.