/ Regulation

The Valle d'Aosta Autonomous Region organises the Tor des Géants in collaboration with VDA TRAILERS (a limited-responsibility non-profit amateur sports association). 

 

The trail runs through a natural landscape, along the Alte Vie 1 and 2 high-mountain paths in the Valle d'Aosta region (Italy), with the start and finishing line in the municipality of Courmayeur. 

The route is around 330 km long, with a total climb of some 24,000 m, and runs through 34 different municipalities. 

This is a single-stage, free-pace, semi-self-sufficiency race that must be completed within a set time. 

 

The race is open to all men and women aged 20 or over on the date of entry (categories from Seniors to Veterans), whether or not they are members of a running association.

 

A number of re-supply points will be set up along the route, with food and drink that must be consumed on the spot.

Plastic cups will not be provided at any of the refreshment points; runners must have their own cup or other personal container suitable for the purpose.

Only still water will be provided for filling up water bottles or camel bags. Each runner must ensure that upon leaving each re-supply point s/he has the regulation amount of food and water necessary to make it to the following refreshment point.

Personal assistance along the route is forbidden. It is permitted at the refreshment points, provided the areas reserved for runners are not encroached upon and that the road regulations are complied with.

At the life bases personal assistance will be permitted only in a specific area set aside for the purpose. All other areas will be strictly reserved for runners. 

 

By entering the race, each runner undertakes to take with him/her all the compulsory material listed below throughout the race. Failure to do so will result in application of the established penalties. 

Compulsory (checks carried out along the route):

Each bib is given individually to each runner, upon presentation of photo ID.

Each runner will be given two bib numbers: one that must be worn and clearly visible on the chest or stomach and another that should be attached to the rucksack if possible. 

The chip is provided together with the bib, and must be worn on the wrist. Before the start of the race, it is compulsory for each runner to pass through the entrance gates to the reserved starting area, so the chip can be registered. 

When passing through a checkpoint, and on arrival, runners must ensure the chip is read by the timing antenna and that it is registered correctly.

The bib number is required for access to the shuttles, buses, re-supply areas, treatment and rest rooms, showers, bags, etc.

 

When the bibs are given out, each runner will also be given a bag for changes/spares, which will be transported by the organisers from one life base to the next. In the race pack is a sticker with the bib number to be attached to the bag. Fragile or valuable objects should not be placed in the bags. If a runner pulls out of the race, his/her bag will be taken to the life base in Courmayeur, where s/he may collect it upon presentation of his/her bib number.

Bags with objects attached to the outside will not be transported. The organisers may not be held liable for the loss or damage of any objects during transport.

 

Rescue points will be set up along the route, each of them with a phone or radio link to the race headquarters. Ambulances, civil protection service personnel and doctors will be present in the area. 

The rescue points are designed to provide assistance to anyone in difficulty, using the organisation’s own means or through services with which the organisation has an agreement.

The official race doctors are authorised to withdraw from the competition any entrants they consider are not fit to continue. Members of the rescue services are authorised to remove from the race, by any means available to them, any runners they believe are in danger. 

If necessary, and in the interests of the person being rescued, at the exclusive discretion of the organisers, the official mountain rescue services may be called upon to take over operations, using any means they consider appropriate, including a helicopter. Any costs deriving from such exceptional transport will be charged to the person who has been rescued, as per the regulations in force. 

Any runners who request the services of a doctor or rescuer implicitly submit to their authority and undertake to accept any decisions taken. 

 

The chip will be recorded at the checkpoints and refreshment points established by the organisers. 

Only runners sporting their regular bib number will have access to the re-supply points.

The road book, which can also be downloaded online, will contain accurate indications of the refreshment points and life bases.

The organisers reserve the right to carry out checks at other points along the route.

 

The maximum time allotted for completion of the race is 150 hours.

The deadlines for starting out from each of the main checkpoints will be established and indicated in the road book. 

These deadlines are calculated in order to allow entrants to reach the finishing line within the set time limit, factoring in stops to rest or for food. In order to be allowed to continue with the race, runners must leave the checkpoint by the deadline set.

In the event of poor weather conditions and/or for safety reasons, the organisers reserve the right to suspend the race or to make changes to the deadlines set.

 

Hot showers can be taken only at the life bases in Valgrisenche, Cogne, Donnas, Gressoney S.J., Valtournenche, Ollomont and Courmayeur. At the life bases, runners may stop for a prolonged rest, provided they leave by the deadline set. At all other points there will be places where participants can take a brief rest. The duration and availability of these rest facilities will be indicated in the road book.

 

Runners who decide to pull out of the race along the route must proceed to the nearest checkpoint and inform the organisers of their decision so that transport back to the base in Courmayeur can be organised. 

Runners who fail to notify the organisers immediately, thereby setting in motion search operations by the rescue staff, will be liable to pay any costs deriving therefrom.

 

Along the route, race officials will be present and will be authorised to check on compliance with the regulations on the part of runners, and to immediately inform the race jury of any breaches that have taken place. The race jury will then apply the penalties specified in the table below:

 

BREACH	PENALTY
Absence of compulsory safety material: waterproof jacket, trousers to at least below the knee, survival blanket, 2 headlamps, rucksack or waist bag, mobile phone	disqualification
Absence of other compulsory material: hat or bandana, whistle, food supplies, cup, altimeter, gloves	4 hour time penalty
Refusal to undergo a check	disqualification
Runner or runner’s assistants leaving litter behind	disqualification
Use of a means of transport, sharing or exchanging of bib numbers, failure to pass through a checkpoint, doping or refusal to take doping tests, failure to assist a runner in difficulty, insulting language, bad manners and threats towards an organiser or volunteer	disqualification
Refusal to obey an order from the race managers, race officials, doctors or rescuers	disqualification
Departure from a checkpoint beyond the deadline set	disqualification

Disqualification means the runner must abandon the race immediately.

Penalties will be applied by adding 4 hours to the final race time, allowing the runner to complete the course.

Irregularities demonstrated by video images sent to the organisers, even after the race, may result in disqualification or penalties.

 

Complaints must be in writing and must be presented before the closing ceremony of the event, with a deposit of € 50.00 required. 

 

The jury is made up of: 

 

The jury will take the time it considers necessary to carry out the checks required, and its decisions are final.

 

The organisers reserve the right, at any time and without prior notice, to make changes to the route or to the location of the rescue and refreshment points or to the time deadlines.

In the event of adverse weather conditions (a strong depression with heavy rain and snow at altitude, a high risk of storms), the start of the race may be postponed for 24 hours at most, after which time the race will be cancelled.

Where necessary, the organisers reserve the right to make changes to or eliminate certain stretches of the route.

 

The organisers will take out civil liability insurance for the duration of the race. Entrants take part in the race under their own responsibility, thereby relieving the organisers of any and all responsibility in the event of damage or other consequences that may derive from the race.

Before the online entry procedure can be completed, runners must sign a liability release.

The organisers will see to it that each entrant obtains membership of the UISP (Unione Italiana Sport per Tutti - the Italian Sport for All Association) in order to guarantee insurance cover for all the runners. The cost of UISP membership is included in the entry fee. 

 

A description of the route will be available for download from the website www.tordesgeants.it, at the ROUTE page. The road book will contain all the practical information (time deadlines at the checkpoints, rescue points, treatment points, points to which those accompanying the runners have access). The route trails in gpx or kml format will also be available for download from the same page of the website.

 

The race winner will be the runner that takes the shortest time to reach the finishing line in Courmayeur.

Each life base reached will be considered an achievement in itself, and each runner will be given a prize in recognition of his or her efforts. Reaching the life bases along the route does not in itself entitle the runner to a place in the rankings and the corresponding points awarded for a qualifying race. To be awarded points as a qualifying race for the UTMB, the Tor des Géants must be completed within the allotted time.

No money prizes will be given. 

Each runner who completes the race will be given a “finisher” prize.

An overall ranking will be drawn up of all entrants, as well as separate rankings for men and women.

Prizes will be awarded to the first five men and women in the overall rankings, and to the first three runners to finish in each category. 

 

Each participant expressly foregoes his/her image rights for the duration of the race, and undertakes not to take any action against the organisers and their authorised partners for the use of his/her image.