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160KM ULTRAMARATHON.
La Diagonale des Fous (the madmen's diagonal), is a 160km ultramarathon, with 9580 meters of elevation gain crossing the island from South to North. This mountain race takes place in October, and this year it begun on Thursday the 18th of October.
10pm : “Les fous sont lâchés” – The madmen are released! The runners make their way through Saint Pierre and begin their long journey to the other side of the island.
The race used to have a distance of around 125 km, which has increased over the years and is now around 160-170 km. The first race took place in 1989. Each year around 2000 participants try to run this intense trail from which only a few cross the finish line. The participants, men and women, come from all over the world to attempt this prestigious race.
This ultramarathon is a trail on a tropical paradise. Offering views of volcanos, waterfalls, lush green forests and tropical beaches, the race is on the bucket list for many. Reunion Island is like a small continent in itself with highly diverse landscapes and weather conditions which is fascinating to see and experience but which also make the trail even harder to succeed.
There are 21 checkpoints for the runners to pass. At the checkpoints the runners can have a break with food and drinks or sleep for a bit to refuel and gain back some energy. The fastest Madmen arrive in the Stadium La Redoute in Saint Denis at the finishing line within 24 hours of beginning the race which means they had no sleep or only short breaks. The runners are tracked with chips or ID bracelets to give information of where the runner currently is.
Would you like to run La Diagonale des Fous ?
*Photos taken from the Grand Raid Réunion facebook page.