GRAND RAID UNDERWAY ON REUNION ISLAND
(Posted 23rd October 2015)
Fourty three nationalities are represented this year at Reunion’s three cross country races, which are stages under the banner of ‘Grand Raid’ and comprises of three main races, the ‘Diagonal of Fools’ (163 km, 2.633 registered, 2403 men and 230 women) , the ‘Bourbon Trail’ (93 km enrolled 1576, 1,328 men and 248 women) and finally the ‘Mascarene’ (64 km enrolled 1806, 1389 men and 417 women).
The participants come from across the world, namely from:
South Africa: 7 Algeria: 1 Germany: 8 England: 6 Australia: 4 Austria: 3 Brazil 1 Canada: 13 China 3 South Korea:12 Scotland: 1 Spain: 11 USA: 8 France: 1106 Gabon: 2 Guadeloupe: 5 Guatemala: 1 French Guiana 1 HongKong 2 Hungary 1 ReunionIsland: 1272 Mauritius: 9 India: 3 Ireland 1 Italy: 23 Japan: 24 Kenya: 1 Latvia 3
Luxembourg: 3 Madagascar: 1 Martinique: 11 Mayotte: 12 Norway: 2 New Caledonia: 5 Poland 3 Portugal: 3 Czech Republic: 1 Russia 2 Singapore: 2 Sweden: 2 Switzerland: 31 Thailand: 1 Turkey: 1 Vietnam: 1
The races started yesterday night at 22.00 hrs on the site Ravine Blanche in Saint-Pierre and everyone watching askes who will succeed Francois d’Haene, the winner of the diagonal of Fools 2014?
The Grand Raid of Reunion Island was appropriately renamed Diagonal of Fools, describing the difficulty of its course and the required performance of ultra-trailers, those crazy enough to accept the challenge to participate. Plenty fit that bill though as thousands of participants from abroad gather on Reunion every year from around the globe. The Great Raid cross country races are both an individual and collective human adventure where emotions are palpable, especially from the spectator side, who are present throughout the race to encourage the brave athletes. During this event, competitors explore and push their own limits, but also measure up in a hot contest against their fellow competitors. This race has existed since 1989 and over twenty-six years evolved to the point of making a global splash with its challenging courses. Affirmation of the status of these races came from the international scene when the Grand Raid was integrated into the global Ultra Trail World Tour last year. This sporting event brings together a world circuit of ten ultra-trails from Hong Kong to the island of Reunion, through Spain, New Zealand, Morocco, Australia, the United States, France and Japan.
The Reunion races are the ultimate stage of this incredible world tour and of course will the island of Reunion offer competitors a perfect show at the height of the toughest races in the world assembly.
(Map of this year’s race routes into the rugged interior of Reunion and across the island)
The elevation details of the three races too are intriguing, affirming that the ‘Diagonal of Fools’ is a high octane high performance race which only the hardiest of sportsmen and sportswomen can master.
