Montagne Vue Du Ciel03 Cirques Pitons Remparts Credit Irt Serge Gelabert Dts 12 2014.jpgMontagne Vue Du Ciel03 Cirques Pitons Remparts Credit Irt Serge Gelabert Dts 12 2014.jpg
©Montagne Vue Du Ciel03 Cirques Pitons Remparts Credit Irt Serge Gelabert Dts 12 2014.jpg

Grand Raid 2021

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29th year: 4 races, 5,949 trail runners 

The 2021 Grand Raid Réunion race will take place from 21st to 24th October.

The event host, the Grand Raid Réunion Association, is meeting all the criteria to comply with health measures currently implemented by the local authorities on Reunion Island. To take part in any of the four races, collect a bib, cross the start or finish line or be present along the course, all runners, volunteer helpers and partners must carry a valid health pass (full vaccination certificate, or proof of a negative RT-PCR or antigen test result obtained less than 72 hours beforehand, or official proof of having recovered from Covid 19).

In all, 5,949 runners will take to the waymarked trails of Reunion Island, passing iconic sites, an outstanding biodiversity and a unique UNESCO-listed natural heritage stretching from the island’s shores to its mountaintops.

Among the favorites of the Diagonale des Fous:

Sylvaine CUSSOT, Sophie BLARD, Naomi BRAND, Véronique DOUAT, Géraldine LACHAPELLE, Alexandra CLAIN, Emily CAMBIER, Antoine GUILLON, Benoit GIRONDEL, Laurent JALABERT, Nicolas RIVIERE, Lambert SANTELLI, Ludovic POMMERET, Jean-Philippe TSCHUMI, Francesco CUCCO… To be continued!

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©Association Grand Raid Réunion
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©IP Réunion
montagne_mafate47_sentier_scout_-_credit_irt_-_serge_gelabert_dts_12_2018.jpgPhotographe
©Photographe|Serge GELABERT
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©montagne mafate|Emmanuel VIRIN

      This year brings a few changes to the four traditional races:

      • New route for the Diagonale des Fous and the Trail de Bourbon courses, without the Maïdo ascent on the way out of Mafate.
      • For La Mascareignes, the route remains the same with the exception that it starts at Hell-Bourg.
      • It is compulsory to carry a mobile phone.
      • Runners must wear face masks until the start of the race and as soon as they cross the finish line. Anyone standing at the start/finish line must also wear a mask.

      Diagonale des Fous

      2,611 trail runners. Course: 160km. 9,400m elevation gain. Voted the world’s most iconic ultra-trail race by the French sports magazine, L’Equipe. The Diagonale des Fous trail race will start at 9pm on 21st October at the Ravine Blanche site on the Saint-Pierre seafront in the south of the island. The staggered start will split runners into five groups of 500 who will take off at ten-minute intervals with time barriers set for each group.

      Trail de Bourbon

      1,322 participants. Course:105km. 6,140m elevation gain. The Trail de Bourbon race will kick off on 22nd October 2021 in Cilaos. It will follow the same course as the 2019 race as far as Trois Roches. At La Brèche, following a second modification, the course will exclude the Maïdo and Dos d’Ane ascents.

      Mascareignes

      1,388 participants.Course: 72km. 3,900m elevation gain. For the Mascareignes race, the main change concerns the start line. This year, 22nd October 2021, runners will launch from the Paul Dominique Hubert stadium in Hell-Bourg.

      Zembrocal Trail (foursome relay)

      628 participants. 157 teams of 4. Course: 173km. 11,050m elevation gain. Very little change for the Zembrocal Trail race:  For safety reasons relating to sanitary measures, the second relay handover will take place at the Nez de Boeuf.

      These races attract top trail runners from mainland France and abroad who are keen to match up to their Reunion counterparts. They will discover a race that has become a “legend”, exceptional landscapes, but also the living together of the mixed population of Reunion.

      As in previous years, the runners will cross the finish line at theRedoute stadium in Saint-Denis, in the north of the island.

      For full details of course changes, participants of each race, elite competitors, etc. please visit the Grand Raid Association website.

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