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U.K.’s Sabrina Verjee shatters women’s course record at Tor Des Géants 330

Swiss ultrarunner Jonas Russi won the overall TDG race, after finishing eighth at UTMB in August

Tor Des Geants 2022 Photo by: Tor Des Geants

British fell runner Sabrina Verjee made history on Wednesday at the legendary Tor Des Géants (TDG) race, setting a new women’s course record by more than five hours, in 80 hours, 19 minutes. Verjee is the first woman to run under 85 hours, and she placed fifth overall.

Sabrina Verjee after winning 2022 TDG

Photo: Facebook/TDG

She spent most of the race in second position, behind Spain’s Silvia Trigueros Garrote, who struggled near the end of the race, but managed to finish in 84 hours and 58 minutes, which was also below her previous course record (85:23).

The Tor Des Géants course covers 330 kilometres and has more than 24,000 metres of elevation gain through the Italian Alps. TDG starts and finishes in picturesque Courmayeur, Italy, in the shadow of Monte Bianco (Mont-Blanc). After the inaugural race in 2010, TDG immediately became one of the hardest non-stop races in the world–the equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest nearly three times during the course of the event. Racers must complete the route in less than 150 hours.

Sabrina Verjee, TDG 2022
Photo: TDG

Verjee is known for her strength in long races and multi-day FKTs. In 2021, she set the overall Wainwright Peaks record in Britain’s Lake District, running the 525 km route in five days, 23 hours, and 49 minutes. She also won the Spine Race in 2020 and the Spine Fusion in 2019, both 430 km. Verjee says she ran her own race at TDG and faced a few struggles: “For 36 hours I couldn’t eat, and it was tough. Compared to the races I’m used to doing, the mountains here are more impressive, and I had problems with altitude.”

Silvia Trigueros Garrote, 2nd at TDG
Spain’s Silvia Trigueros Garotte finishes 2nd  Photo: Instagram/triguerosgarotte

Swiss ultrarunner Jonas Russi won the overall race in 70 hours and 36 minutes, on Wednesday morning, with Italians Simone Corsini and Andrea Macchi taking second and third after finishing in 75 hours, 27 minutes, and 76 hours, 46 minutes, respectively. Russi’s victory comes less than a month after his eighth-place finish at UTMB in August; he was sixth at the 120K Lavadero Ultra Trail UTMB race in Italy in June.

Jonas Massi wins TDG 2022
Swiss runner Jonas Russi at the finish line. Photo: Facebook/TDG

Russi, 37, had his debut at TDG in 2021 and led the race before being overtaken by friend and race favourite, Italian runner Franco Collé, in one of the final sections. He finished in an admirable second place, but was determined to top the podium in 2022 and led the race from start to finish, despite reportedly having doubts about his physical condition so soon after racing UTMB.

On social media, Russi paid tribute to Colle (who had to DNF due to an old injury flaring up), and thanked his supporters. “Support in Gressoney [Italy] has been so great I’m scared they are going to send me a tax bill,” Russi joked.  “I was treated like one of yours.”

Jonas Russi takes eighth place at UTMB
Jonas Russi at the 2022 UTMB finish Photo: Instagram/jonasrussi

“At the stations, I was provided with ice, polenta, and soup (by Mama Collé). Luckily, I didn’t have to eat wolf meat. I cannot understand this preference of Italians. I’d rather have deer,” added Russi, who seems to have maintained his sense of humour despite only having 17 minutes of sleep during his race. Russi shared that it was an honour to be cheered on by locals, even after their favourite (Collé) had dropped. “I was and still am overwhelmed by these gestures,” Russi wrote.

After a remarkable season, fans will be watching Russi to see what he tackles next.

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