France’s François D’Haene, renowned ultrarunner and four-time UTMB champion, claimed his first-ever victory on Wednesday at the 330km Tor des Géants (TOR330) in the Italian Alps. The demanding course, boasting 24,000 metres of elevation gain over 200 miles, was tough enough—but D’Haene also faced an unexpected challenge. About 250km into the race, he was hit with a handwritten accusation of cheating from Switzerland’s Martin Perrier, the eventual third-place finisher. Despite the drama, D’Haene powered through to secure the win, becoming only the second French athlete in the race’s 15-year history to take home the title in 69 hours, eight minutes and 32 seconds.
Tor des Géants is regarded as one of the most difficult races in the world, challenging athletes with an unrelenting combination of extreme distances, high altitudes and harsh conditions; competitors face the equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest nearly three times during the course of the event, which lasts 150 hours.
The men’s race saw intense competition early on, with D’Haene facing off against fellow Frenchman Louis Calais, who held the lead for much of the first two days, and Swiss runner Perrier also in the mix. As the race wore on, Calais began to fade, with D’Haene overtaking Calais on the second night, securing his win. France’s Beñat Marmissolle followed D’Haene in, capturing second in 73:10:18.
Only at #TorDesGeants! 😂
Apparently the sixth place male has accused @francoisdhaene of cheating (having a pacer) during the race, and took time out of his race to HANDWRITE FRANCOIS A LETTER and had it delivered to Francois, on course telling him he’s going to report him😂🤣 https://t.co/TpKoMHqjUD
— Liam (@aidstationfireb) September 11, 2024
As per D’Haene’s social media, he received a threat in the middle of the race from Perrier, who at the time was in sixth place. “To our great surprise, François was handed a threatening handwritten letter on the way to the race,” the post, shared to De’Haene’s Instagram stories, read. The accusatory note by Perrier read: “I have proof that you have pacers. If you don’t quit by midnight, I’ll release photos proving it..”.
Ok, on a carrément la vidéo du moment où François d’Haene reçoit la lettre par un gars sur le bord du chemin.
Complètement zinzin. https://t.co/2tEtIaOsSI pic.twitter.com/zhtXbvSJ5H
— Dorian Costanzo (@Dorian_Costanzo) September 10, 2024
Tor des Géants requires runners to carry all their supplies, including protection from the elements should they choose to sleep on the course, and athletes can decide when and how long to stop for rest and refreshment. While runners can have a crew that assists them at aid stations and are allowed to run with other competitors, they are not allowed to have a pacer.
D’Haene’s team responded to the letter, explaining that no complaint had been made with officials, D’Haene may have been followed from a distance by his communications team, who complied with race rules, and D’Haene may have crossed paths with other mountaineers on the trail. Perrier has since finished third in 75 hours, 55 minutes and 39 seconds. At the time of publication, no photos have been released.
“I am really thrilled to have finished this race and to have done so with a victory, which I never thought possible,” D’Haene shared at the finish line. “I slept only one hour in total, and the hardest moment was Sunday night with the snow at Col Loson.”
In the women’s race, Switzerland’s Katharina Hartmuth has been dominating from the start, maintaining a record pace throughout. On course for a potentially historic win, Hartmuth currently holds seventh overall, with Sabrina Verjee of the U.K. in second and Claire Bannwarth of France in third.
For complete results and to follow all the events at Tor des Géants, head here.
