The ascent of the Aubisque35th edition, was this Sunday, August 28. 18.7km between Laruns and the Col d’Aubisque at more than 1,700 meters altitude. 480 attendees confronted the slopes of the Ossau valley.
The Aubisque climb is open to everyone: walkers, runners, rollerbladers… But the most numerous are the trailers. Among them, Vincent Loustau, who was the first to cross the finish line. He offered a personal best at 1 hour and 24 minutes for his third participation in the climb. “In 2019 I was 3rd, 2nd last year, first today, that’s the logical sequence !” rejoices the trailer. But he admits it: “It’s never easy, you don’t know who the competitors are going to be. I raced ahead but _it can always come back_. And you mustn’t explode because it’s still 1h30 of effort“.
The Cirque de Gourette as a reward
“After 18.7 km of running, the best gift we can give to runners is the splendid view of the circus of Gourette !“, says Pierre Hourcade, the race coordinator. “Upon arrival, no need to speak, just raise your head and contemplate the landscape !”
– Lolla Sauty
For this 35th edition, another surprise awaits the participants: cryotherapy tanks. “From cry’ossau therapy” corrects Pierre Hourcade. “Because we are in the Ossau valley, nowhere else“.”We make the runners believe that the ice cream comes from the glacier, but in reality it is the Lahouratate charcuterie that provides us with the ice cubes“. And nothing like it to recover the muscles after the effort.
An environmentally friendly race
Another point on which Pierre Hourcade wishes to insist is the respect the environment. “The event is organized by the French Alpine Club and we are obviously defenders of nature“, hammers the organizer.
So no plastic cups on the run. Each participant is given a soft cup to keep with him throughout the race and to be filled by volunteers at each supply point. “As they say, no arm no chocolate, here it’s no cup, no ravito!“.
The climb of the Aubisque is the 4th stage of the Ossau challenge whose prize-giving will take place on Friday, September 2 in Sévignacq-Meyracq.