Races

Nice Côte d'Azur 100M

Auron to Nice, FranceSeptember

Auron in the Mercantour. One hundred sixty-five kilometers to the Promenade des Anglais. Mediterranean heat below. Alpine cols above. The sea at the finish.

165 km+8,900 m-10,129 m50 hours6 m to 2,672 mtech 8/10point-to-pointMaritime AlpsUTMB World SeriesSeptember
Distance165 km
Gain+8,900 m
Loss-10,129 m
Altitude6 m to 2,672 m
Technicality8/10
Air50°F to 90°F
Gradient profile
  • Start5,225 ft
  • High8,766 ft
  • Low21 ft
  • Finish42 ft

Terrain

trail70%jeep25%paved5%

The cruxCabane des Chasseurs and the Venanson to Utelle ridge

Course DNA

The Course

Starts in Auron above the Tinée valley. Saint-Etienne-de-Tinée to Cabane des Chasseurs is the opening statement: 1,363 meters of gain before km 17. Collelongue and Isola Village drop into the valley before climbing again toward Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée. Venanson and Granges de la Brasque traverse the mid-course ridges. Utelle and Levens turn toward the coast. Tourrette-Levens, Drap, and Plateau Saint-Michel are late crew points with steep grades near km 87 on the profile. Finish on the Nice waterfront. More loss than gain on paper because the course dives toward the sea.

The Work

Heat and vert in the same race. Train climbing in warm conditions. Long descents that pound quads before the coastal push. Fifty-hour cutoff means pacing discipline across two nights. Practice hiking grades above 20 percent on loose Maritime Alps terrain.

Kit

Mandatory kit for UTMB World Series. Sun protection for exposed ridges. Cooling layers for valley heat. Headlamp for two nights. Poles for the Tinée and Venanson climbs. Salt and fluid plan for warm low elevations late in the race.

Race Day

Cabane des Chasseurs is the first real filter. Isola and Saint-Sauveur are crew anchors. Do not underestimate the Venanson section in afternoon sun. Utelle to Levens feels like the coast is close. It is not. The final drops into Nice reward patience on battered legs.