Mad’Yard

“Mad”, really? Them? Never 😱. But you’re about to become one after taking part in this FO-LIE event! 🫨

La Léchère, Valmorel, Savoie, Tarentaise, French Alps ⛰️, melting snow ❄️, trails that climb and a May sun playing hide-and-seek with the clouds... 🌤️ Need us to tell you more to make you want to lace up? 👟 Because honestly, the views to wow at the Savoy mountains 📈 and air that stings your lungs in a good way 🫁, here, even suffering comes with style 😎. You really have to not enjoy mountain running to resist the call of the Mad'Yard 🏔️.

Baby of the family Mad'Trail 👶, this novelty joins the lineup of the wild events that runners in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes have a knack for inventing. The premise? A Backyard Ultra format pure and simple: a 6 km loop with 200 meters of elevation gain, to be repeated every hour, as many times as you wish... or rather, as many times as your legs will allow! 😬 And since it’s the 1st of May 💐, know that while others parade with banners, you parade with your trail shoes 🏃. It’s another form of activism. The activism of those who love to hurt themselves beautifully 💪.

On the course, we won’t lie to you: 6 km, that sounds short. And it is. The first lap you’re fresh, smiling 😀, waving to everyone 👋, taking photos 📸. The second, you’re still in good shape. The third, you start counting rocks. The fourth... let’s say the view over the Tarentaise and the snowy peaks 🏔️ starts to make sense at that moment, because you need something beautiful to cling to in order to keep going 😂. The trails of the Vallées d'Aigueblanche take you into a Savoy postcard scenery 🎫 : alpages, forests, rocky slopes, and views of the Alps that remind you why you came here instead of staying on the couch 🛋️. And to think that in winter, these same slopes host skiers who have no idea what you’re going through... 🎿

What makes the Mad'Yard truly unique, and that’s where the format Backyard Ultra is a genius invention (or crazy, depending on your view 🤪), is that there will be only one finisher who crosses the line last before the time runs out. One. Uno. Ein. 1️⃣ No podium for three ❌, no medal for everyone 🥇. The last runner still in the race to wrap their loop within the allotted time takes the prize 🏆. All others are eliminated, one by one, as the hours pass 🫣. This isn’t a race against the clock ⏱️, it’s a race against yourself, against your mind that starts telling you stories around the fourth or fifth loop 🧠. “You could stop there, you’ve done well 👍.” “Aren’t you a bit hungry? 😋” “It’s going to rain ☔️.” Your brain, your worst enemy 😅. The Mad'Yard, it’s the ultimate mental test disguised as a little mountain jog 🫡.

And when you hand back your bib, whether after 2 loops or 12, La Léchère welcomes you with open arms for a proper recovery 🤗. Because yes, the Savoy Alps don’t do things halfway on the dining front either 🍽️. Head to the village restaurants for a well-deserved fondue savoyarde 🧀 (with local cheese, obviously, we’re in Savoy after all 😎), or a tartiflette that will recharge your batteries in record time 🔋. The terraces of La Léchère in spring is a treat in itself: a glass of Roussette de Savoie 🍷 with a view of still-snowy peaks, that’s the kind of finish you don’t plan for but you don’t forget (beware, alcohol should be consumed in moderation ⚠️). And if you’ve still got energy left (which would surprise us a lot, but you never know 🙃) the area is full of treasures to explore: charming villages 🏘️, and of course the thermes of La Léchère, to give your legs a fresh jolt before heading back on the road ✨.

In the end, there will be only one! 🫵