On Friday night, two of this yr’s quickest and most completed ultra-trail athletes on this planet took prime honours at Grand Raid de la Réunion (also referred to as the Diagonale des Fous, or “Diagonal of Fools”), the 167.3-km mountain race on Reunion Island within the Indian Ocean, between Madagascar and Mauritius. The 2023 Hardrock 100 champion, France’s Aurélien Dunand-Pallaz, and final yr’s UTMB champion, Katie Schide of the U.S., have been the primary female and male athletes to reach on the end. Dunand-Pallaz is simply the third athlete to win each the Hardrock 100 and Diagonale des Fous in the identical yr (the opposite two are Courtney Dauwalter in 2022 and Julien Chorier in 2011).
Dunand-Pallaz, 30, led from gun to tape in his first look on the race, which two-time Quebec Mega Path champion Kelsey Hogan described as “brutally difficult” in a characteristic about her expertise eventually yr’s race printed in Canadian Working’s path particular problem. The course crosses the island from south to north, whereas runners climb a stunning 10,000m; and the race begins at 9 p.m., so the primary eight hours are spent in darkness. Dunand-Pallaz completed in 23 hours, 21 minutes and 23 seconds, virtually an hour forward of his compatriot, Germain Grangier, who completed second at UTMB in September; Grangier was once more second on Friday, in 24:00:54. Jean-Philippe Tschumi of Switzerland was third, in 24:28:36.
Schide, who completed eleventh general, crossed the road in 26:34:26. On the time of publication she was the one feminine finisher; Camille Bruyas of France was in second place and Emilie Maroteaux, additionally of France, was in third place.
Francois D’Haene, who has received this race 4 occasions, managed an eighth-place end Friday in 29:12:41, after coping with a foot fracture and hip damage for the previous a number of months.
Aurélien Dunand-Pallaz wins the 2023 #DiagonaleDesFous in 23:21:23!
Having received the @hardrock100 earlier this yr, Aurélien joins @courtdauwalter (2022) and Julien Chorier (2011) as the one individuals to have received @GrandRaid974 and @hardrock100 in the identical calendar yr.
— Liam (@aidstationfireb) October 20, 2023
Due to the race’s shut relationship with Quebec Mega Path, there are a number of Canadians on the course, together with 2023 Quebec Mega Path champion Kevin Biggs and 2022 Quebec Mega Path second-place finisher Jeff Cauchon.
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