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On the Trail of the OCC

Ross Bibby

It may only be March, but already I find myself celebrating my first two major “achievements” of the year: 1) I am not injured (yippee). 2) I was finally able to gain a ballot entry into the OCC race in August in 2018. Its a measure of how popular a race is when it sells out by 345%, but I have been trying for three years to get a place in it. The OCC (or Orsieres- Champex- Chamonix) is the shortest version in the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc series of races, with the UTMB arguably the most prestigious trail running race in the world.

 

Some might say the OCC is a “mickey mouse” race, but they tend to be the “runners” who spend most of their time walking longer races, so don’t listen to them! A 55k race with 3500m ascent and descent in the Swiss and French Alps is long and hard enough for me thanks, especially as I intend to run most of it as hard as I can (in anything from intense heat to extreme cold, and with some fairly high passes).

 

Indeed it will be my longest race to date and is part of a long term (fairly loose) plan to run all the UTMB races in order, so starting with the OCC, then CCC, TDS and finally the UTMB……………..to carry on reading click here!

 

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