Four Wheelchairs Are Taking On the UTMB Route
170 kilometers, about 10,000 meters of climbing, and a question nobody has answered on wheels.
On Friday, August 28 at 11 a.m., four wheelchair athletes leave Chamonix to take on the UTMB route. Delia Guggenheim of Switzerland, Aubin Barillon and Caroline Fruchaud of France, and Federico Rossi of Italy. The project is called HOPE, organized jointly by the UTMB Group and Marathon des Sables. They expect to finish Sunday afternoon.
170 kilometers. Roughly 10,000 meters of elevation gain. All-terrain wheelchairs, modified where needed. Each athlete travels with a rotating crew of six to eight people, plus a nurse or doctor.
"HOPE represents exactly what we want to drive forward: not just talking about inclusion, but equipping ourselves to make it happen." Michel Poletti, UTMB Group co-founder.
Cyril Gauthier, director of Marathon des Sables, said the initiative aims at making the mountains increasingly accessible and changing perceptions of disability through the power of the team. The loop has humbled far better equipped fields on two legs. This one is a team effort by design.