Tor des Géants 2024 results: François D'Haene and Katharina Hartmuth the giants of TOR330

François D’Haene became just the second Frenchman in 15 years to win the overall title in the feature TOR330 at the Tor des Géants.

D’Haene jointly holds the record with ultrarunning GOAT Kilian Jornet as a four-time men’s winner of UTMB, trail running’s biggest event.

But this was his first appearance in the 330km race in the Italian Alps which features over 24,000 metres of climbing and over three days and three nights, it threw almost every sort of weather at the runners – rain, wind and even snow.

The men’s race was close for much of the time before D’Haene made the decisive move – nine years after Patrick Bohard became the first Frenchman to win.

D’Haene crossed the finish line in Courmayeur at 7:08am with a final time of 69 hours, eight minutes and 32 seconds.

But in the women’s standings it was one-way traffic throughout as Switzerland’s Katharina Hartmuth claimed a record-breaking win – and finished seventh overall.

She clocked an incredible time of 79:10:40, the first woman to finish the TOR330 in less than 80 hours.

Men’s race

For much of the time it turned into an absorbing battle between Frenchmen – first of all it looked to be between Louis Calais and D’Haene, though Martin Perrier (SUI) had been in touch towards the end of day one.

Around this time American star John Kelly’s frustrating record in the race had been extended as he was a DNF.

Through the second night and Calais maintained a relatively slim advantage of around an hour on D’Haene.

But there was a strong move behind as Beñat Marmissolle (FRA), after sleeping almost five hours at the Rifugio Barma, went out in the night and powered his way from ninth to third.

Perrier had dropped back by this point, with Andrea Macchi (ITA) and Britain’s Damian Hall in fourth and fifth respectively, positions they would occupy at the finish – where the latter would make a protest against Ford being a partner of the race.

But who would reach Courmayeur first?

The decisive move came at Ollomont, when D’Haene pulled off an overtake on Calais that had seemed unthinkable just a few hours earlier.

And soon after sunrise on Wednesday he became the new King of the TOR, at Col du Malatrà, the Paradise’s Gate, while Calais started to struggle and began to drop down the field.

François D'Haene crosses the finish line at the Tor des Geants [Photo credit: Tor des Géants press office | Alessandro Zambianchi - Zzam Agency] — François D’Haene crosses the finish line [Photo credit: Tor des Géants press office | Alessandro Zambianchi – Zzam Agency]

Just over four hours later at 11.10am, it was Marmissolle would follow D’Haene across the line to take second place.

“I am really thrilled to have finished this race and to have done so with a victory, which I never thought possible,” D’Haene said at the finish line.

“I was happy to experience it with my family and friends who supported me. Finishing the Tor des Géants makes you forget the pain, though I still need to recover before thinking about coming back.

“I slept only one hour in total, and the hardest moment was Sunday night with the snow at Col Loson, but the best was yesterday morning with the Matterhorn in the background.”

Women’s race

Hartmuth was the first woman throughout – and on record pace from the outset too.

She was hours ahead of Sabrina Verjee (GBR), the previous record holder, in second, with Claire Bannwarth (FRA) third.

Katharina crossed the finish line on Wednesday evening in 79:10:40. No woman had ever finished the TOR330 in less than 80 hours.

Verjee came very close in 2022 when she stopped the clock at 80:19:38, a performance that surprised everyone given the previous record was five hours slower. Verjee was second to Hartmuth this year in 84:03:21.

Hartmuth said afterwards: “Last year, I knew I wouldn’t finish the race. This year, the goal was just to finish the race, and I definitely didn’t expect this result.

“I knew the Tor des Géants would be tough, but it’s also beautiful. It was a race on my list, a dream, and I often told myself, ‘You’re living a dream.’ It was my first race lasting more than one night, and I managed to sleep only 45 minutes last night.”