Samaya x Ultra Spirit
BEHIND THE SCENES OF RACE ORGANIZATION
For the second year running, Samaya is a partner of the Ultra Spirit, whose second edition took place on September 22, 23 and 24, 2023. The event brought together 40 teams and 120 participants for 3 days of racing and 2 nights in a bivouac. Immerse yourself in the world of the Ultra Spirit, from the perspective of both the organizers and the runners.
The transition from the first to the second edition of the Ultra Spirit has seen a significant increase in the number of teams taking part. What does this mean in terms of organization and logistics?
Maxime Schuler: In terms of organization, we went from 25 teams of 3, i.e. 75 riders and 75 volunteer staff, to 40 teams of 3, i.e. 120 riders and 80 staff. This meant that 200 people had to be accommodated in the bivouac at an altitude of 2,000 metres. This increase in the number of participants had real consequences in terms of logistics. We added a large collective tepee 10 meters in diameter, a heated changing tent with a stove and water supplies for brushing teeth. We juggle the ultra-light, compact and mobile bivouac spirit with slightly heavier infrastructures to accommodate a large audience. From the riders' point of view, the number of tents has increased, and few operators would be able to put out such a large park. For us, working with Samaya is a real added value. Added to this is the quality of the materials, because we experienced rain on the first day, snow on the second, wind and humidity: all elements that have an impact on the riders' rest periods.
All this organizational work has gone into creating a new ultra trail format, and that's what Ultra Spirit participants are looking for. How do you feel about this?
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MS : Indeed, the Ultra Spirit marks a return to the origins of the ultra trail, i.e. setting off into the mountains with friends, bivouacking, not necessarily worrying about the time, but rather living the adventure to the full while enjoying the territory. The Ultra Spirit offers a truly original, unique and extremely convivial format. What we remember is the smile on our faces in Beaufort at the end of 3 days, when all the runners arrive at the end of the race at the same time, having slept in the snow at 0 degrees, covered 100 kilometers and climbed 9000 meters.
As Ultra Spirit is aimed at runners, you've gathered testimonials from the teams, particularly on managing sleep time and rest over 3 days of racing and 2 nights in bivouac. Can you share them with us?
MS : The thing that came back the most was that it was better not to have a snorer on the team! Most of the riders would have liked to have been able to sleep a little earlier in the evening, but once they were in the tent, they were really comfortable, especially as it was very, very cold outside. They'd come shivering into the tent, but once inside, deep in their sleeping bags, it was much better, even with the deluge overhead.
