This episode of the podcast is a trip report about running a trail race in the Alps with lots of details about how trail races go in France. We also talk about learning French as an adult and how to put together a great family vacation in France. Annie's Favs on Amazon   My guest is Mollie Cummins from the beautiful alpine city of Park City, UT. She's used to running trail races at altitude, and yet the Trail du Tour des Fiz in the French Alps was definitely a challenge. Let's talk about what made it so. Hint: the weather had something to do with it! Mollie's Trail Race in the Alps Mollie would love to circumnavigate around the Mont Blanc aka Tour du Mont Blanc. But that was difficult to organize with children because it takes 5 days and the kids are too young for it. They knew they could only come to France in July, so she looked for races taking place in the Alps in July and found the Trail du Tour des Fiz that starts in a ski resort called Passy. It's in an area just north west of Chamonix. The race itself is at very high altitude. You shuttle to the start of the race from a large store and parking area (Mountain Store Decathlon). There Are Multiple Distances Offered There are multiple distances you can enter. There is a lot of vertical gain, more than what runners in the US are used to, it's very steep.  But if you're not up to a long steep race, they also offer a kid's race, a 15K (9 miles) up to 84K (50 miles) which is the full tour plus other races in between. Those Races Fill Up Fast! Mollie normally runs ultra races, she intended to run one of the longer races but it was full. So, she had to go with the 15K. This is a popular event, the longer one fills up within a day or two of opening up for booking. She was on a wait list for the 8 refuge tour (39 miles or 64K), but she didn't manage to get in, possibly due to a computer problem. Balcon des Fiz 15K Race But there was still space in the Balcon des Fiz race, a 15K. Her husband decided to join her for that race as well. It's nice because it doesn't take up the whole day. It's still very steep, you run up the ski slopes and go the various chalets. It's lovely, for instance you get to see the cows with the bells around their necks. Bad Weather Bad luck, it was a muddy and rainy day. Mollie doesn't mind running in the rain and playing in the mud, but she didn't get to see the scenic landscape because it was overcast that day. Mollie and her husband Brendan were the only two Americans in the race. It is uncommon for Americans to sign up for this race so they fussed over them when they crossed the finish line, which was lovely. When you finish the race they give you a special beer for racers and there's a meal catered by a local restaurant called La Poêle Géante that was the best post-race meal she ever had. It was cheap too around 10€. Mandatory Certificat Médical for Racers In France you need medical clearance to enter a race. They take this very seriously. If you don't submit the medical paperwork you will not run. Mollie found the form here. Some of these races also have mandatory lists of gear. In this particular race they had a list of gear but they didn't get checked. But in the longer races they do get checked and if they don't have the gear that will keep them safe they are booted out of the race. Rating the Organization of the Race The race is really well organized, well-marked. There are a good number of people ready to jump in just in case runners experience difficulties. But this is a long race, anyone who stops running for any reason needs to get dry clothes and stay warm. Runners should not abdicate their own responsibility when it comes to running this trail race safely. They shouldn't rely only on markings. They need to look at maps  and get familiar with the turns and terrain. They must have proper equipment. Ravitaillement: Water, Fruits, Small Cakes In the shorter race there were points where you could get water, drinks to replenish electrolytes, fruit