We’re delighted to share an exclusive Tor des Géants race report from one of the most respected and loved figures in the ultra-running community, photographer Jamie Rutherford. Known for capturing the raw emotion of the sport through his lens, Jamie brings the same eye for detail and human connection to his writing.
Out on the course this year, Jamie not only documented the highs and lows of this brutal Alpine epic but also spoke with some of the race’s standout athletes, including John Kelly, Kim Collison, Sophie Grant, and Anna Buckingham. Their stories, woven together with Jamie’s striking photography, reveal the sheer blood, sweat, and tears it takes to complete one of the world’s most demanding ultras.
Head pounding, heart pumping, legs screaming. The sun beats down and you draw a breath of thin air at 2571m. This is the summit of Col D’Arp and the first of the 25 massive climbs in the 330km Tor des Geants (TDG). Only 320km and 24 more of these to go…and you probably won’t get much sleep until you finish.
Most people would consider it madness to spend multiple days running around the Aosta valley in Italy and putting themselves through conditions and circumstances which will likely render them bruised, bloody and broken, but then most people don’t even know the TDG exists. For those that do it represents adventure, community and a journey like no other.
Starting and finishing in Courmayeur and circumnavigating the Aosta valley whilst passing by the 4 giant mountains of Monte Rosa, Matterhorn, Gran Paradiso and Mont Blanc, this route entices trail runners from all over the world who know that a proper challenge awaits them. The Bob Graham round, the Pennine Way, UTMB, Marathon des Sables. All of these are respectable challenges and races to undertake but without doubt the TDG is the HARDEST race on the planet. That being the case, you might be asking yourself why even cross the start line? Why put yourself through all of this, and maybe not even make it to the finish? I was lucky enough to be able to spend some time in Courmayeur following the 2025 TDG and try to understand more about the race, and why you’d be brave enough to take it on…
For Sophie Grant, a Kiwi ultra runner returning for her third time, it’s the community surrounding the race that keeps her coming back. She admits many races have great support, but something about this one is different:
“The whole valley gets into this race. There’s a heart to it. There are people in this valley who will take the week off work just to go out and support runners they don’t know, because this race is so much a part of their makeup. They are just there for it and for you, and you really feel that.”
Refugios (high altitude mountain huts, a bit like a YHA but more fun) which might normally be closed for the season, often stay open from the goodness of their own heart, just to provide support to the runners.
Sophie explains, “They do that because they love this race and the fact that people from all over are coming to do this”, and she is right, the atmosphere at the refugios is incredible! With their high vantage points they often have a perfect view of the race route and can see runners approaching from a long way away. They acknowledge this and support the runners on their approach by ringing a huge rack of multiple cowbells which can be heard all around the valley. Even the weariest of souls would struggle to not be roused by this and take a few more steps onward.
And the smallest of gestures can often mean the most, which for Sophie is the thought of freshly squeezed orange juice at the Perloz aid station, “They don’t have to do that, it’s the little things like that make you really understand how much this race means to the valley”. It is plain to see what Sophie means as you move around the valley. Houses, shops, bus shelters – all are adorned with TDG flags and banners. It is hard to escape the feeling that Aosta is in love with the TDG, and the runners that take on every step of the 330km route.
You can read the full feature, including Jamie’s interviews and photography, exclusively on our RunUltra Substack. Free subscribers can unlock one premium story and if you’d like to support more work like this, you can upgrade anytime to get full access.
