Boucheix, a 30-year-old Parisian known in the middle of the trail under the nickname "green cap", chained the 11,500 meters of elevation gain at a hellish pace through the four alpine massifs of Vercors, Taillefer, Belledonne and Chartreuse.

Frenchman Alexandre Boucheix, during the Ultra tour of the four massifs (Vercors, Taillefer, Belledonne and Chartreuse), on July 21, 2022 in Lans-en-Vercors OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE AFP

His direct pursuer, Nicolas Prin, was expected an hour and a half later.

"I am tired and very happy. I am in a calamitous physical state, I had a very difficult time in Belledonne, there was a huge downpour which surprised us, I went from an ultra hot state to ultra cold," Boucheix said.

He signed his first victory in this intense event which recorded a hundred retirements out of the 256 starters - including 15 women - after 98 km of racing.

They were already 33 to give up after 40 km of course, at the base of Vif (Massif du Vercors).

Frenchman Alexandre Boucheix encourages other participants, during the Ultra tour of the four massifs (Vercors, Taillefer, Belledonne and Chartreuse), on July 21, 2022 in Lans-en-Vercors OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE AFP

"I didn't have the training I needed to run this type of format. And the heat meant that many of us from the first evening were + in it +. At Vif, many wondered how they were doing do to continue the race", told AFP Mathias Hivert, who stopped at Rioupéroux (km 87) after 19 hours of racing, just like his brother Joévin after a long hesitation.

The competitors set off from Seyssins (Isère) on Friday afternoon under a heat peak of nearly 40 degrees.

According to race director Yves Martineu, "there was a wave of retirements at the foot of the Vercors but nothing unreasonable": "Some had heat strokes but it wasn't just the heat. Others didn't "Had more legs or were surprised by the relief. It's a demanding course, the descent from the Col de l'Arc hurt my legs a lot," he said.

Frenchman Alexandre Boucheix contemplates the valley, during the Ultra tour of the four massifs (Vercors, Taillefer, Belledonne and Chartreuse), on July 21, 2022 in Lans-en-Vercors OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE AFP

At 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, the race management had recorded 128 abandonments, a rate of 50%.

Competitors have until Sunday 7 p.m. to cross the finish line.

© 2022 AFP