Mandala of Mont-Blanc: first and foremost a mountain adventure
There are races around Mont-Blanc.
And then there are adventures. The real kind. The ones where you have no markings, no official timing, no inflatable arch.
Just a GPS track. Your pack. Your legs. Your will.
The Mandala of Mont-Blanc by Raidlight, created by Bruno Poirier (also organizer of the legendary Great Himal Race), invites you to draw your own circle around the roof of Europe.
151 km. 7400 m ascent. Two aid stations. One rule: return to Chamonix.
Halfway between committed ultra-trail and personal pilgrimage, the Mandala doesn’t impose a route… it invites you to design your own.
A radical, pure, almost spiritual challenge.
An unmarked ultra trail: an alternative to the UTMB born in 2020
Born in 2020, in the middle of the health crisis and in the shadow of a canceled UTMB, the Mandala of Mont-Blanc is a simple answer to a deep question:
What if we went back to basics?
Bruno Poirier, runner and craftsman of great crossings like the Great Himal Race, decided that day to make his own UTMB. Not virtual. Not on a screen.
A real loop, in one go, with two aid stations and a GPS track.
25 followed him. A tradition was born.
“Mont-Blanc is the center. Runners draw their own circle. Everyone traces their Mandala.”
Since then, each edition attracts runners seeking meaning. No finisher t-shirt, no medal. But a finish line in Chamonix… and a closed circle.
Asimina’s experience at the Mandala of Mont-Blanc: an improvised adventure
In 2025, Asimina, Raidlight ambassador, didn’t plan to participate.
She was in the Alps preparing for the Tor des Glaciers.
But when she heard about this unmarked race, she didn’t hesitate.
“I saw there were no markings… and I said yes immediately. These are exactly the races I’m looking for. The ones where you have to be present at every step.”
It was her first ultra in several months, after an injury. Yet her story is intensely vivid.
“During the race, everything fades away. What you carry in your head or heart… up there, only clarity remains. A freshness in the soul.”
Navigating in the wild, with yourself
The Mandala is a race without tape. No signs. No arrows.
You move forward with your GPS track. You manage your sleep, your water, your food.
“You have to have everything with you. Not just in your pack, but in your soul. If you don’t support your own being, no one will do it for you.”
Luckily, Asimina can count on her Raidlight pack, perfectly fitted:
“Comfortable, snug, no compression. Not to mention my poles, always there. A real support for body and mind.”
A minimalist format, maximum intensity
The start is at 4 a.m., in front of the church in Chamonix.
Goal: avoid “visually uninteresting” zones by day, and save the most beautiful passes for morning light.
The official route follows the 2003 UTMB itinerary, with two major differences:
- passing through the Col des Four
climbing the Col de Balme, finishing with a view over Chamonix.
Between the two, everyone is free to add their own variants (Col du Tricot, Fenêtre d’Arpette, etc.), raising the challenge up to 156 km and over 10,000 m ascent.
“We don’t promise ease,” sums up Bruno. “But we offer truth. Effort, silence, autonomy.”
Mandala of Mont-Blanc 2025: shared emotion
8 starters. 18 finishers.
A handful of aborted attempts… but also strong stories.
And for Asimina: a Mandala of Mont-Blanc that must have given her confidence before her big 2025 challenge: the Tor des Glaciers.
Why do the Mandala of Mont-Blanc?
Because you’re looking for another way to run.
Because you want less noise, more truth.
It’s a race that leaves a mark, not just on your legs, but in your memory. And that’s why Raidlight supports this off-the-beaten-path race.
Next edition: July 10-11, 2026
Distance: 151 km (or more, depending on your mandala)
Elevation gain: 7400 to 10,900 m ascent
Click here for more information on the Mandala of Mont-Blanc.
