The joy of finishing

It is not the winning, not even the taking part but the finishing that counts. The annual Championnat de Canigou took place today, 34 kms and 2200 metres of ascent to the summit of le Canigou, 2786 metres. The winner was Michel Lanne whose time was 3 hours 3 minutes - astonishing. A new record was established by the porteurs de glace or ice carriers. The race began in 1905 in homage to the ice carriers who went up daily in summer to collect ice from the summit to supply the smart hotels. They were of course paid peanuts. The record today for the collection and porterage of 8 kilos of ice was 4 hours 10 minutes.
The race includes the ascent of the notorious Cheminée.
More photos of the finish are here.