A huge participation again this year for the 12th edition of the LUX* Royal Raid by City Sport. They will be 1,120 trailers at the starting blocks for the three races scheduled for the 13th of May. The main event, the 80 km trail, will be particularly competitive with the participation of prominent regional figures. There will be 28 nationalities for this competition. The organising committee has met the media today, Thursday 4th of May, at the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) to give more details about this year’s edition.
Albert d’Unienville, Manager of LUX* Sports, co-organiser of the event, is more than pleased with the number of participants this year. “The LUX* Royal Raid continues to attract more trailers, internationally too. There is a keen interest not only for the race, but also for the discipline, which combines the passion for this sport to the joy of discovering the most beautiful landscapes of the island. This is also what motivated us to organise for the first time the “Salon du Trail Royal Raid”, which will be held on the 12th and 13th of May at the finish line, in front of the Tamassa at Bel Ombre. This will not only be an opportunity to offer the best running equipment from City Sport under one roof, but it will also allow visitors to discover the Royal Raid partner races in the region and in France,” says Albert.
“This year, City Sport has strengthened its support to LUX* Royal Raid, which is the first trail race in Mauritius. Over the years, the event has witnessed the evolution of the discipline in the island. It has even contributed, as an ambassador, to make the country a trail destination”, indicates Dominique Filleul, CEO of City Sport Mauritius.
All eyes will be on the Mauritian Simon Desvaux, winner of the 2016 edition. He completed the 80 km race in 7 hours and 20 minutes, in front of Johny Olivar, and the Mauritian Jean Will Smith. In the ladies category, Marcelle Puy from Reunion Island took the lead, while the Mauritian Tatiana Bathfield came third. This year, the competition will be fierce with the top 5 trailers from Reunion, namely Freddy Thévenin, Jeannick Sery, Perrine Tramoni, Camille Bruyas, and Raymond Fontaine among the participants.
The 35 km and 15 km races will start at 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. respectively. The 80 km trailers will start at Parc de Casela, while the starting point for those participating in the 35 km run will be at Jet Ranch, Mare Longue. The 15 km participants will start at Bel Ombre, near l’Atelier du Savoir.