| Rivo Andriamanalina, president of Utop during the press conference yesterday at the Radisson Blu. |
The UTOP steering committee led by its president Rivo Andriamanalina gathered the press yesterday at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Ambodivona to launch the fifteenth edition of the UTOP event. It will take place on May 10, 11 and 12 in the eastern part of Antananarivo, starting from the Lycée français d’Ambatobe Antananarivo, Marozevo, Mantasoa, Ambohimiadana, Soamanandray, Ambatobe.
This 2024 version will have a particular feature, that of bringing together more than three thousand runners united by the love of trail running which has become a benchmark sporting event in Madagascar combining sport, nature, environment and social aspect.
As expressed by the UTOP slogan “To each their own Everest”, the fifteenth edition with the usual distances will be marked by some new features, namely the 130 km race called “Eau Vive Master Challenge” which is the equivalent of the Ultra trail but it is done in three stages and three days: the X-TREM on Friday, the X-TRAIL on Saturday and the T-RAIL on Sunday. The second new feature is the 58 km race run in two stages linking Soamanandray-Ambatobe and Ambohimiadana Ambatobe. The third new feature is the 29 km T-Bike cycle route.
The UTOP event, with the confidence of its multiple partners, continues to acquire its international reputation thanks to its partnership with the Grand Raid Association of Reunion Island which organizes some of the most renowned races worldwide.
During his speech, Rivo Andriamanalina, president of the UTOP association explained that “the UTOP or Ultra trail des O plateaux is one of the largest international sporting events in Madagascar in terms of number of participants. For the fifteenth edition, no less than 3,000 runners are expected, including 100 runners of foreign nationalities with distinguished guests such as the steering committee of the Grand Raid de la Réunion, two Bourbon trail champions as well as a champion from the France “. The highlight of the fifteenth edition of UTOP is the great return of the Corsair X-TREM, a 56 km race linking Marozevo-Mantasoa. With its return, Corsair is the official transport of foreign participants who will come to Madagascar.
Michèle Rakotonaivo, the Corsair representative during the press conference explained that “Corsair aims to give visibility to the event beyond the border”.
The 2024 edition is made possible thanks to the support of Platinum partners such as Canal plus, MCB, Colas, Eau Vive, Miarakap, ArBiochem, Orange, Radisson Blu, Corsair, Lycée Français de Tananarive, Rio Tinto, among others.
Donné Raherinjatovo