Running
Great Himalaya Trail (GHT), 1200 km across Nepal
Story of Philippe and Anna Gatta running along the high route of the Great Himalaya Trail. Philippe aimed to cover the full 1,700km route in just 40 days, while Anna planned to run 670km.
Via Alpina – 1000 Km across the Alps
Wishing to run across the Triglav, Dolomites, Tyrol, la Bavaria, Interlaken…, they decided to follow a combination of the red and green Trail of the Via Alpina. To limit the overall distance to 1,000 km, they decided to start in the Triglav National Park (Slovenia) and finish in Chamonix (France). From the Triglav, they followed the Red Trail across Italy, Austria, Germany to Lichtenstein. From there, they switched to the Green trail to Lenk in Switzerland. After Lenk, they made their own trail to Chamonix, France.
Himal Race, 1000 Km across Nepal
The Himal Race is an extreme running race which starts at the Annapurna Base camp, crosses the Himalayas to finish at the Mt. Everest base camp. The races covers a distance of 1,050 km with 80,000 meters of ascent in 23 days.
Marathon des Sables, Morocco
The Marathon des Sables (Marathon of Sands) is a mythic race, a race that all ultra-distance runners must do at least once. Despite its name, it’s not a Marathon but a +200km race with 6 stages, including a 80 km non-stop stage. The race takes places in Morocco in the Sahara desert.
Everest Sky Race, Nepal
The Everest Sky Race is probably one of the nicest trail running races in the world. It takes place in the Khumbu regnio in Nepal, around famous 8000 meters; Cho Oyu (8153 m), Lhoste (8501 m), Lhoste Shar (8383 m), Makalu (8463 m) and Mt. Everest (8850 m).
Wadi Rum Race, Jordan
The Jordan race started in the beautiful Wadi Rum desert, then crossed 3 more desert: Kharaza, Humaima and Wadi Araba to finish in the ancient city of Petra. There are 6 stages in 7 days: almost 4 Marathons in 4 days, then 87 km, a rest day and a final stage of 7 km.
Spine Challenger, UK
The Spine Challenger is a winter, non-stop, Ultra-trail which takes place in England along the Pennine Way. Philippe won the 2013 edition an set a new record.
Gobi March, China
The Gobi March is a 250 km running race which takes place in the Gobi desert, around Kashgar. There are 6 stages in 7 days: almost 4 Marathons in 4 days, then 75 km, a rest day and a final stage of 16 km. Philippe ranked 3rd in this edition.
Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB), France, Switzerland and Italy
The Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) is an amazing long distance trail accros three countries: France, Switzerland and Italy. It circles the Mont Blanc Massif covering a distance of roughly 170 km with 10,000 m of ascent.
Great Divide Trail (GDT), 300 Km across Canada
After the GHT and the Via Alpina, Anna and Philippe left for another long traverse across the Canadian Rocky Mountains. They planned to run 600 km along the GDT but nothing went as planned : rain, snow storm, bears, mud, mosquitoes and injuries. Ultimately they made 300 km in harsh conditions.
Kungsleden and Kebnekaise, Sweden
The Kungsleden is a 440 km long trail stretching from Hemavan in the south to Abisko in the north, 250 km above the arctic circle in an area called Lapland.
Atacama Crossing, Chile
The Atacama Crossing is a 250 km (155 miles) running race which takes place in the Atacama desert, around San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. There are 6-stages in 7 days: almost 4 Marathons in 4 days, then 74 km, a rest day and a final stage of 11 km.
Madagascar Race
The Madagascar Race is a 250 km (155 miles) running race which is part of 4 Deserts Roving Race series. The 2014 edition started in the north of Madagascar, close to the city of Antsiranana and went South – Soutwest to finish at the city of Ambilobe. There were 6 stages in 7 days: almost 4 Marathons in 4 days, then 77 km, a rest day and a final stage of 10 km.
Sahara Race, Egypt
The Sahara Race is a 250 km running race which takes place in the Sahara desert, 130 km Southwest of Cairo, Egypt. There are 6-stages in 7 days: almost 4 Marathons in 4 days, then 86 km, a rest day and a final short stage of 2 km. Philippe ranked 6th.
Philippe has run over 80,000 km across the world, which is twice the circumference of the Earth. He has a passion for running that has taken him through mountain trails, deserts, and jungles. On this website, you can discover Philippe’s adventures through his stories, photos, and information.