Skip to main content Buy your ski passes now
SeeCourchevel

La Frappadingue 2015

A crazy annual 12km obstacle course in Le Praz

featured in Events reviews Author Gemma Hunt, Courchevel Reporter Updated

La Frappadingue took place on Sunday in Courchevel Le Praz and despite a very grey start the sun actually peaked out to shine on the brave runners. This is a ‘fun run’ of 12km with obstacles. Now, I have done a fair few mud runs in my time in the UK but they do not compare to this!

A run of ‘just 12km with a few obstacles', not too tricky you might think. A few minutes after the claxon sounds runners are racing up alongside the ski jump in Le Praz, a steep start! The obstacles that I witnessed included walking the plank into Le Praz lake and swimming across, there were some loch ness monster looking competitors at the other end with runners covered in weeds and some very soggy trainers for the final leg.

It is a great event with fun stamped all over it. Most people were in teams and there were some amazing fancy dress efforts, I saw prisoners, fairies, Barbie dolls, superheroes, Smurfs, brides, turtles and mankinis! The start groups are staggered throughout the morning and there was a great atmosphere with an entertaining warm-up for each group.

Some were obviously taking it more seriously than others with the non-fancy dress participants arriving at the finish line first to collect their well-deserved medal. Also a great event for spectators to be able to cheer the runners over the numerous obstacles and the ski lift was also open if people fancied walking the course.

There was also a camping site right next to the start for runners travelling from further afield. Maybe not everyone’s idea of fun for a Sunday morning but I will certainly be trying to get a team together for next year!

Location

Map of the surrounding area