Casa Alianza Suisse est fière de s’associer pour la première fois à l’UTMB Mont-Blanc lors de l'édition 2026 grâce aux dossards solidaires.
Chaque année, l’UTMB réunit des milliers de traileuses et traileurs autour du Mont-Blanc. Par leur engagement, les coureuses et coureurs solidaires permettent à Casa Alianza de renforcer son action auprès des enfants en situation de vulnérabilité en Amérique centrale et au Mexique.
Nous remercions l’UTMB Mont-Blanc et la Commission Solidarité des Amis de l’UTMB Mont-Blanc, ainsi que toutes celles et ceux qui s’engagent pour donner du sens à cette aventure. Parmi eux, Éric, Alexander et Dennis, dont vous découvrirez ici les motivations.
Éric
How long have you been running, and why? Is this your first time participating in the UTMB Mont-Blanc?
I’ve been trail running for about fifteen years—I love running in the mountains!! This is my third time running the CCC.
Why did you choose to support Casa Alianza Switzerland? What does this mean to you?
My wife volunteered at Casa Alianza when we lived in Mexico 30 years ago, so my choice for a charity bib naturally fell on Casa Alianza. I’m happy to be able to contribute to your projects.
A word of encouragement or a message for the other runners and the UTMB community (athletes, organizations, etc.).
Thank you to all the volunteers and their good spirits, which make this race more enjoyable for us, even during the tough moments (and there will be some :))
Alexander
How long have you been running, and why? Is this your first time participating in the UTMB Mont-Blanc?
I’ve been running for about 20 years. When I started my first job, I lost control of my schedule and couldn’t make it to rugby practice anymore. That’s when I took up running. I love exploring nature and the mountains. It gives me a sense of inner peace that’s hard to find in today’s world. I also like to burn off the calories after intense training sessions! This year will be my first time running the UTMB, after having completed the CCC in 2024.
Why did you choose to support Casa Alianza Switzerland? What does this mean to you?
I feel incredibly lucky to be able to practice this sport that I enjoy so much, but I’m fully aware of just how much of a privilege it is. Casa Alianza Suisse helps young people who are struggling and who don’t have the same opportunities as many of us. I think it’s important to remember that, and I’m proud to support Casa Alianza Suisse. I thank them for everything they do. Plus, since I have South American roots, their work in the region means even more to me.
A word of encouragement or a message for the other runners and the UTMB community (athletes, organizations, etc.).
I hope all runners enjoy the “emotional roller coaster” they’ll experience during their race, regardless of the result.
I’d also like to thank all the volunteers who make this sport possible. Trail running, at its core, is a humble sport with strong values, and I hope my children will be able to appreciate it in the same way 30 years from now.
Finally, I encourage everyone to support Casa Alianza Suisse or the other organizations participating in the UTMB. Even a small effort can make a big difference.
Dennis
How long have you been running, and why? Is this your first time participating in the UTMB Mont-Blanc?
One night in 1994, I woke up with excruciating pain. I didn’t understand where it was coming from, but it was unbearable and relentless. The next day, after seeing a doctor, I was sent to the hospital, where I was diagnosed with pancreatitis. I was 22 years old—I was “young and healthy”—but I suddenly found myself hospitalized for something over which I had no control. That experience led me to reflect deeply on the importance of well-being and good health.
That’s how I started going for short jogs. Well, I thought they were long, but they weren’t. It also reminded me of the lessons I’d learned years earlier, when my father taught me the importance of a positive mindset and visualization for achieving my goals. He emphasized the importance of having goals and determination, and often said, “If you can imagine it, if you can believe in it, you can achieve it.”
I started weight training in addition to running, and then, a few years later, my father had a mild heart attack. That experience made me appreciate health and well-being even more, and I focused even more on physical fitness.
Around the same time, someone asked me if I wanted to run a marathon. I didn’t know how long a marathon was, but, swept up in the challenge, I immediately agreed.I didn’t have the right shoes, or the right socks, or the right shorts, or the right T-shirt; I didn’t have any cream to minimize chafing; I was way behind in my training; I lost four toenails; I had severe cramps, and I could barely walk—but at that moment, I had just had the most rewarding experience of my life. After that, I ran a marathon every year and thought it was pretty impressive.
A few years later, my father had another heart attack, and a year after that, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.My father underwent an angioplasty, and my mother had a radical double mastectomy, followed by five surgeries in ten months, along with radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Three years later, I read a book about ultramarathons that opened my eyes. At the time, I didn’t know that people could have a reason or motivation to run farther than a marathon.In 2005, I discovered a 50-km ultramarathon in the Santa Monica Mountains, above Malibu. That race sparked my passion for ultramarathons and mountain trail running, and I’ve run 85 ultramarathons over the past 21 years. I ran 217 km across Death Valley in the summer, in 55 °C heat; I completed a solo double crossing of the Grand Canyon; I’ve reached the summit of the highest point in the United States more than 10 times, and I’ve completed the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc five times.
My last time running the UTMB was in 2019, just six months after my father passed away. In 2026, my goal is to finish the UTMB for the sixth time in front of my wonderful wife and our newborn daughter.
Why did you choose to support Casa Alianza Switzerland? What does this mean to you?
Supporting Casa Alianza Suisse was an easy choice, knowing that they help children in need—especially those without parents and those who have been victims of human trafficking. Having just become a parent myself, this choice was all the more personal.
A word of encouragement or a message for the other runners and the UTMB community (athletes, organizations, etc.).
The advice I’d give to everyone participating in the UTMB is to ask themselves: “How much do you care about the glory of having run around Mont Blanc and finished the UTMB?” ” I’ve experienced moments of deep despair during previous editions of the UTMB, and finding the strength to overcome those seemingly insurmountable challenges was always worth it when I made it back to the finish line in Chamonix under my own power.
