Spirit of the Course

Giving

Around 1’500 volunteers are needed to ensure the smooth running of the event.

Respect

If the rules are to be followed by runners with fair play, respect – over and above the sporting aspect – it should also apply to the places used, the local population, the police, or anyone else encountered during the organization and running of the event.

Fun

Even more than a real competition, the Course de l’Escalade is a celebration with sharing, joy and friendship.

THEY ARE IMPORTANT TO US

OUR VALUES

Solidarity

Mutual aid and understanding, as well as generosity, are expressed in the annual promotion of a guest of honor invited to highlight a social cause.

Guest of honor

Integration

The Course de l’Escalade respects and welcomes all publics, runners and volunteers as they are, and strives to erase all physical and social differences.

Excellence

Demanding standards, surpassing one’s limits and a taste for effort dictate the organization’s work to offer top-quality performances every year.

Spirit of the Course de l’Escalade

Fun and sporty event, the Course de l’Escalade gathers, every first week-end of December, an impressive number of runners: there were over 45,000 participants in 2023, positioning the event as by far the biggest running event in Switzerland and one of the biggest in Europe.
The subtlety of the event lies in the dual mission its Committee has set itself.

The race must be popular, welcoming and beneficial to the community, by raising awareness of the benefits of regular physical activity.

The race must also be highly competitive and coveted by national and international elite athletes, who provide a quality spectacle and serve as an example to young people.

This ingenious blend of fun and seriousness brings together public institutions, sponsors and partners, schools and associations in a collective effort, in the magic of a Geneva winter, to promote the values of the race: fun, respect, solidarity, integration and excellence.