From Chancy(GE) to Münstair (GR) – Switzerland from East to West
Hello to all running enthusiasts and members of Léman Running! Today, I’d like to share with you an exceptional adventure, that of our friend Pierre Zürcher, an emblematic figure in our group. Pierre recently completed an extraordinary feat: crossing Switzerland from west to east, running 517 kilometres and covering 11,000 metres of ascent in just 10 days. Accompanied by Paola Coccato and Christian Fatton, this epic journey was marked by intense moments, magnificent landscapes and breathtaking challenges. Here’s their story, followed by my conversation with Pierre.



Protagonists and objectives
The 3 protagonists of this first edition:
Ladies’ honour 💐 :
Paola Coccato 🇮🇹
The anecdote: Beat the best Italian category performance over 6 days with 625 kilometres and finished first woman 4 days later during the 10-day Policoro 🇮🇹 with 976 kilometres (2021).
Christian Fatton 🇨🇭
Anecdote: Runs the 100 miles (161 km) of Berlin 🇩🇪 in 18h 14m on 14.08.2021. Then, less than a week later, he ran the 100 miles of France 🇫🇷 in 18h 21m. His comment after the 100 miles of France: ‘It’s a shame, I would have liked to have done less than 18 hours’.
Pierre Zürcher 🇨🇭
Anecdote: Probably the only (pseudo) runner over 200 kilometres with the highest number of DNFs (Did Not Finish) over this legendary distance. The comment in his school notebook: ‘Takes the trouble, and gets it’!
The 10 stages and key moments
- Chancy – Etoy (60.9 km): The race began in intense 33-degree heat, crossing the cantons of Geneva and Vaud. The intense heat saw Pierre liquefy in the hot asphalt, dehydrate and struggle to reach Etoy. Paola went to eat alone that first evening and brought back a pizza, which Pierre ate during the night.
- Etoy – Bulle (60.51 km): Pierre had hoped to get through these first two stages to escape the plains and get back to the freshness of the Alps. At Vaulruz, he vomited and cursed those first two stages.
- Bulle – Boltigen (36.97 km): Pierre loves to get off the beaten track and wanted to ride through the Jogne gorges, which are absolutely magnificent. Paola, who can only see out of one eye, was less keen on the rocky sections.
- Boltigen – Iseltwald (56,29 km) : Météo couverte et légère pluie, avec superbes points de vue sur les lacs de Thoune et de Brienz. Christian Marti rejoint l’équipe pour les étapes suivantes.
- Iseltwald – Sustenpass (47,45 km) : Toute la journée sous la pluie, Pierre et Paola adorent. Ils avancent jusqu’au Sustenpass à plus de 2’200 mètres d’altitude, où l’hôtel est un havre de paix.
- Sustenpass – Sedrun (55,95 km) : Belle étape avec des paysages magnifiques, mais Pierre arrive à Sedrun avec une blessure inquiétante au muscle releveur droit.
- Sedrun – Flims (52,08 km) : Pierre ajuste son équipement pour soulager la douleur, mais compense en mettant plus d’appui sur la jambe gauche, provoquant de nouvelles douleurs.
- Flims – Wiesen (54,81 km) : Le releveur droit s’est dégonflé et le quadriceps gauche fait moins mal. Les deux dernières étapes semblent plus accessibles.
- Wiesen – Susch (46,42 km) : Étape facile avec une très belle descente finale. Arrivés à Susch, ils trouvent une épicerie pour s’approvisionner en victuailles, Pierre mange avec un chausse-pied faute de couverts.
- Susch – Müstair (46,77 km) : L’émotion est intense sur les derniers kilomètres. Toucher la barrière douanière la plus à l’est de la Suisse est un moment de bonheur indescriptible.
Q&A with Pierre Zürcher
1. What motivated you to take over the organisation of this 517 km extreme race across Switzerland?
Pierre: After crossing Switzerland in 6 days in 2022 from the extreme north to the extreme south, the organiser was going to set up West-East, but due to a lack of participants, he gave up. His infrastructure included hiring a bus to transport our luggage, as well as daily refreshments halfway through the stage. As for us, we’d already booked the kennels for our dog ‘Ultra’ for 12 days, and we’d lose the payment if we gave up. So we took over the organisation at short notice and completed the route with almost no luggage and no supplies. So we were light and free!
2. What was the most difficult moment for you during these 10 days of racing, and how did you overcome it?
Pierre: The most difficult moment was undoubtedly the first and second stages. I was far too hot and I suffered terribly. The main thing that helped me was to say to myself ‘OK, you’re cooked, but muscularly and articularly you’ve got absolutely nothing. The basic mechanics are in order. Put some fuel back in the engine, some solids and liquids, and tomorrow you’ll be off again, aiming for the mountains that will save your life’. It was a bit like Mad Max, but in the morning I was always ready to set off again! I also thought that with all the training I’d done, more than 100 kilometres a week (2,871.3 km of
3. Can you tell us about your physical and mental preparation for this race?
Pierre: My physical and mental preparation consists of blocks of around 3 weeks, ending 2 weeks before the race. During these 3 weeks, in principle, I do 140, 150 and 140 kilometres. Then I taper off before the race, doing nothing at all 4 or 5 days before the start. Mentally, I think it’s the sequence of several races, or experience, that helps me a lot to understand what’s going on physically and mentally in the difficult moments. To be mentally ready, you also have to organise all the little details: what bag you’re going to take, what clothes, drinks, food, etc. We carried our ‘house’ on the back of the car, so that we’re ready to go. We were carrying our ‘house’ on our backs, so in the end it was very simple to take only the essentials so as not to be heavy either. I don’t think we made any strategic or organisational mistakes. We ran without putting any unnecessary pressure on ourselves. Well, it took me the first 2 days to disconnect from my daily professional life. But Paola told me the phrase that has stayed with me for the other 8 stages: ‘That’s all we have to do, just leave here this morning and arrive when we arrive at the finish of the stage’. Thanks to this little phrase, I detached myself from my habits and felt free to make ‘the journey’.
4. What landscapes or special moments impressed you the most during your crossing of Switzerland?
Pierre: It’s difficult to describe a particular moment or landscape, because there were so many. Sometimes it’s like seeing a bucolic postcard. Paola and I used to say, ‘Here we are, we’re in Heidi Land’, because it was so beautiful and so representative of Switzerland in a single picture: lake, forest, pastures, flowers, cows, chalets, flags, blue sky dotted with a few white clouds. But sometimes it’s also what you discover when you’re tired and your basic needs make you appreciate it, like that hidden refreshment bar where you can buy a cold cup of tea after not having had anything to drink for too long!
5. Do you have any advice for runners who are thinking of taking part in long-distance races like this?
Pierre: In my opinion, you need to experiment with shorter races, for example on circuits lasting 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, etc., and build up gradually. There are plenty of races of this type organised in Europe. The advantage is that you can have your own refuelling station every lap of about 1 kilometre. So you can manage your food, clothing and rest in ideal conditions.
6. How did you manage your diet and hydration during these long stages, especially in the varied weather conditions?
Pierre: I set off each morning with 2 x 0.5 litres of water, an energy bar, a chocolate and 4 biscuits, as well as some money. The idea was to find water on the way, and then at mid-day find a grocery shop or bakery to buy a sandwich. Switzerland is pretty densely populated and it worked out pretty well, except for a few times when there was nothing, like when you cross the Swiss National Park in the Grisons, where it’s pretty wild… and beautiful! In the end, it’s when you’re stripped of almost everything that you realise the value of simple things.
7. Were there times when you thought about giving up? If so, what kept you going?
Pierre: I didn’t really think about giving up. For example, in stages 1 and 2, I had mentally programmed myself to get to stage 3 and I was confident in my ability to recover over one night. When I had the problem with my right lifter and there were still 4 stages to go, I was a little more scared. But the next day, by setting off slowly and setting myself the idea of taking stock after 5 or 10 kilometres, that motivated me. And luckily, after a few hundred metres, I felt that I could make progress, slowly, but still make good progress.
8. How did you find the logistical and moral support of your team and your team-mates during the race?
Pierre: I have to say that Paola and I got on really well and supported each other over the 10 days. We were never more than a hundred metres apart over the 517 kilometres of the race. There’s no doubt that sharing this adventure together helped us enormously. We could share our impressions at the same time, talk to each other, wait for each other and vice versa.
9. What impact has this experience had on your view of running and endurance in general?
Pierre: I’ve realised that a minor problem can quickly take on major proportions. But above all, I can now see that you can go even further and for longer by taking it easy on your bike. The slower you go, the further you go!
10. What are your next sporting goals or challenges after this incredible adventure?
Pierre: The next race will be the Berlin 100 miles (161 km). This commemorative race consists of running around the former West Berlin Wall, which was a democratic territory in the former East Germany until the end of 1989. My idea is to complete it in less than 24 hours. My feeling, and Paola shares my impression, is that we’d like to run from Venice to Montreux, perhaps in 2025.
11. Choose your question or share your feelings, an anecdote… in short, anything you like.
Pierre: An anecdote? Well, on the Wiesen – Susch stage, there was no restaurant open in Susch. We had to stock up at the only grocery shop in the area for our evening meal and breakfast the next day. I bought the only thing that looked like something that would allow me to eat the tuna and vegetable salad that evening, as well as the yoghurt: a shoehorn! It’s these unusual moments that leave a lasting impression.
THANK YOU
Thank you Pierre for this inspiring and sincere sharing. Your adventure across Switzerland is not only a demonstration of determination and resilience, but also a source of inspiration for us all. Good luck with your next challenges, we’ll be there to support you and follow your exploits with admiration. See you soon on the roads and trails!