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Race course · SaintéLyon 2026

SaintéLyon: elevation profile, gain and key sections

The SaintéLyon runs from Saint-Étienne to Lyon through the night, at the end of November, by headlamp. The 2026 course has been largely redrawn, and the official GPX is out: 80.7 km and 2,430 m of elevation gain. You start at 494 m and finish at 166 m, but don't trust the overall downhill trend: more than two thirds of the climbing comes before km 45. Here is the course section by section, analysed by Runcon.

Updated 30 October 2026 · race on Saturday 28 November 2026

Race facts

The course profile, analysed by Runcon

This is the course as Runcon shows it when you add a race: each stretch is coloured by the effort it takes, from the blue of the descents to the brick red of the hardest climbs.

Official 2026 GPX published by the organisers. Runcon measures 2,432 m of gain; the organisers announce "2,000 m minimum" in their description and 2,500 m in their key facts. Dashed lines mark the aid stations (Le Camp: approximate position).

What the profile shows at a glance: after a first climb to 800 m between km 9 and 14, you stay for almost 30 km on the heights of the Monts du Lyonnais, between 700 and 900 m, in the middle of the night, where it is coldest. The high point (923 m) only comes at km 42, just before the longest descent of the course. After that, the race drops towards Lyon in steps, with a few short, very steep ramps still to come up to km 75.

The steep climbs that matter

Runcon's briefing counts the steep stretches of the course. On trail, a climb is steep between 6 and 9% average gradient, and very steep above 9%. A descent is steep beyond 6%. On the 2026 course:

Twenty-seven climbs is too many to remember: nearly half are under 500 m long. Here are the ones longer than 500 m, in the order you will meet them:

The long, very steep climbs are in bold: at km 9.8 (the first real ascent, almost 1 km at 11.5%), at km 20.9 after Saint-Christo, the 17.4% wall at km 27.4, and the double ramp at km 51, which comes on legs that are already tired. Two very steep kicks remain after km 60, including 570 m at 13.4% on the approach to Lyon.

On the way down, the biggest descent follows the high point: 2.7 km at 11% on average between km 42.4 and 45, towards Le Camp. Two others are longer than a kilometre at over 10% (km 24.5 and km 47), and the one at km 19.3 is close to 15%. At night, on tracks that can be muddy or frozen, this is where quads and ankles take the hits. To train, climbs of 1 km at over 10% and steep descents by headlamp cover most of it.

The six sections of the course

The aid stations split the race into six. Distances and gain measured on the 2026 GPX, where the course passes each village.

The first three sections add up to 1,680 m of gain over 45 km, 69% of the total.

1. Saint-Étienne → Saint-Christo (km 0 to 17.5): climbing into the night

A quarter of the total gain straight from the start, including three very steep climbs between km 9.8 and 13.8 that take you from 500 to 800 m. You set off around midnight in a crowd of headlamps: jams on the first trails are common, so don't fight them. First aid station at Saint-Christo-en-Jarez.

2. Saint-Christo → Sainte-Catherine (km 17.5 to 32.6): the steepest

The section with the densest climbing (39 m per km): the climb at km 20.9, the long 12% descent at km 24.5 and the 17.4% wall at km 27.4. You spend most of it above 700 m: it is the part most exposed to cold, sometimes to snow or ice. This is where the jacket and gloves earn their place.

3. Sainte-Catherine → Le Camp (km 32.6 to 45): the high point, then the big descent

A steady climb to the highest point of the course, 923 m around km 42, after more than 40 km of night running. Then 2.7 km of descent at 11% to Le Camp in Saint-Genou, which only has a drinks station. This is often where tiredness hits hardest, deep in the night.

4 to 6. From Le Camp to Lyon (km 45 to 80.7): the long way down

The profile drops from 600 to 166 m, but almost a third of the gain is still to come, in short, often very steep bumps (km 46.4, 51.1, 64.1 and 74.6). This is where a first half run too fast gets paid for: your quads still have to absorb the descents before Soucieu and Chaponost, then the last ramps before the Halle Tony-Garnier.

Aid stations and cut-off times

2026 cut-offs published on the race page, as clock times on the night of Saturday 28 to Sunday 29 November. Distances are the organisers'; they differ slightly from the GPX.

The rules, for their part, say all courses close at 16:30. If in doubt, aim for 16:00. The tightest cut-off is the first one: if you start in the last wave at 00:30, you have 3 h 30 for the 17 km of climbing to Saint-Christo, jams included. In 2025, the winners finished in 5 h 36 (Sylvain Cachard) and 6 h 42 (Adeline Martin).

Read the course in detail with Runcon

The profile above is what Runcon shows for any race as soon as you drop its GPX in. In the app, you also get the estimated finish time for your level, split times at the aid stations (to check your margin on the cut-offs), the section that costs you the most, and a pre-race briefing that counts steep climbs and descents and details those longer than 500 m.

Going longer? Read our article on the LyonSaintéLyon, the 160 km round trip. No GPX yet? Our GPX file guide explains where to find one.

Frequently asked questions

When is the 2026 SaintéLyon?

On the night of Saturday 28 to Sunday 29 November 2026. The six waves of the 80 km leave Saint-Étienne every 10 minutes, from 23:30 to 00:30.

How much elevation gain does the 2026 SaintéLyon have?

Runcon measures 2,432 m of gain on the official GPX, over 80.7 km. The organisers announce "2,000 m minimum" or 2,500 m depending on the page. More than two thirds of it comes before km 45.

Has the course changed since 2025?

Yes, a lot. The high point moves from km 26 to km 42, and the gain goes up (about 1,960 m in 2025). The aid-station villages stay the same.

What kit is mandatory?

Among other things, a headlamp with spare batteries, 1 L of water, a food reserve, a 15 cl cup, a survival blanket, a whistle, an elastic adhesive bandage, a waterproof hooded jacket, a phone and ID. The organisers can trigger a "severe cold kit" (hat, warm waterproof gloves, waterproof trousers, warm layer…). The full list is in the rules.

Do I need a licence or a medical certificate?

A French FFA licence (Athlé Compétition, Entreprise or Running), a Pass Running or an FFSA licence; otherwise the PPS certificate (Parcours Prévention Santé, done online). You must be at least 20.

Where do I collect my bib?

At the Halle Tony-Garnier in Lyon, on Friday 27 November from 12:00 to 20:00 and on Saturday 28 from 9:00 to 17:00.

Sources

• Official SaintéLyon page (2026 GPX, aid stations, cut-offs) and 2026 rules (in French)

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