Diagonale des Fous 2026: Hugo Deck takes victory at La Réunion in under 23 hours

On his first Diagonale des Fous, Hugo Deck (adidas Terrex) crossed the finish line at Stade de La Redoute in Saint-Denis, La Réunion, as the winner on Friday evening after 22:54:19 of intense effort. Robin Juillaguet (Salomon) took second, with Belgium’s Jérôme Vanderschaeghe completing the 2026 men’s podium.

The trail fairies had marked him out from an early age. But it was only after years of hard work that Hugo Deck (adidas Terrex), 26, finally delivered on the promise he had shown several years ago, on one of trail running’s great monuments, the Diagonale des Fous.

On the longest course ever offered by the Réunion race, covering 180 km and 10,200 m of elevation gain, Hugo Deck spent a long time in the chasing pack before breaking clear after the brutal climb up Maïdo at km 124. From there, none of his rivals would see him again.

Until then, Frenchman Vincent Esmiol (Kiprun) had gone clear in the opening kilometres. The Frenchman, winner of the 2025 Echappée Belle and the MIUT in 2026, reached Hell-Bourg at km 80.7, in the Salazie cirque, with a substantial lead over the runners behind him.

Pre-race favourite Tom Evans (Asics) was already slipping back. Arriving ten minutes after Hugo Deck and Jean-Philippe Tschumi (Kailas Fuga), the 2025 UTMB winner had endured a difficult night, including a fall that left his left eyebrow and right knee bleeding. He was still racing in seventh place at the time of writing, determined to keep fighting.

Gautier Airiau (Scott) and local runner Judicaël Sautron, wearing the words “Patience Reunion” on his shorts, stayed with the lead group, while Thibaut Baronian (Salomon) was sitting seventh. Thibaut Garrivier (Hoka), fifth at the 2025 UTMB, dropped out at Hell-Bourg after being hampered by digestive problems as well as knee and ankle pain.

Hugo Deck then made his move through the wild, uncompromising Mafate cirque, particularly on the climb back towards Maïdo Tête Dure. In the intense midday heat, he gradually opened up a larger gap on the runners behind him.

The other Frenchman, Robin Juillaguet (Salomon), 13th at the 2026 CCC, and the runner-up at the Lavaredo 80km this season, produced a spectacular descent from the Diag’s legendary pass, moving through the field to take second after the climb to Chemin Ratinaud at km 147. It was his first Diag’ and even his first 100-mile race.

It was on this section that he caught Vincent Esmiol, who was struggling with stomach and breathing problems and fell back to ninth at La Possession, km 157. He later dropped out at Grande Chaloupe, km 164.

Jérôme Vanderschaeghe’s Belgian comeback

As so often happens in ultrarunning, other athletes followed the opposite script, finding a second wind in the latter half and final stages of the race. That was the case for Belgian Jérôme Vanderschaeghe (Asics), fifth in last year’s race, who produced a comeback worthy of the most experienced and patient ultra-runners. 13th at Coteau Kerveguen, km 67, then ninth at Hell-Bourg, km 80, and sixth at Maïdo, km 123, he moved onto the provisional podium at La Possession, km 157.

He would not relinquish that position, although he could not close the gap to Pyrenean runner Robin Juillaguet, who eventually finished second, nearly an hour behind the day’s winner, Hugo Deck. At last, Deck had secured the world-class victory many had tipped him for over the years.

Hugo Deck finally gets his long-awaited breakthrough

Fifth at the CCC aged 21 in 2021, then a winner the following year of his first 100-miler at Nice Côte d’Azur by UTMB, the former basketball player born in Strasbourg had subsequently struggled to make his mark at the biggest events.

Showing patience and never giving up, he stepped back down to 100 km, finishing third in the 90 km Mont-Blanc race in 2023, winning the Ultra-Trail Cape Town in 2024, then the MaXiRace d’Annecy twice in a row, in 2025 and 2026. Back on the 100-mile-plus distance, Hugo Deck has finally confirmed all the talent he had shown along the way.

This victory was no accident. He arrived on the island several weeks before the start, spending three weeks acclimatising in Cilaos, a hot, rocky environment close to the trails of the Var, where he has lived since he was 17. He also recce’d the new section of this year’s course at Hell-Bourg.

Race support was a family affair: his mother and grandmother followed him from checkpoint to checkpoint before meeting him at the finish. They were sure to experience emotions every bit as intense as those felt by the 26-year-old.

Réunion takes fourth and fifth

Local pride was also on display thanks to Judicaël Sautron’s fourth place, just under 30 minutes off the podium. Sixth last year, the Réunion native continues to make steady progress.

Another Diag’ newcomer, Nicolas Gourdon (New Balance), finished an excellent fifth after winning the Trail de Bourbon in 2023.

Thibaut Baronian (Salomon), Swiss runner Jean-Philippe Tschumi (Fuga), and Gautier Airiau (Scott) were ultimately forced to withdraw, respectively at Chemin Ratinaud, km 147, Maïdo, km 123, and Roche Plate, km 115.

Diagonale des Fous 2026 men’s top five

1) Hugo Deck (France): 22:54:19

2) Robin Juillaguet (France): 23:51:54

3) Jérôme Vanderschaeghe (Belgium): 24:10:35

4) Judicaël Sautron (France): 24:38:40

5) Nicolas Gourdon (France): 24:46:44

Ruth Croft heads for another prestigious victory

In the women’s race, New Zealand favourite Ruth Croft (Adidas Terrex) had led from the opening kilometres. At the latest checkpoint at Grande Chaloupe, km 164, she was 12th overall. Only American Alyssa Clark (On) was within reach, around 45 minutes back.

French runner Agathe Bes (Brooks) carried the French colours with pride and resilience in third place, around 40 minutes behind Clark, while Sarah Vieuille had dropped out early at Plaine des Merles, km 94.

Blandine L’Hirondel completes the Mascareignes in tribute to Lola

Earlier in the day, Blandine L’Hirondel’s arrival at La Redoute was also deeply emotional. Winner of the Diagonale des Fous last year and the UTMB last August, the Frenchwoman instead took on the Mascareignes, a 74 km race with 3,800 m of elevation gain, which she completed in 11:57:30. For the two-time trail world champion, the performance was not the point. It was about the gesture: running in tribute to Lola, the daughter of her friends David and Valérie, who died this summer aged 23.

Through this challenge on Réunion’s trails, the Norman runner wanted to support friends who introduced her to trail running when she visited the island several years ago, and give them a powerful moment in memory of their daughter. The challenge was made even tougher by a fall during the night, when she was still in contention for the podium, which dislocated her shoulder. At the finish, she wore a bandage to support her arm. Despite the pain and the difficulties on the course, she was determined to reach the finish and honour her commitment.

“Yes, it was painful in every sense of the word, she said at the finish in La Redoute. I had a few issues, but it was also mentally painful because of the cause I wanted to support. When I learned I was coming, I knew there were no words and no gifts that could replace Lola. This was the most beautiful way I had found to bring a smile back to people who had lost theirs. Keeping Lola’s memory alive on the finish line was very important to me. ”

A little earlier than Blandine L’Hirondel, Florian Bernabeu-Seguy (8:13:32) and Claire Jacquin (10:11:27) had crossed the Mascareignes finish line as the winners.

Mascareignes podiums

Men

1) Florian Bernabeu-Seguy (France): 8:13:32

2) Nirina Haja (Madagascar): 8:17:46

3) Jean-Charles Breton (France): 8:36:30

Women

1) Claire Jacquin (France): 10:11:27

2) Julia Velly (France): 10:58:27

3) Chloé Le Guillou (France): 11:01:14

Diagonale des Fous 2026: Hugo Deck takes victory at La Réunion in under 23 hours

Blandine L’Hirondel completes the Mascareignes in tribute to Lola

REPLAY of the 2026 Diagonale des Fous