Festival des Templiers 2026: Endurance Trail and Marathon des Causses Results in Millau

Stunning scenery, a demanding and varied course, and an electric atmosphere: the Endurance Trail, the 100K at the Festival des Templiers, with 4,000 m of elevation gain, delivered on every promise on Friday.

© Enzo Planes

© FLOE

© FLOE

© Enzo Planes

Amid the nonstop flow of emotional finishes on the opening day of racing, which also featured the Intégrale des Causses, the Marathon du Larzac, and the new Rock’Voizine, the podium of the day’s headline race took shape.

© FLOE

© Greg Alric

© Greg Alric

© Greg Alric

The expected hierarchy held firm. Yannick Noël (Inov8), the overwhelming favourite in the men’s ultra, confirmed his status and completed a hat-trick after wins in 2023 and 2024, averaging 10.8 km/h. “This all-round course suits me perfectly!” said the young forty-something from La Manche, whose form has been on the rise since his ninth-place finish at the 2026 UTMB. “I had competition. At 40K, I caught the first two, but the runner in second kept the pressure on!” he explained. Over the remaining kilometres, he eventually shook off Annecy local Quentin Grateau (runner-up and winner of the PicaPica 50K this year), and Loris Lasserre from Tarbes, who finished third after placing 12th in last year’s Grand Trail des Templiers.

© Cyrille Quintard

The women’s race went to a local runner, Marine Quintard (Rossignol). On home terrain and a familiar course, having finished fourth in the Grand Trail in 2023 and won the Marathon du Larzac in 2029, the Espalion native gave her closest rival little chance. Racing almost on home turf, Marine Quintard dropped Elea Kopf at 45 kilometres and powered on to victory in the second 100K of her career. It was a fine comeback after dropping out of last year’s Grand Trail. Swiss runner Mélanie Delasoie completed the podium.

© Cyrille Quintard

Swedish domination at the Marathon des Causses

On Saturday 17 October, there was barely time to know where to look, with no fewer than ten races on the programme. Finishers poured in, sprint finishes kept coming, runners collapsed across the line and limits were smashed. A wave of young talent surged through the finish, led by Anna Lorblanchet , daughter of four-time Grand Trail winner Thomas, who drew on the family genes to win the KD TRAIL, a race for cadet runners aged 15 to 17 (7.7 km, 287 m of elevation gain), one of Saturday’s kids and junior races celebrating the next generation.

© Enzo Planes

But the undisputed star of the day was Swedish runner Tove Alexandersson (Salomon), a 23-time world champion in orienteering, who produced an astonishing performance: she missed out on the men’s podium of the Marathon des Causses by just a few seconds. The race covered 35 km and 1,600 m of elevation gain, with more than 1,200 competitors taking part.

After a breathtaking charge through the field, she climbed from 13th to first woman and finished fourth overall, just 35 seconds behind the third-placed man. Italian runner Vivien Bonzi (Brooks) took second, more than 14 minutes back, ahead of French cross-country runner Cécile Jarousseau (Kiprun). Sweden was flying that day: her compatriot Martin Nilsson also won the men’s race.

© Enzo Planes

Behind him, the battle raged all the way to the finish. Twenty-year-old French prodigy Jules Mongellaz (Colibri Trail) eventually gave way to the experience of Swiss runner Roberto Delorenzi (Brooks), but he is clearly not done making the best runners nervous.

Tomorrow, the Grand Trail gets under way at 5:10 a.m., the high point of an already memorable 2026 edition.