A Successful New Chapter for the 2026 Grand Trail de Serre-Ponçon

After a year away, the Grand Trail de Serre-Ponçon returned to the shores of Lake Embrun with a revamped format and a new hub. The 100-mile race is gone, replaced by long cloverleaf courses that make following the action easier for spectators and supporters while keeping the challenge firmly in place. Born from a partnership between the event’s original team and the energy of We Are Hautes Alpes, the fifth edition combined endurance, a festival atmosphere and plenty of conviviality, drawing more than 15,000 visitors and over 2,000 runners across its four main races.

You don’t change a winning formula. Unless you’re the Grand Trail de Serre-Ponçon. In just four editions, the Hautes-Alpes race had already established itself through the quality of its organization, its demanding and technical courses, and its setting between the rugged mountain landscape and the crystal-clear waters of Lake Serre-Ponçon below.

Even so, the organizing team felt the need to take a break in 2025 and refocus the event on what mattered most: a welcoming atmosphere, accessibility, and courses that remained as demanding and spectacular as ever.

Together with We Are Hautes Alpes, the association that already organizes the Outdoor Mix Festival in Embrun, the original organizing team put together a more festive 2026 program without taking anything away from the sporting challenge.

The event was brought back to Embrun and its lakeside venue, which now serves as the start and finish for every race. Spectators and supporters can soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the music while waiting for their runners, while competitors get a lively and unprecedented welcome at the finish line.

The main race no longer follows a 100-mile loop around Lake Serre-Ponçon. Instead, runners tackled a 100 km course with 5,600 m of elevation gain laid out in a cloverleaf, passing through the Embrun aid station to make it easier for spectators to follow the race and give competitors a boost.

The courses remain every bit as spectacular, with unique views over rocky peaks, wooded trails and wide-open panoramas of Lake Serre-Ponçon.

The 100 km featured four major climbs: Col de Trempa Latz at kilometer 16, followed by Le Méale at kilometer 45, Pic de Boussolenc at kilometer 65, and finally the northern side of Col de l’Aupillon before the descent to the finish in Embrun.

The 60 km race, with 4,200 m of elevation gain, included the first two climbs of the 100 km course. The two shorter races, meanwhile, packed a serious amount of climbing into their distances: 30 km with 2,000 m of elevation gain and 15 km with 940 m. Both followed an out-and-back-style loop through the heart of the Mont Guillaume state forest, north of Lake Serre-Ponçon.

The first feedback from the roughly 2,000 participants points to a bright future for the Grand Trail de Serre-Ponçon, which is already looking ahead. Registration for the 2027 edition is expected to open before the end of the year, an adventure many runners are already eagerly awaiting.

2026 Grand Trail de Serre-Ponçon podiums

100 km and 5,600 m of elevation gain (336 finishers)

Men

1) Romain Olivier: 11:08:18

2) Dylan Roces: 11:33:38

3) Gilles Cirone: 11:39:42

Women

1) Camille Adnot: 13:45:02

2) Heloise Blanchard: 14:34:47

3) Gaëlle Warczarek: 14:52:33

60 km and 4,200 m of elevation gain (400 finishers)

Men

1) Joao Normand: 8:02:23

2) Thomas Bourgault: 8:26:40

3) Pierrick Tavan: 8:34:40

Women

1) Karla Salou: 9:22:42

2) Gaby Mrozowski: 9:38:05

3) Elisa GUilmarand: 9:56:46

30 km and 2,000 m of elevation gain (514 finishers)

Men

1) Thibaut Sibille: 3:02:29

2) Jérôme Blanc: 3:06:37

3) Rayen Guergour: 3:12:26

Women

1) Marie Delouche: 3:57:43

2) Esther Paslier: 4:06:12

3) Eugénie Ricard: 4:14:06

15 km and 940 m of elevation gain (265 finishers)

Men

1) Joris Ougier: 1:24:17

2) Stéphane Ricard: 1:29:23

3) Andreas Dougere: 1:33:18

Women

1) Raffaella Casiraghi (Italy): 2:06:38

2) Ludivine Perron: 2:07:34

3) Chloé Viriot: 2:11:42

Full 2026 results