Grand Trail du Saint-Jacques

Race strategy

Run easy on the first mountain, then go all out on the second.

• Steep 29% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 442m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Control your HR on the first climb, save your quads on the descents until 28.8km, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.5km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.5km–25.6km · Plus 1 more climb. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 25.6km–36.4km · Descent of 442m averaging 14%. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Fade · 36.4km–59.3km · 14.5km of runnable trail, high point 1419m. Plus 1 more climb and 1 descent. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 59.3km–79.8km · 20.5km of runnable trail. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.

Course

By gradient, 37% of the distance is uphill, 35% downhill and 28% flat. The longest climb runs 5.9km at an average 6.8% grade (405m of vertical). The longest descent runs 3.2km at an average 13.9% grade (442m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 30.4% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 22.7% over 0.2km. Surface: 49% trail, 22% smooth, 20% road, and 8% technical. Flat-equivalent effort: 106.1 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Mont Devès (1421m), 53.8km from the start. The course also passes close to La Garde de Vabrettes (1170m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 10.4km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 37 of 100), with 58% of the load in the first half: 1 descent deserves a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first climb, save your quads on the descents until 28.8km, then run your race pace.
• #1 · 25.6–28.8 km · 442 m D−, -13.9% · 51.0 km ahead → control
• 56.8–59.3 km · 270 m D−, -11.1% · 20.5 km ahead → your pace

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 12°C to 22°C, with around 16°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 41%.

Results

1,073 finishers completed the 2025 edition. Men's winner: Jupiter Carera Casas (Mexico) in 7:42:23. Women's winner: Henriette Albon (Norway) in 8:37:48.