About Métis Trail
Métis Trail is the 51.0km ultra trail at Grand Raid Réunion 2026 (Saint-Paul, France). The race starts on October 17, 2026 at 06:00 AM. It starts in Saint-Paul and finishes in Saint-Denis. The time limit is 14 h.
Race strategy
Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.
- 842m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
- Steep 28% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
- Final 705m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
- Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
- Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 27.8km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 46.3km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
- Start · 0.0km–1.8km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
- Settle in · 1.8km–15.7km · Descent of 400m averaging 10%. 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. 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.
- Work · 15.7km–27.8km · Climb of 618m, descent of 842m averaging 11%. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them.
- Fade · 27.8km–46.3km · Climb of 813m, high point 734m. Plus 1 more 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. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
- Home · 46.3km–53.5km · Descent of 705m averaging 10%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end.
Course
The course climbs 2500m+. With 49m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 40% of the distance is uphill, 35% downhill and 26% flat. The longest climb runs 9.1km at an average 9.0% grade (813m of vertical). The longest descent runs 7.6km at an average 11.1% grade (842m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 36.4% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 34.3% over 0.3km. Surface: 44% trail, 40% road, and 9% technical. Flat-equivalent effort: 80.5 FlatKM.
Poles
Poles bring little benefit here: only about 13.0km of pole-friendly terrain.
Quad damage
Quad damage risk is moderate (index 34 of 100), with 49% of the load in the first half: 2 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.
- Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 27.8km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 46.3km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
- #2 · 5.8–9.9 km · 400 m D−, -9.7% · 43.6 km ahead → control
- #1 · 20.2–27.8 km · 842 m D−, -11.1% · 25.7 km ahead → control
- 46.3–53.5 km · 705 m D−, -9.7% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end
Weather
On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 23°C to 25°C, with around 20°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 20%.
Results
660 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Tibère Debizet (France) in 5:17:08. Women's winner: Julie Lelong (France) in 5:59:40.
This page has the full results and splits, a pacing and nutrition planner, a gradient matrix, an interactive elevation profile and historical weather for Métis Trail.
