Nice SJCF-Nice 20K

Race strategy

Run the climb at race pace, build your speed on the downhill, and go all out at the finish.

• Start easy and control your HR up to the aid station at 10.8km.
• Hold your race pace up to 16.8km, but stay in control.
• The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
• Ease into the early runnable section, then run your race pace.
• Start · 0.0km–1.9km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.9km–10.7km · Climb of 378m, high point 385m. 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.
• Work · 10.7km–16.8km · Plus 1 more descent. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort.
• Home · 16.8km–23.4km · 6.6km of runnable trail. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.

Course

The course climbs 687m+. With 29m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 36% of the distance is uphill, 32% downhill and 32% flat. The longest climb runs 2.8km at an average 13.4% grade (378m of vertical). The longest descent runs 6.1km at an average 8.1% grade (491m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 28.1% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 33.0% over 0.4km. Surface: 68% road, 18% smooth, and 11% trail. Flat-equivalent effort: 30.1 FlatKM.

Summits

The course also passes close to Mont Vinaigrier (371m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 1.5km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 11 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• 10.7–16.8 km · 491 m D−, -8.1% · 6.6 km ahead → your pace

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 18°C to 22°C, with around 18°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 25%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 6% of days around this date.

Results

1,238 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Corentin Chouvelon (France) in 1:45:55. Women's winner: Emilia Platt (Great Britain) in 2:08:15.