About GRV 20K
GRV 20K is the 28.0km trail race at Grand Raid Ventoux by UTMB 2026 (Malaucène, France). The race starts on April 24, 2026.
Race strategy
Run hard on the first mountain, but save energy for the second.
- 413m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
- All downhill to the finish: go all out!
- Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 11.8km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 21.1km.
- Start · 0.0km–2.2km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
- Settle in · 2.2km–11.8km · Climb of 517m, high point 784m, descent of 413m averaging 10%. 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.
- Work · 11.8km–21.1km · Plus 1 more climb. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
- Home · 21.1km–27.7km · Descent of 405m averaging 6%. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course. Long descent: keep it even and let go only near the end.
Course
By gradient, 48% of the distance is uphill, 31% downhill and 21% flat. The longest climb runs 9.3km at an average 3.5% grade (326m of vertical). The longest descent runs 6.6km at an average 6.2% grade (405m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 13.2% over 0.9km. The steepest descent drops at 25.0% over 0.4km. Surface: 46% trail, 28% smooth, and 25% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 30.4 FlatKM.
Poles
The course is runnable enough that trekking poles are not needed.
Quad damage
Quad damage risk is low (index 14 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.
- Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 11.8km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 21.1km.
- #1 · 7.6–11.9 km · 413 m D−, -9.6% · 15.8 km ahead → control
- 21.1–27.7 km · 405 m D−, -6.2% · 0.0 km ahead → even, let go at the end
Results
1,168 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Frédéric Tranchand (France) in 1:43:49. Women's winner: Elise Poncet (France) in 2:14:00.
This page has the full results and splits, a pacing and nutrition planner, a gradient matrix, an interactive elevation profile and historical weather for GRV 20K.
Other distances of Grand Raid Ventoux by UTMB 2026GRV 100M (124km)·GRV 100K (89.0km)·GRV 50K (49.0km)
Other editions of GRV 20K2025
Official websitegrandraidventoux.utmb.world
