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Québec Mega Trail announces its return to the Golden Trail World Series (GTWS) with the addition of a brand-new 30 km race to its program. Scheduled for Sunday, July 5, this short and explosive format further strengthens QMT’s international standing and confirms its status as a must-attend event for the world’s trail running elite.
With the introduction of this new 30 km race, QMT continues to develop its competitive component and aligns itself with one of the most prestigious and widely covered series in the international trail and mountain running landscape. The objective is clear: to attract the best athletes on the planet and deliver a high-level spectacle, both for runners and fans alike.
“Hosting a Golden Trail World Series race with the new QMT30 is a tremendous source of pride. As a leader, Québec Mega Trail aims to contribute to the visibility and attractiveness of Canadian trail running on the international stage, while offering our local athletes the opportunity to compete in the most competitive short-format trail races in the world. Staying true to the DNA of QMT, my team and I continue to evolve the event by focusing on demanding courses, a solid organization, and an event deeply rooted in its community, in order to deliver a powerful experience for both athletes and spectators.” – Jean Fortier, General Director and Founder of Québec Mega Trail
A strategic choice
From the GTWS perspective, the inclusion of QMT in the calendar is seen as a strategic decision. The positioning of the race in Canada notably replaces the Broken Arrow Skyrace in California, which is no longer part of the series this year, and allows GTWS to strengthen its presence in North America at a key moment in the international racing calendar.
“As one of the most iconic trail running series on the globe, we are thrilled to announce Salomon Golden Trail World Series’ entry in Canada, showcasing its dynamic terrain and world-class racing experience. Canada is a critical region and market known for its outdoor sports community, Salomon is proud to support pro and amateur athletes alike through this opportunity and our long-standing partnership with Québec Mega Trail.” – Steve Doolan, GM & President of the Americas for Salomon
A new course designed for performance
The new QMT30 will feature a course of approximately 30 km with 1,450 meters of positive elevation gain. Designed as a trail that balances beauty and challenge, the route will combine technical trails, steep descents, and single-track sections, with panoramic views of the Laurentian Mountains and the Jean-Larose stream. The first half of the course will test athletes’ climbing and descending abilities, while the second half will reward them with a more fluid and immersive route through a wild forest.
Spectator zones (“fan zones”) as well as key technical segments will be set up in the mountains, offering rare proximity between the public and the athletes, in the spirit of the major international races on the circuit.
The race start is scheduled for Sunday, July 5, at 7:00 a.m. Please note that the schedule remains subject to change, as does the schedule for the other races held on the same day, and will be confirmed at a later date.
Registration and selection process
Due to high anticipated interest and the limited number of 200 bibs available (100 for the general public and 100 for elite runners), entry to the QMT30 will be through a selection process. Registration for the general public is open from today until March 1 via a lottery system. Interested elite athletes can submit their application to the Elite Program, which is open until March 1. All information and registration details are available on the race’s official webpage.
Two major series, two distinct formats
With this new 30 km race integrated into the GTWS, Québec Mega Trail is now part of two major international series: the Golden Trail World Series and the World Trail Majors, with which the event has been associated since 2023.
On the one hand, through the GTWS, Québec Mega Trail is aligned with short-format races focused on performance, supported by international partners including Salomon, offering prize money and benefiting from worldwide broadcast coverage provided by Warner Bros. Discovery. On the other hand, through the WTM, QMT is part of a more embodied and flexible association of short and long-distance races, also highly competitive, likewise offering prize money and allowing the event’s flagship races to reach an international audience of endurance runners worldwide.
This complementarity allows Québec Mega Trail to attract athletes and trail running enthusiasts from around the world, across a range of race formats, while affirming its place among the most dynamic and influential trail running events in Canada. Each year, QMT generates nearly 40,000 unique visits to the region and an estimated $4.5 million in economic impact, contributing significantly to regional tourism visibility and financial development. The addition of a Golden Trail World Series race further strengthens this momentum, increasing the event’s potential benefits for the regional tourism industry.
