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Part of the Golden Trail World Series and World Trail Majors calendars, and host of the Canadian Trail Running Championships, QMT is shaping up to be the must-attend sporting event of the summer.
Beaupré, April 27, 2026 – Québec Mega Trail (QMT) unveiled the strongest elite field in its history, with nearly 90 athletes set to compete at the event’s 14th edition, taking place from July 2 to 5, 2026. More than 30 elite runners from Québec will be on the start line, joined by nearly 20 athletes from across Canada as part of the Canadian Trail Running Championships, featuring the short trail race on the QMT50 and the long trail race on the QMT80.
In addition, nearly 40 international runners from Europe, the United States, and Africa will take on the trails of Mont-Sainte-Anne, notably on the QMT135 and QMT50, both part of the World Trail Majors circuit. Among them, a strong Golden Trail World Series (GTWS) delegation is already confirmed, including a particularly deep Kenyan contingent, set to compete in the brand-new QMT30, with more high-profile names expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
“I’m especially pleased to see such a strong response from Canadian runners, who are all converging on QMT for the national championships. Fans can expect some highly competitive racing. We’re also extremely proud to welcome athletes from around the world—some competing in our World Trail Majors events, others racing the Golden Trail World Series. Year after year, the level keeps rising and this edition will be no exception.” – Jean Fortier, General Director and Founder, Québec Mega Trail
To view the full list of elite athletes, click here.
QMT135 : A high-level battle on the flagship distance
At 135 km with 6,000 metres of elevation gain, the QMT135 stands as the ultimate test at Québec Mega Trail. The race will bring together top athletes from Canada and abroad, many targeting both a prestigious result and valuable points in the World Trail Majors standings.
The men’s field is stacked. Sherbrooke’s Antoine Jolicoeur-Desroches, a former professional triathlete, will be aiming for the podium. He will face, among others, Victor Larocque, winner of the UTHC 125 km in 2024 and Chihuahua by UTMB (Mexico) in 2025, as well as Great Britain’s Simon Withers, who continues to rise on the international scene. Quebecers David Savard-Gagnon, the 2024 QMT110 champion, and Philippe Poulin, winner of last year’s Bromont Ultra 160 km, will also be ones to watch, along with Spain’s Jesus Gil García, who brings an impressive skyrunning pedigree.
Ontario’s Amanda Nelson, Canadian record holder in both the 24-hour and Backyard Ultra formats, returns with high ambitions after finishing sixth in 2025. She will go head-to-head with Anne Champagne, 2024 QMT100 MILES champion. Québec’s Julie Lesage, coming off an outstanding 2025 season, is also a serious podium threat. Valérie Arsenault, Samantha Stimac and Elisabeth Cauchon round out a deep and competitive women’s field.
Elite start list
QMT80 : A wide-open Canadian Championship
The Mont-Sainte-Anne will host the Canadian Trail Running Championships over 80 km, with a deep and unpredictable field expected to deliver a tightly contested race.
Xavier St-Cyr, breakout performer of last season and winner of the 2025 QMT135, will be one to watch. He will face Elliot Cardin, former UTHC champion and Bromont Ultra 160 km winner, along with Benoit Gaillard, a regular on QMT podiums. Reigning Canadian champion Jean-Philippe Thibodeau, also the top Canadian finisher at three World Trail Running Championships, will look to defend his title. Vincent Landry, Dylan Pust and Jean-François Cauchon, former course record holder on the previous QMT100 MILES course, complete a field where multiple outcomes are possible.
Defending champion Claudine Soucie returns, while Geneviève Asselin-Demers, who claimed victory in 2024, will be looking to reclaim top honours. They will face strong Canadian and international competition, including Jenny Quilty, fifth last year, Sara Bergen, a medalist at the 2024 Canadian Championships, and Caitlin Schindel, who continues to progress on the international stage. Maïka Lamoureux and Kelsey Hogan, two-time QMT100 MILES champion and runner-up last year, add further depth to an exceptionally competitive field.
Elite start list
QMT50 : Picking a favourite is a gamble
The QMT50 is firmly in the spotlight as part of both the Canadian Trail Running Championships, short trail, and the World Trail Majors, short series. With such a stacked field, predicting a winner is nearly impossible.
Defending champion and course record holder Dany Racine returns. He will take on Marc Fawcett-Atkinson, Joshua Potvin, Brandon Gardiner, and Alexandre Ricard, the 2024 Canadian short trail champion, as well as Christopher Lévesque-Savard, runner-up last year. Louis-Philippe Côté, Shaun Stephens-Whale, Maxime Leboeuf, François Leboeuf and Chris Balestrini round out a field where many athletes have podium potential.
Elisa Morin, winner of the QMT50 at the Canadian Championships and ninth at the OCC (UTMB, France) in 2025, will look to defend her title. Jade Belzberg, who claimed victories at Chuckanut 50K, JFK 50 Mile and Squamish 50K with a course record in 2025, will aim to make her mark on Mont-Sainte-Anne. Other contenders include Carol-Ann Rolle, Leya Masson, Emilie Mann, Karol-Ann Roy, Stephanie Ryall, Samantha Stimac, Courtney Brohart and Rose Vigneault, who impressed on the QMT32 in 2025, as well as Sarah Bergeron-Larouche and Mélodie Gilbert, both consistent performers on the national circuit. A highly competitive women’s field with multiple podium contenders.
Elite start list
QMT30 : A new distance at the heart of the international scene
QMT joins the prestigious Golden Trail World Series (GTWS) this year, becoming its only North American stop. A brand-new 30 km course has been designed for the occasion. Covering approximately 30 km with 1,450 metres of elevation gain, the QMT30 course will feature technical sections, steep descents and flowing singletrack, with views over the Laurentians and the Jean-Larose stream. A demanding first half will give way to a faster, more runnable section through the forest.
A distinctive feature of this event is its dual composition: it will bring together elite athletes invited by Québec Mega Trail alongside an international cohort selected through the ongoing GTWS qualification process. This unique blend promises a highly competitive field, where local talent will go head-to-head with some of the world’s top short-distance trail specialists.
Among the first GTWS confirmations, the men’s field will notably feature the full podium from the 2025 Sierre-Zinal (Switzerland), with winner Philemon Ombogo Kiriago, runner-up Patrick Kipngeno, and third-place finisher Michael Selelo Saoli. They will be joined by Elhousine Elazzaoui and Paul Machoka, both top-10 finishers at Sierre-Zinal, as well as Québec’s standout Rémi Leroux. American Meikael Beaudoin Rousseau will also be one to watch after his breakthrough performance at QMT25 in 2023, followed by a top-10 finish at the Golden Trail World Series Final at Il Golfo dell’Isola Trail Race (Italy).
In the women’s field, Romania’s Madalina Florea, winner of the ETC race at the 2025 Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB, France), France’s Marie Nivet, Czechia’s Barbora Bukovjan, Italy’s Alice Minetti and Elisa Presa, and American Sarah Carter, winner of the 50 km distance at the most recent Desert Rats by UTMB (USA), will also be on the start line. They will be joined by a strong Kenyan trio, including 2025 Sierre-Zinal (Switzerland) champion Caroline Kimutai, as well as Joyce Muthoni Njeru and Valentine Jepkoech Rutto.
These athletes will be joined by a strong elite contingent from Québec Mega Trail. In the men’s race, Timothée Courtois, runner-up at QMT25 last year, will be one to watch, alongside Paul Vanoostveen, winner of the Sulphur Springs 100 Mile with a course record, and Louis Moreau, who took top honours at QMT25 in 2024. In the women’s field, Amélie Simard, winner of QMT50 in 2023, will line up alongside Andrée-Anne Cloutier, who claimed victory in the 40 km race at UTCC 2025, Meggy Bourassa, last year’s QMT25 winner, and Laurianne Lépine, who won the 42 km Saint-Siméon race at UTHC in 2025, both setting course records.
Additional announcements are expected in the coming weeks as the GTWS and QMT finalize their international roster, setting the stage for a high-calibre showdown at the inaugural QMT30.
Elite start list
A 14th edition with something for everyone
The upcoming edition of Québec Mega Trail will welcome more than 3,900 runners across eleven events ranging from 1 to 135 kilometres, including the new QMT30, two new stage races and a 15 km night race. All distances, except the QMT135, are already sold out. Elite athletes have been concentrated on the distances listed above, and the elite program will not extend to the other races this year.
The QMT135 will also serve as a qualifier for the Western States 100, with finishers earning 5 ITRA points.
