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Mont-Sainte-Anne, July 2, 2023 – The rain that fell on Mont-Sainte-Anne on Sunday morning did not get the better of the runners who showed all their adversity during the 25K, 15K, 6K and 1K (children) which took place as part of the 11th edition of Québec Mega Trail.
QMT-25 : high level of competition!
QMT being the only Canadian event appearing on the international circuit of Salomon’s mythical Golden Trail National Series (GTNS), Mont-Sainte-Anne welcomed many international elite runners on Sunday morning. The weather conditions had, so to speak, no impact on these 600 contenders who therefore went there at all to obtain a maximum of points in the GTNS classification in order to reach the grand finale to come during the Il Golfo Dell’Isola Trail Race ITA, in Italy (23K and 1,200m D+), next October.
On men’s side, Meikael Beaudoin-Rousseau took the honors at this prized distance with an exceptional time of 01:48:11, thereby breaking the race record by some five minutes, in difficult conditions. Several sections of the course were greasy, muddy, and some other parts gave a hard time to the athletes, who had water up to their knees. The athlete has thus written a new page in the history of the QMT-25, which should also allow him to climb to the top of the GTNS ranking!
Meikael Beaudoin-Rousseau, who comes from a family of Quebec origin, took the time to address a few words to the Québec Mega Trail team.
“The conditions were very difficult so I had a little trouble finding my flow, with people in front of me, because it was very technical. There was mud, rocks and I was slipping a lot. It wasn’t quite the conditions I’m used to in California. At some point I decided to push a bit to get the trail lit, and from there I just kept going and having fun in the tough conditions.” – Meikael Beaudoin-Rousseau, QMT-25 champion
Among the women, Anne-Marie Comeau from Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges won the event for a second consecutive year, ahead of Alayna Sonnesyn and Rachel Tomajczyk. The athlete shown her tenacity, easily separating from her rivals.
“It’s one of the first time I’ve run on the trails here and it’s so wet. Usually, you can still go fast, this time it was a little more difficult. I had in mind to go all out […] I’m super happy with my first place.” – Anne-Marie Comeau, QMT-25 champion
Results – Men
1. Meikael Beaudoin-Rousseau (USA) – 01:48:11 *New record*
2. Samüel Poher (Canada) – 01:55:03
3. Jeffrey Stern (USA) – 01:58:38
Results – Women
1. Anne-Marie Comeau (Canada) – 02:07:44
2. Alayna Sonnesyn (USA) – 02:11:37
3. Rachel Tomajczyk – (USA) – 02:16:15
Pure emotions!
The 11th edition of Québec Mega Trail gave way to many magical moments. Spectators could see a marriage proposal at the finish line, French runner Vanessa Morales (QMT-100 miles) on honeymoon during the event, the visit of the comedian Bruno Blanchet as part of a very special accompaniment for the Diagonale des fous inclusive, the surprise visit of runner Marianne Hogan, and more! QMT-100 mile champion Kelsey Hogan also convinced her parents to take part in the 6km race, which she also joined. An incredible team spirit!
For the organization, this edition, which included a record number of registrations, was a success all along the line.
“Once again, the QMT showed all its power and energy! We have technical trails that surprise runners from outside Quebec every time, but we made them appreciate the most beautiful landscapes we have here.
The temperature brought a challenge factor, but the energy was present all weekend, on the ten events. Our team is strong, the organization has great depth and no detail has been left to chance. The security and the runner experience continue to be our top priorities. I am really proud of this edition, and runners and volunteers give it back to us!” – Jean Fortier, general director and founder, Québec Mega Trail
See you next year!
The Québec Mega Trail team is also proud to announce the dates of its 12th edition. Trail runners can already put the dates of July 4 to 7, 2024 in their race calendar. It’s a date!
