{"id":10097,"date":"2025-07-11T09:48:59","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T13:48:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ultratrailcanada.com\/the-start-signal-given-for-300-athletes-on-the-new-qmt135\/"},"modified":"2025-07-11T09:52:16","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T13:52:16","slug":"the-start-signal-given-for-300-athletes-on-the-new-qmt135","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ultratrailcanada.com\/en\/the-start-signal-given-for-300-athletes-on-the-new-qmt135\/","title":{"rendered":"The start signal given for 300 athletes on the new QMT135"},"content":{"rendered":"

The start of the <\/span>brand-new QMT135<\/b> was given at 10 p.m., under the enveloping darkness around H\u00f4tel & Spa Le Germain Charlevoix, suddenly lit up by 300 headlamps. In this electric yet nighttime atmosphere, more than 300 runners set off on a 135 km course with nearly 6,000 meters of elevation gain. Their journey will take them from the ridges of the Massif de Charlevoix to the Sentier des Caps, before tackling a brand-new and spectacular section at Cap Br\u00fbl\u00e9, sneaking along the slippery Dalle Humide, then facing the infamous Mestachibo, all the way to the trails of Mont-Sainte-Anne for the final ascents.<\/span><\/p>\n

The leading athletes could cross the finish line as early as tomorrow, Saturday, July 5, around 2 p.m.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span><\/i>We are truly pleased to see, with more than 300 registrations received, that the Qu\u00e9bec trail running community is showing up. We are equally excited to welcome international athletes discovering this brand-new race. The runners will have the final say, but I sincerely hope they will appreciate this course that is both more strategic, more accessible… yet hasn\u2019t lost any of the technical bite that some experienced in the 100 miles before.<\/span><\/i>\u201d <\/span><\/i>– Jean Fortier, General Director and Founder of Qu\u00e9bec Mega Trail<\/span><\/p>\n

QMT135\u00a0: Local and Global Contenders Take on the Challenge<\/b><\/p>\n

The inaugural QMT135 looks like a fierce battle between top international trail runners and up-and-coming Canadians. On the men\u2019s side, <\/span>Nelson Santos<\/b> (Portugal \u2013 ITRA: 846), who recently placed 5<\/span>th<\/span> in the 111 km Swiss Canyon Trail, and <\/span>S\u00e9bastien Camus <\/b>(France \u2013 ITRA: 814), with a top-10 finish at UTMB, could steal the show. But they face strong competition from Qu\u00e9bec-based runners like <\/span>David Jeker<\/b> (ITRA: 800), <\/span>Jacob Baril-Arnason<\/b> (ITRA: 790), and <\/span>Matthieu Saliou<\/b> (ITRA: 750).<\/span><\/p>\n

Among the women, expect a tight race between local specialists <\/span>Myl\u00e8ne Sansoucy<\/b> (ITRA: 672), fresh off a top 4 at the 2024 QMT-100 MILES, <\/span>Genevi\u00e8ve Asselin-Demers <\/b>(ITRA: 714), last year\u2019s QMT80 champion, <\/span>Camille Girard <\/b>(ITRA: 615), and <\/span>Elisabeth Cauchon <\/b>(ITRA: 608), as well as national and international stars like <\/span>Amanda Nelson<\/b> (ITRA: 670), winner of the 2024 Sulphur Springs 100-miler, <\/span>Maryline Nakache<\/b> (France \u2013 ITRA: 718), who won the Marathon des Sables in April, <\/span>Emilie Mann <\/b>(ITRA: 712), and <\/span>Wenfei Xie<\/b> (China \u2013 ITRA: 691), currently ranked 3<\/span>rd <\/span>in the World Trail Majors.<\/span><\/p>\n

World Trail Majors: Who to Watch in the Rankings?<\/b><\/p>\n

With the QMT135 part of the World Trail Majors, runners will earn points toward the WTM rankings this weekend. Several athletes already on the leaderboard could climb even higher:<\/span><\/p>\n

Ultra<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Wenfei Xie (China) <\/b>\u2013 QMT135 \u2013 WTM\u00a0: <\/span>3<\/b>rd<\/b> place<\/b> \/ 1,764 pts<\/span><\/p>\n

Maryline Nakache (France) <\/b>\u2013 QMT135 \u2013 WTM\u00a0:<\/span> 20<\/b>th<\/b> place <\/b>\/ 1,310 pts<\/span><\/p>\n

Emilie Mann<\/b> – QMT135 – WTM: <\/span>46<\/b>th<\/b> place <\/b>\/ 1,080 pts<\/span><\/p>\n

Myl\u00e8ne Sansoucy<\/b> \u2013 QMT135 \u2013 WTM\u00a0: <\/span>63<\/b>th<\/b> place<\/b> \/ 1,010 pts<\/span><\/p>\n

To watch this weekend<\/b><\/p>\n