Announcement from American Trail Running Association (ATRA) Switchback member Québec Mega Trail (QMT). Above photo by: QMT – CatherineTetreault.
Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré – The countdown is over! After months of preparation, the 3,000 or so runners registered for one of 10 Quebec Mega Trail events will be in action starting Friday, June 30th on the trails bordering Le Massif de Charlevoix and Mont-Sainte-Anne.
This 11th edition of QMT will bring together athletes from 12 countries and promises to provide a memorable experience to competitors on courses that are both majestic and challenging. It’s sure to be a thrill for running and outdoor enthusiasts alike!
“It’s been a record-breaking year for us! All our races, for which we had initially increased the registration capacity, have been sold out for several months. It’s a record in terms of time and participation, which we’re particularly delighted about since it testifies to an unprecedented craze for trail running in Quebec, and also beyond our borders. Our team has invested a great deal of effort in providing participants with a memorable experience, and we hope that our organization will enable them to achieve performances that live up to their expectations, as well as having maximum fun.” – Jean Fortier, General director and founder of Québec Mega Trail
Kelsey Hogan during QMT 2022. Photo by: QMT – Christian Dionne.
Fierce Competition for the Ladies
This year’s QMT will showcase women’s talent and expertise. The 80 km event promises a fierce battle, with the presence of British Columbian Morgan Leroy, holder of the Cowichan Valley 5 crown FKT, a local 68 km course with 3,000 meters of elevation gain. Quebecers Mylène Sansoucy and Geneviève Asselin-Demers will be the local rivals to watch. Both have impressive trail pedigrees.
Last summer’s winner of the QMT-100 miles, Kelsey Hogan from Newfoundland, will be back to defend her title. Several rivals will be vying for her honors, including Anne Bouchard, the Bromont-based athlete who recently won the 120 km El Paso Austral Ultra Trail (Patagonia), and France’s Vanessa Morales, who broke the women’s world speed record on the ascent of Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) in 2021.
“Of course, we’re very much looking forward to seeing whether Kelsey Hogan defends her title in the QMT-100 miles and whether she beats her time from last year. In all events, the level will be extremely high among the women this year. The public can expect to see many records fall,” says Jean Fortier.
Records to Be Broken on QMT-25
The 25 km event, part of Salomon’s Golden National Trail Series circuit, has attracted a number of elite athletes and promises to be quite a spectacle, combining technique and speed. Daniel Curts (USA), American Mountain Running Champion, Samuël Poher (Canada), and Jeffrey Stern (USA) will be competing in the men’s category, while the women’s category will include Lindsey Herman (USA), and Quebecers Élisa Morin, Mélodie Gilbert, and former Olympian Anne-Marie Comeau. The latter, who is the course record holder, will be starting on familiar grounds, as she hails from Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, and could surprise her competitors.
Photo by: QMT – Catherine Tetreault
Featuring Quebec Athletes in Their Own Playground
A number of elite athletes from all over the province could make it to the top of the rankings throughout the event as they are familiar with the QMT courses. Christopher Lévesque-Savard (second in the QMT-25 in 2022), Patrick Lehoux-Gagnon (third in the QMT-25 in 2022), Jean-Philippe Thibodeau (champion in the QMT-80 in 2022 and the QMT-50 in 2021), Gabriel Sanfaçon (first in the QMT-110 in 2022 and third in the QMT-160 in 2021) and Laurianne Roberge (first in the UTHC 42 km in 2022), will be ones to watch in this year’s QMT-50 edition.
Cindy Champagne (runner-up in the UTCC 62 km in 2022) and Olivier Moreau (first in the Trail du Grand-Duc 52 km and last year’s 32 km Trail du Massif du Sud), will both take the QMT-80 start this year.
Fun for all!
This 11th edition will also feature an entire program of free activities to enjoy. It includes electronic, pop, and trad-bluegrass live music, yoga with Élodie Déry as well as a variety of lectures given by local experts. The finish area will also feature an obstacle course and sporting goods thrift store.
On the musical front, QMT will welcome DJ Mika to kick off the 100 MILES at Hôtel & Spa Le Germain Charlevoix, Baie-St-Paul, on Friday, June 30. The following day, Quebec trad-bluegrass and jazz band Picky Pickers will be bringing the house down at Mont-Sainte-Anne.
Jean-François Cauchon during QMT 2022. Photo by: QMT – Daniel Thibault.
A special thanks to our sponsors
The entire QMT organization would like to thank Salomon, its main sponsor, as well as its numerous collaborators.
Public sector and tourism partners:
Gouvernement du Québec, Mouvement Mont-Sainte-Anne/Développement Côte-de-Beaupré, Ville de Beaupré, Destination Québec Cité, Tourisme Charlevoix, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Sentier des Caps, Sentier Mestachibo, Municipalité de Saint-Tite-des-Caps, Municipalité de Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Ville de Baie-Saint-Paul,
Municipalité de Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, MRC de la Côte-de-Beaupré and Caroline Desbiens, députée.
Event presenters:
Desjardins (Côte-de-Beaupré), XACT Nutrition, La Souche, PCN Physio, Hôtel Delta Mont-Sainte-Anne, La Cordée, Beauport Nissan, Icebreaker and Coros.
Media partners:
Canadian Running, Dans la tête d’un coureur and Le Soleil.
About Quebec Mega Trail
Quebec Mega Trail is recognized as one of the most beautiful, but also one of the toughest trail races in Canada. Its courses traverse Charlevoix and Côte de Beaupré regions. Quebec Mega Trail is a breeding ground for high-caliber athletes. It also caters to less experienced runners, hosting a variety of distances, in which over 2,500 participants take part annually. Founded in 2012, QMT takes pride in contributing to the development of trail running in Quebec and being known for its safetý, sustainable development practices, and for its constant innovations.
The 2023 QMT edition will be held from June 29th to July 2nd at Mont-Sainte-Anne. Ten events will be offered to trail running enthusiasts (QMT-100-MILES (160 km), 110 km, 80 km, 50 km, 25 km, 21 km, 15 km, 10 km, 6 km, and 1 km). Quebec Mega Trail is part of the prestigious Golden Trail Series and is the only North American partner race of the Grand Raid de l’île de la Réunion and Madeira International Ultra Trail (MIUT). The 100 MILES and 110 km events are also qualifiers for the legendary Western States 100.
The post Québec Mega Trail: IT’S A START! appeared first on ATRA.