Nice Côte d'Azur by UTMB®
Nice Côte d'Azur by UTMB® – Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat - Nice - 20K
Saint-Jean Cap Ferrat → Nice - Promenade Des Anglais
Race guide
Updated 19 July 2026
The Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat - Nice 20K is the shortest route at Nice Côte d'Azur by UTMB, a 23 km point-to-point that begins at the sea on the Cap Ferrat peninsula and finishes on the famous Promenade des Anglais in Nice. It climbs 620 m to a high point of 398 m, offering a compact, accessible taste of the Côte d'Azur's coastal hills. What defines this race is its clean, single-hill shape: a start at sea level, one sustained climb to the Plateau Saint Michel, and a long descent back to the seafront. From 1 m of elevation on the peninsula the course rises to the balcony above Nice and drops straight down to the promenade at 10 m. It is short enough to run hard yet hilly enough to demand respect on both the climb and the descent.
The Course: Sea to Balcony to Seafront
The race starts at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat at just 1 m above the sea, on the peninsula that juts into the Mediterranean east of Nice. From that sea-level beginning the entire first half is a climb: the route works steadily upward to the Plateau Saint Michel at 11 km (398 m), the high point of the day and the balcony that overlooks the city and coast. This is the one substantial ascent of the course, and reaching it marks the halfway pivot of the race. From the Plateau Saint Michel the second half is essentially all descent, dropping from 398 m back down to the finish on the Promenade des Anglais at 10 m (23 km). With crew points at the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat start and the Nice finish, the course is simple to follow and to support — a straightforward there-and-down profile that packs a real hill into a short, coastal package.
Where the Race Is Won or Lost: One Climb, One Descent
The whole competitive shape of this race rests on the single climb to Plateau Saint Michel: roughly 400 m of gain across the opening 11 km from the sea. Because the course is short, the temptation is to attack the climb hard — but with the entire back half being downhill, going into the red on the ascent risks trashing the legs for the fast descent that decides finishing times. Climb strongly but within yourself, and treat the Plateau as the point where you shift gears. The descent from Plateau Saint Michel to the Promenade des Anglais is where the race is truly run: 12 km of near-continuous downhill on the dry, rocky terrain typical of the hills above Nice, transitioning to fast running as you reach the city. Confident, controlled downhill running here is the single biggest determinant of your time, and runners who paced the climb sensibly will have the quads to let the descent flow.
Pacing and Fuelling for a Short Course
The cut-offs are Plateau Saint Michel at Sun 10:35 and the Promenade des Anglais finish at Sun 14:00, giving a comfortable window for a 23 km route. For most runners the challenge here is not the cut-offs but pacing the effort: hold back just enough on the climb to the Plateau that you can commit fully to the 12 km descent, rather than arriving at the top already cooked. At only 23 km with a crew point at each end, fuelling is simpler than on the longer Nice routes. Start hydrated and carry enough to cover the climb to the Plateau Saint Michel, where the on-course aid and the halfway high point make a natural checkpoint. Take on fluid and a quick calorie top-up before committing to the descent, since the run down to the seafront is fast and continuous and you will not want to stop once gravity is helping you toward the finish.
Conditions to Expect
This is a warm, exposed coastal race on the Côte d'Azur, and heat and sun are the defining factors rather than altitude — the high point is only 398 m. The climb from Cap Ferrat to Plateau Saint Michel offers limited shade on dry, rocky hillside that reflects the Mediterranean sun, so even on a short course, hydration and sun protection are worth taking seriously, especially for slower finishers out through the middle of the day. The terrain underfoot is the stony, technical trail common to the hills behind Nice, which matters most on the long descent to the seafront. As with all UTMB events, carry the required mandatory kit. The finish on the Promenade des Anglais is a low-altitude, likely hot and busy seafront setting — a memorable, spectator-friendly end to a race that starts on one Mediterranean shore and ends on another.
Race Nice Côte d'Azur by UTMB® – Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat - Nice - 20K with Crux
Get the strategy, fuelling and crew plan dialled for this exact course — built from the real route, climbs and cut-offs. Your first race is free.
Plan this race — freeCourse profile
Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-17) · official source
0 km · 1 m · —
11 km · 398 m · Sun 10:35
23 km · 10 m · Sun 14:00
More races
More UTMB World Series
More in France
Similar distance (20–50 km)
Racing Nice Côte d'Azur by UTMB® – Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat - Nice - 20K?
Get a complete race strategy — pacing, fuelling, crew plan and the crux moments — built on this exact course.
Plan your race in Crux →Strava is your training. Crux is your races.