Trail du Saint Jacques by UTMB
Trail du Saint Jacques by UTMB – Ultra du Saint Jacques - 100M
Saugues → Le Puy En Velay
Race guide
Updated 19 July 2026
The Ultra du Saint Jacques is the 100-mile flagship of Trail du Saint Jacques by UTMB, a 139 km point-to-point with 4913 m of climbing that runs from Saugues to the historic finish in Le Puy-en-Velay. Rather than one or two big mountains, it is a relentless accumulation of climbs across the Velay and Margeride uplands, where the challenge is constant vertical, distance and a tightening schedule of cut-offs rather than extreme altitude. The high point is only 1423 m, but with almost 5000 m of ascent spread over 139 km the course never lets a runner settle. A well-spaced chain of aid and crew points — Prades, Monistrol, Saint Privat, Saint Jean Lachalm, Lac du Bouchet and Saint Christophe sur Dolaizon among them — structures the day and night, and each carries a cut-off that must be respected all the way to the final barrier at Sunday 02:15 in Le Puy-en-Velay.
The course: Saugues to Le Puy-en-Velay
From Saugues (947 m) the route runs to Lespitalet at 24.7 km (927 m), then drops to Prades at 40.8 km (546 m) and Monistrol at 56.1 km (599 m), the two lowest points of the race. It climbs again through Saint Privat at 63.9 km (878 m) to Saint Jean Lachalm at 72.7 km (1157 m), descends to Alleyras at 84.7 km (779 m), then rises to Lac du Bouchet at 100.2 km (1241 m). The closing stretch runs through Bains at 116 km (1186 m), Saint Christophe sur Dolaizon at 122.7 km (911 m), an obligatory diversion via Pont de la Roche at 126.2 km (815 m) and Les Chibottes at 133.1 km (769 m) before the finish at Le Puy-en-Velay (631 m) at 138.7 km. The defining feature is repetition: the profile keeps dropping into valleys and hauling back out again, so the 4913 m of climb arrives in a dozen medium efforts rather than a couple of huge ones. Crew can meet runners at Prades, Monistrol, Saint Privat, Saint Jean Lachalm, Lac du Bouchet and Saint Christophe sur Dolaizon, making it well suited to a supported pacing plan across the full day and night.
Where the race is won or lost
There is no single climb that decides this race; instead, two zones tend to break runners. The first is the long descent to Prades (40.8 km, 546 m) and Monistrol (56.1 km, 599 m) — after the higher opening around Saugues and Lespitalet, the course sheds altitude fast, and runners who hammer these descents to bank time often arrive at Monistrol with wrecked quads and more than 80 km still to run. The second decisive zone is the middle third from Monistrol back up through Saint Privat and Saint Jean Lachalm (72.7 km, 1157 m) to Lac du Bouchet (100.2 km, 1241 m). This is where the race climbs the most, deep into the night for most runners, and where fatigue, darkness and repeated reclimbs compound. Getting through Lac du Bouchet with something in reserve is the mark of a good race; from there the profile trends down through Saint Christophe sur Dolaizon, the Pont de la Roche diversion and Les Chibottes to the finish, but the closing 15 km still roll enough to hurt tired legs.
Cut-offs and how to run the schedule
The barriers tighten steadily: Prades at 40.8 km closes Saturday 04:15, Monistrol at 56.1 km at Saturday 07:20, Saint Jean Lachalm at 72.7 km at Saturday 11:20, Lac du Bouchet at 100.2 km at Saturday 17:30, Saint Christophe sur Dolaizon at 122.7 km at Saturday 22:40, Pont de la Roche at 126.2 km at Saturday 23:20, and the finish in Le Puy-en-Velay at Sunday 02:15. Note the obligatory diversion via Pont de la Roche late in the course — it is a required routing, not optional. Because the early cut-offs (Prades, Monistrol) come in the small hours of Saturday morning, mid-pack runners need to keep the opening descents honest and avoid long stops. The Saint Jean Lachalm to Lac du Bouchet section carries the most climbing against a daylight Saturday-afternoon deadline, so protect time in hand there. The gap from Lac du Bouchet (17:30) to Saint Christophe sur Dolaizon (22:40) covers 22.5 km with meaningful climb into a second night — plan a deliberate refuel and, if needed, a caffeine and headtorch reset at Lac du Bouchet to carry you through.
Fuelling, night running and conditions
Aid and crew spacing is generous by ultra standards but the gaps still matter: the run from Saugues to Prades covers 40.8 km before the first crew point, so start self-sufficient and eat steadily across Lespitalet. Thereafter, use the crew stops at Prades, Monistrol, Saint Privat, Saint Jean Lachalm and Lac du Bouchet to reset nutrition, socks and lighting. With most of the field out for a full day and a second night, a disciplined eating plan of steady carbohydrate through the dark hours is what keeps the repeated climbs manageable. Conditions reflect the Velay and Margeride plateaus: altitudes swing between roughly 546 m in the valleys and 1423 m at the high point, and the upland sections are exposed to wind and can be cold overnight even after a warm afternoon. Plan for a significant temperature drop after dark and carry proper layers and lighting for two nights of running. Underfoot the terrain is runnable trail and track rather than technical mountain ground, which is precisely why quad-conditioning and pacing discipline, not climbing legs alone, decide who reaches Le Puy-en-Velay inside the Sunday 02:15 cut-off.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-17) · official source
0 km · 947 m · —
24.7 km · 927 m · —
40.8 km · 546 m · Sat 04:15
56.1 km · 599 m · Sat 07:20
63.9 km · 878 m · —
72.7 km · 1157 m · Sat 11:20
84.7 km · 779 m · —
100.2 km · 1241 m · Sat 17:30
116 km · 1186 m · —
122.7 km · 911 m · Sat 22:40
126.2 km · 815 m · Sat 23:20
133.1 km · 769 m · —
138.7 km · 631 m · Sun 02:15
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