French Trail Championships: Chaos on Mont Ventoux
What a scenario at the French Trail Championships! On Sunday March 29, the slopes of Mont Ventoux witnessed one of the most dramatic finishes in French trail running history, during the championships held as part of the Trail du Ventoux – Au Vieux Campeur event in Bédoin (Vaucluse).
Trail Long: Favorites Get Lost, Bernabeu-Séguy Seizes the Day
In the trail long (50 km, 2,500m elevation gain), the lead pack of six elite runners — Antoine Charvolin, Mathieu Delpeuch, Robin Juillaguet, Rémy Brassac, Arnaud Bonin, and Clément Lalba — took a wrong turn on the flanks of Mont Chauve. Lost in snow and violent wind, they ran approximately 8 km off-course before finding their way back, losing over fifteen minutes.
Meanwhile, Florian Bernabeu-Séguy (Annecy Athlétisme), who had followed the correct route, found himself propelled to the front without fully understanding what was happening.
"I only thought about one thing: giving it everything." — Florian Bernabeu-Séguy
The Annecy runner crossed the line in 4h18'01", becoming French champion in extraordinary circumstances. Xavier Bartoli (La Suarellaise) finished second at 4'50" back, followed by Valentin Benard (Gien Athlé Marathon) at approximately 6 minutes.
The incident has sparked intense debate in the trail community: did the morning course modification due to extreme weather (snow, violent wind) leave insufficient course marking? The question remains open and could have implications for European Championship selections.
Women's Trail Long: Audrey Tanguy's Grand Return
Audrey Tanguy (UO Albertville Tarentaise) led from start to finish, winning in 4h58'02" to claim her first French championship title. A remarkable comeback after nearly two years away following maternity leave.
"It's the first time I've been French champion." — Audrey Tanguy
Marie Goncalves took second at 2'30" back, followed by Anne-Cécile Thevenot at 2'39".
Short Trail: Galbourdin Sprints to Victory, Jarousseau Returns
In the short trail (29 km, 1,350m elevation gain), Pierre Galbourdin (Annecy Athlétisme) launched a decisive acceleration three kilometers from the finish to win in 2h00'20", edging his training partner Benjamin Roubiol by just seconds. Thomas Butez completed the podium.
In the women's race, defending champion Cécile Jarousseau (Racing Multi Athlon) made a victorious return after a year out with injuries. Maëlle Beauvir (AL Echirolles) finished 30 seconds back, while Tiphaine Bazile (CA du Roannais) won the U23 category.
"This victory tastes like a fresh start." — Cécile Jarousseau
Buffalo Stampede: Strong Performances in Australia
In the mountains of Bright (Victoria, Australia), the Buffalo Stampede Festival (March 27–29) brought together over 3,500 runners on demanding courses.
100 km
George Knight (U23) dominated the 100 km in 9h52'01", ahead of Man Kumar Roka Magar (10h36'45") and Ben Leeson (10h38'57"). In the women's race, Fuzhao Xiang won in 11h41'21", followed by Sarah Ludowici (12h29'36") and Alice McGushin (12h32'03").
SkyMarathon 42 km
Charlie Hamilton took the SkyMarathon in 3h21'22", while Kate Avery won the women's race in 4h00'14", ahead of Beth McKenzie and Zoe Manning.
Elsewhere in Trail Running
The weekend also featured the Behind the Rocks Ultra across the spectacular terrain of Moab (Utah) with distances from 10 miles to 50 miles, the Lake Züri 100 offering its 106 km loop around Lake Zurich with GPS-only navigation, and the Trail de Mirmande bringing four race formats to one of France's most beautiful villages in the Drôme.