Quebec runner Anne Champagne blazed to a new course record at the Quebec Mega Trail (QMT) 100-miler on Saturday night, but her victory was fueled by more than just speed. Having set the QMT 110K course record in 2019, Champagne returned after a tough year both on and off the trails. She revealed that she had lost a friend who was supposed to pace her, and running in their memory became her driving force.
Champagne’s time of 24:28:27 bettered the record of 24:34:58, set last year by Kelsey Hogan of Steady Brook, N.L. In 2023, Hogan broke her own 100-mile record; while she was second to Champagne on Saturday, she also became the only woman to have finished the challenging QMT 100-miler three times. Post-race, Hogan said that while she had to dig deep during challenging sections of the race, that is all part of the fun of it for her. “I get to run all day in beautiful company on these trails,” she said. She enjoyed running into familiar athletes and volunteers throughout the race: “It’s a really community-driven event.”
For Champagne, QMT holds a special place in her heart. It was her first ultra with a strong performance, opening doors to other races and opportunities. A former obstacle course racer, Champagne made history in 2018 by becoming the only woman to win the Spartan Stoneham Ultra Beast outright, held in her hometown of Quebec City.
Hogan and Champagne were followed in by Mélina Dubois-Verret of Lingwick, Que., in 27:01:36. In 2023, Dubois-Verret was second in the 125K race at the Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada (UTHC) 2023 and fourth in her first 100-mile race, Bighorn Trail Run, in Wyoming. Pre-race, Dubois-Verret said she was looking forward to competing in QMT for the first time, and eager to challenge herself against the fierce level of competition.
The 100-mile race kicked off on Friday evening at Le Hotel and Spa Le Germain Charlevoix in Baie St-Paul, 66 km east of Mont Ste-Anne. This year’s race saw a deep field of talented athletes competing in the 100-mile, and finishers began arriving Saturday evening at the Mont Ste-Anne ski resort 40 minutes east of Quebec City. The race course is hard and technical, with runners traversing 6,500 metres of elevation over the 100-mile distance, and crossing rivers multiple times while navigating mud and rooty, rocky and steep trails. The first men arrived in the late afternoon, with Quebec’s Jean-François Cauchon setting a new course record of 19:01:25.
World Trail Majors spotlight
QMT’s inclusion in the World Trail Majors cements its status as a prestigious race that draws from trail running enthusiasts worldwide. As the only Canadian race in this series, QMT stands alongside other iconic races in Asia, Europe, Africa and North America. To learn more about the race, head to the QMT website.
Local runner smashes 100-mile course record at Quebec Mega Trail
To read about the men’s 100-mile results, click here. check out the livestream of the finish line on YouTube throughout the QMT races, click here.
