Asics SaintéLyon.
The Lyon SaintéLyon is the evening's ultra formula: first 76 kilometres from Lyon to Saint-Étienne in daylight, then a break, then the classic SaintéLyon back through the night. Only the return leg is ranked - a race format that barely exists anywhere else, and one that turns 156 kilometres with 4,350 metres of climbing into a question of how you handle the pause.
Asics SaintéLyon 2026: Course, Elevation & Route Profile
The race starts at 09:00 at the Halle Tony Garnier in Lyon and finishes there too. The outward leg runs the diagonal in reverse over the Monts du Lyonnais to Saint-Étienne and has to be completed inside thirteen hours; it is not ranked, and everyone paces it as they choose. A meal and a dedicated rest area wait in Saint-Étienne, and then it is back over the classic course - with a front-row start and the yellow bibs that identify the ultra runners for the whole return.
Measured as a loop the course comes to 155.9 kilometres and 4,351 metres of climbing, distributed almost symmetrically: 27.8 per cent up, 27.6 per cent down, only 18.3 per cent flat. The hardest single climbs sit on the outward leg between kilometres 35 and 55 - one of them averaging sixteen per cent - and on the return from kilometre 114, where the 175-metre, thirteen-per-cent climb arrives that the 80 km course knows at its own kilometre 37.
The field is capped at 800, the smallest of the weekend. The format has been officially on the programme since 2019 after years of being run unofficially; Alexandre Boucheix won its first three editions in the men's race. The barriers apply in both directions: Saint-Étienne has to be reached by 22:30, Lyon by 16:00 the following day.
| Start | Length | Ø | Max. | Gain | Cat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km 35.2 | 1.2 km | 10.6 % | 20.9 % | +125 m | Cat. 4 |
| km 42.2 | 0.8 km | 16.4 % | 28.8 % | +135 m | Cat. 4 |
| km 54.3 | 0.8 km | 15.1 % | 23.4 % | +113 m | Cat. 4 |
| km 78.5 | 3.6 km | 3.9 % | 10.4 % | +141 m | Cat. 4 |
| km 87.4 | 1.4 km | 10.7 % | 19 % | +149 m | Cat. 4 |
| km 100.4 | 1.1 km | 11.5 % | 17.9 % | +124 m | Cat. 4 |
| km 113.9 | 1.3 km | 13.2 % | 21.5 % | +175 m | Cat. 3 |
| km 120.3 | 1.8 km | 7 % | 15 % | +127 m | Cat. 4 |
Climb categories follow the road-cycling convention and rate the terrain itself (length and gradient) regardless of sport: Cat. 4 marks the easiest rated climbs, Cat. 1 the hardest, and HC (hors catégorie, “beyond categorization”) is reserved for the most brutal ascents. Short climbs below the Cat. 4 threshold stay unrated.
How to pace Asics SaintéLyon.
Start under control
No other race of this length puts the central tactical question so explicitly: how much do you invest in something that is not scored? The outward leg allows thirteen hours for 76 kilometres and around two thousand metres of climbing. That is comfortable - and the temptation to get it done quickly in order to buy more rest costs more on the return than the hour gained is worth.
Hold your rhythm
The break in Saint-Étienne is the real lever. It is the only moment of the race where you can change clothes, eat and actually lie down, and the only one where the body has to switch from a daytime rhythm to a night already spent awake. Break too briefly and you set off on the return chilled and underfuelled; break too long and you never properly wake up again. Plan it as a fixed length beforehand and hold to it.
Spend what is left
The race is decided in the second half of the return, from about kilometre 114. That is where the classic course's steep climbs sit, where the night is longest, and where you have already been going for more than twenty hours. Run the outward leg genuinely conservatively and this is where you move up - for the whole return you wear the yellow bib and run through the field of the 80 km starters, which is the biggest psychological advantage this format offers.
Training plan for Asics SaintéLyon: 12-week build
Build the base
156 kilometres with 4,350 metres of climbing and a break in the middle take age-group athletes somewhere between twenty and thirty-one hours - the barriers allow thirteen hours for the outward leg and a sixteen-and-a-half-hour window for the ranked return. The demand is a very long aerobic one with a high eccentric component and, unlike any normal ultra, a forced interruption.
Train race pace
That interruption is trainable and almost never trained. Two sessions in one day with several hours between them - long in the morning, long again in the evening and in the dark - simulate exactly what happens in Saint-Étienne: restarting cold, stiff legs, running on after eating, warming up in a state where warming up is unpleasant.
Rehearse the course
The running-specific emphasis is the same as on the 80 km course, only more so: downhill running under fatigue, spread across more than four thousand metres of descent, plus base sessions of six hours and up and back-to-back weekends. Run the outward leg technically downhill and save the legs there, and you win the return.
Arrive fresh
Conditions are a double stimulus: the outward leg runs in November daylight at single-digit temperatures, the return at night at up to 870 metres, where snow and ice occur regularly. Kit has to cover both, and the drop bag in Saint-Étienne is the only chance to make use of that. Pack it as though it were the most important piece of equipment in the race - because it is.
Courses
Download the Asics SaintéLyon course as a GPX file for your watch or bike computer.
Let YOUB adapt your plan for Asics SaintéLyon dynamically
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Everything about Asics SaintéLyon.
How long is Asics SaintéLyon?
Asics SaintéLyon is 160 km long. That distance shapes how much aerobic endurance, pace durability, and race-specific work belong in the training plan.
How much elevation gain does Asics SaintéLyon have?
Asics SaintéLyon has around 4,351 m of elevation gain over 160 km. That affects pacing, muscular load, and preparation for late-race sections.
What is the route profile of Asics SaintéLyon?
Asics SaintéLyon is classified as Hilly, averaging 27.9 vertical metres per kilometre. 18% of the route is flat, 28% climbs moderately (2 to 6%) and 13% is steeper than 6%.
What climbs does Asics SaintéLyon have?
The hardest climb of Asics SaintéLyon starts at kilometre 113.9, runs for 1.3 km at an average of 13.2% and gains 175 metres. Cycling-convention rating: Cat. 3. 8 climbs are mapped in total.
Is Asics SaintéLyon a loop course?
Yes, Asics SaintéLyon is laid out as a loop: start and finish are in the same place.
Is there a GPX file for the Asics SaintéLyon course?
Yes. The Asics SaintéLyon course is on this page as a free GPX download — ready to import into Garmin, Wahoo, Komoot, Strava or any other app that reads GPX.
How should I prepare for Asics SaintéLyon?
Preparation for Asics SaintéLyon should account for 160 km, 4,351 m of elevation gain, current training load, and available training time. An adaptive plan helps place key sessions without ignoring recovery and real life.
What pacing strategy works for Asics SaintéLyon?
The pacing strategy for Asics SaintéLyon should reflect 160 km, 4,351 m of elevation gain, and your current fitness. Start controlled and keep margin for sections where the profile or fatigue makes target pace harder.
When does Asics SaintéLyon take place?
Asics SaintéLyon takes place on November 28, 2026.
Where does Asics SaintéLyon take place?
Asics SaintéLyon takes place in Saint-Étienne / Lyon, France.
Which distances does Asics SaintéLyon offer?
Asics SaintéLyon offers 9 distances — Lyon SaintéLyon: 160 km; SaintéLyon: 80 km; SaintéLyon Relais 2: 80 km; SaintéLyon Relais 3: 80 km; SaintéLyon Relais 4: 80 km; SaintExpress: 45 km and 3 more.
How do I register for Asics SaintéLyon?
Registration runs through the organiser: saintelyon.com. YOUB shows you the course, elevation profile and training plan for your preparation.
