L'Ultra Marin Raid Golfe du Morbihan.
The Grand Raid is the Ultra Marin's full lap of the Golfe du Morbihan: 175 km of coastal paths, a boat crossing of the gulf mouth at mid-race and an evening start that sends you straight into the first night. No climb lasts more than a few hundred metres, which is exactly why duration, not the profile, decides this race.
Ultra Marin 2027: Course, Elevation & Route Profile
Start and finish are at the port of Vannes. The lap first crosses the Séné peninsula and the Lasné marshes at Le Hézo to Sarzeau, then follows the ocean side of the Rhuys peninsula to Arzon. At Port-Navalo, a little past 90 km, you board a semi-rigid boat for a crossing of about 15 minutes over the gulf mouth to Locmariaquer, by day or by night depending on your pace. From there the route follows the Crac'h river, passes Baden and runs along the northern shore back to Vannes.
The elevation never leaves the band between sea level and just under 40 metres. The roughly 1,360 m of climbing (the organiser quotes about 1,430 m) comes from countless short ramps where the path rises from a cove onto a headland and drops again; the longest is barely 650 m. They come thickest between km 110 and km 165.
The gulf is an inland sea dotted with islands, and the course hardly ever leaves the water: coastal paths, marshland, harbour villages, beaches. The Grand Raid has been run since the first edition in 2005 and is the flagship of a four-day festival of around 10,000 participants; every shorter race finishes at the same Vannes harbour.
| Start | Length | Ø | Max. | Gain | Cat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km 82.1 | 0.7 km | 3.5 % | 9.4 % | +23 m | — |
| km 112.8 | 0.4 km | 4.6 % | 8.2 % | +17 m | — |
| km 126.7 | 0.4 km | 5 % | 7.1 % | +17 m | — |
| km 140 | 0.3 km | 3.3 % | 5.6 % | +11 m | — |
| km 152.5 | 0.3 km | 5.3 % | 7.5 % | +17 m | — |
| km 157.2 | 0.3 km | 3.6 % | 6.6 % | +11 m | — |
| km 160.3 | 0.5 km | 3.4 % | 7 % | +15 m | — |
| km 163.5 | 0.4 km | 3 % | 5.5 % | +11 m | — |
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 Ultra Marin.
Start under control
Over 175 km with no real hill, no gradient dictates your pace. The short ramps are all runnable, and that is the trap: run them in the first hours because they are so short, and after 100 km your quads will not absorb even the smallest rise. Walk the steeper ramps from the start, even when it feels unnecessary.
Hold your rhythm
The evening start shifts the plan. The opening hours fall into dusk and darkness, headlamp on, across Séné and the Rhuys peninsula. The boat crossing at Port-Navalo is a natural break; use the quarter of an hour to eat and reset rather than racing towards it.
Spend what is left
The race is decided between Locmariaquer and Vannes, where the ramps are densest and many runners enter a second day or a second night. If you can still jog steadily there, you will gain more places than in the entire first half.
Training plan for Ultra Marin: 12-week build
Build the base
Expect 24 to 40 hours; the time limit is 42 hours. The effort is an extremely long, almost entirely aerobic one, broken by hundreds of short changes of rhythm on the ramps. It is not a mountain ultra and not a road race either: coastal path, stretches of beach and village streets alternate constantly.
Train race pace
Time on feet is the main focus. Long runs of five to eight hours on rolling trails, walking every short climb and running the flat sections easy, train exactly this rhythm. Back-to-back weekends with two long sessions on consecutive days prepare you for the second half better than one very long run.
Rehearse the course
The night is its own discipline. Do several long sessions by headlamp, ideally after a normal day, so you practise running tired on uneven paths. Test your fuelling at the same time; over 30 hours the stomach decides more races than the legs.
Arrive fresh
Because the climbing comes in many small bites, strength work for quads and calves pays off, eccentric work in particular: over 175 km the short descents add up to a load many runners underestimate.
Courses
Download the Ultra Marin course as a GPX file for your watch or bike computer.
Let YOUB adapt your plan for L'Ultra Marin Raid Golfe du Morbihan dynamically
Ben connects your goal, the course, current load, recovery, and calendar. Your plan stays pointed at race day even when real life is not perfectly plannable.
Everything about L'Ultra Marin Raid Golfe du Morbihan.
How long is Ultra Marin?
Ultra Marin is 175 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 Ultra Marin have?
Ultra Marin has around 1,359 m of elevation gain over 175 km. That affects pacing, muscular load, and preparation for late-race sections.
What is the route profile of Ultra Marin?
Ultra Marin is classified as Flat, averaging 7.8 vertical metres per kilometre. 45% of the route is flat, 27% climbs moderately (2 to 6%) and 0% is steeper than 6%.
What climbs does Ultra Marin have?
The hardest climb of Ultra Marin starts at kilometre 82.1, runs for 0.7 km at an average of 3.5% and gains 23 metres. 8 climbs are mapped in total.
Is Ultra Marin a loop course?
Yes, Ultra Marin is laid out as a loop: start and finish are in the same place.
Is there a GPX file for the Ultra Marin course?
Yes. The Ultra Marin 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 Ultra Marin?
Preparation for Ultra Marin should account for 175 km, 1,359 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 Ultra Marin?
The pacing strategy for Ultra Marin should reflect 175 km, 1,359 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 L'Ultra Marin Raid Golfe du Morbihan take place?
L'Ultra Marin Raid Golfe du Morbihan takes place on June 25, 2027.
Where does L'Ultra Marin Raid Golfe du Morbihan take place?
L'Ultra Marin Raid Golfe du Morbihan takes place in Vannes, France.
Which distances does Ultra Marin offer?
Ultra Marin offers 7 distances — Le Grand Raid 175 km: 175 km; Le Grand Relais 175 km: 175 km; Le Raid 100 km: 100 km; Le Réveil des Ducs 70 km: 70 km; L'Arvor 60 km: 60 km; La Ronde des Douaniers 34 km: 34 km and 1 more.
How do I register for Ultra Marin?
Registration runs through the organiser: ultra-marin.fr. YOUB shows you the course, elevation profile and training plan for your preparation.
