Original Coverage & Source Attribution: runningmagazine.ca
Some of the best mountain runners in the world are heading to Mont-Sainte-Anne, Que., this weekend, where the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) Mountain Running World Cup will wrap up its 2026 season at Défi des Couleurs.
The Oct. 10-11 races will mark the first time the World Cup has visited Canada, and the first time its final has been held outside Europe. Défi des Couleurs is now in its 13th edition and brings thousands of runners to Mont-Sainte-Anne during peak fall colour. This year, the World Cup races will be held alongside the Canadian Mountain Running Championships, with the Classic Up & Down also serving as the Coupe Quebec Trail final.
The World Cup has taken runners to races such as Transvulcania in Spain, Broken Arrow near Lake Tahoe in California, Sierre-Zinal in Switzerland and Vertical Nasego in Italy before finishing in Quebec. Runners earn points based on where they finish, with separate standings for uphill, classic and long-distance racing.
Organizers expect runners from more than 20 countries, with a deep international field racing against many of Canada’s best mountain runners.
A big question
Several of the top Kenyan runners may not make it to Quebec. As of Wednesday, Ruth Mwihaki Gitonga, Joyce Muthoni Njeru, Michael Selelo Saoli and Patrick Kipng’eno, all from Kenya, were still waiting for Canadian visas. Philemon Kiriago, also of Kenya, already has a visa, but his participation is still uncertain. Kenyan media and the WMRA have both reported that the situation could affect the final start list.
If they are unable to make it to Quebec, both the individual races and the final World Cup standings could look very different.
Two very different races
Saturday’s Mont-Sainte-Anne (MSA) Uphill starts at 12:30 p.m. ET near Jean-Larose Falls and climbs to the summit of Mont-Sainte-Anne. The 5K race features 770 metres of climbing, and no descent.
The MSA Classic Up & Down follows on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET. The 15-kilometre course has 1,214 metres of climbing and the same amount of descent, with several major climbs before runners head back toward the finish.
Those two races will decide the 2026 uphill and classic World Cup titles, as well as the final overall standings.
Women to watch
If Gitonga makes it to Quebec, she will arrive at the top of the women’s World Cup standings, with 384 points, after winning every classic race she has entered this season, including São Brás, Grossglockner and Vauban. She also won the long-distance World Cup title. Njeru sits second, with 310 points.
Canada has a strong local contender in Élisa Morin. The Montreal-based athlete won both the uphill and classic Canadian titles at Défi des Couleurs in 2025, and finished 10th in the classic race at the 2025 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. She also won the women’s 50K at Boréalys Mont-Tremblant by UTMB in August. Valérie Arsenault, of Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval, Que., is fresh off a win at Quebec Mega Trail’s 135K race (in a course-record time of 18:12:06) and should be in the mix.
Men to watch
Reigning World Cup champion Kiriago leads the men’s standings after wins at Transvulcania, Broken Arrow, Sierre-Zinal and Trofeo Nasego. Kenya’s Richard Omaya Atuya is only 14 points behind him, but he’s not on the final start list. That leaves room for Saoli and Kipngeno to potentially move up.
For Canada, Rémi Leroux of Bromont, Que., and Squamish, B.C.’s Alexandre Ricard are two of the main names to watch. Leroux won the 2025 MSA Classic Up & Down, while Ricard finished third in both Canadian championship races at Mont-Sainte-Anne last year.
How to follow
The MSA Uphill starts Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET, with the Classic Up & Down starting Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET. WMRA says it will follow both races live on its social media channels, while results will be available through SportChrono. To learn more, visit the WMRA website, here.
