Quebec Mega Trail 2025 preview: new 135K ultra distance and championship showdowns
After two consecutive victories and a second-place finish last year in the 100-mile event, Fredericton’s Kelsey Hogan returns to the Quebec Mega Trail (QMT) this weekend, July 4–6, with a bold new goal: the 80K national championship title. Hogan’s move to the shorter, but no less brutal, distance is just one of many headlines at QMT 2025, which features a brand-new 135K distance, over 3,600 runners from around the world and a $12,500 prize purse across three days of high-stakes trail racing. Set against the rugged ridgelines, steep climbs and deep river valleys of Mont-Sainte-Anne and Charlevoix, QMT remains one of the most technically demanding and highly anticipated races on the Canadian trail calendar.
Introducing QMT-135: a new challenge for ultrarunners
This year marks the debut of the QMT-135, a 135-km ultra with 6,000 m of elevation gain that carves a brutal and beautiful line from Baie-Saint-Paul to the slopes of Mont-Sainte-Anne. By merging two of its longest former events—the 100-miler and the QMT-110K—the organizers have created a course that’s more strategic, more scenic, and just as savage.
Quebec Mega Trail’s new 135K distances raises the stakes for 2025
The women’s start list, in particular, is heavily loaded, featuring international stars such as Marathon des Sables 2025 winner Maryline Nakache (France) and World Trail Majors third-ranked athlete Wenfei Xie (China). Canadian athletes include 2024 80K champ Camille Girard, along with 2024 Sulphur Springs 100-mile winner and backyard ultra superstar Amanda Nelson, and Mylène Sansoucy, who finished fourth at the 2024 QMT-100 mile.
Championship showdowns at QMT-80
QMT-80 is the Canadian Trail Running Championships for the long trail event. With more than 3,500 meters of elevation gain, the 80K is shaping up to be an electric race, with national champions in the mix: 2024 QMT-110 champion David Savard-Gagnon, 2021 QMT-80 champion Jean-Philippe Thibodeau and 2024 Ultra-Trail Harricana of Canada (UTHC) 125K champion Victor Larocque. 2024 QMT-50k winner Eric LiPuma of the U.S. will add even more depth to this already competitive field.
The women’s field is just as competitive, with national champions and record-holders in the mix: two-time QMT-100 mile winner Hogan, course record holder for QMT-50 Alex Castonguay and 2024 UTHC 125K winner Julie Lesage.
QMT-50: national championship and WTM world debut
The 2025 QMT-50 is not only the Canadian Short Trail Championship, but is also the Canadian debut at the World Trail Majors Short Series, making it one of the weekend’s most anticipated races.
The men’s side has top athletes including Robbie Simpson (U.K.), a multiple medallist at Sierre-Zinal; 2024 Vancouver Marathon winner and 2023 Canadian Marathon Championships bronze medallist Sergio Ráez Villanueva of Mississauga; and Benoit Gallard, winner of the inaugural QMT 100-mile.
The women’s race will include Mélodie Gilbert, winner of last year’s QMT-32; Elisa Morin, double gold medallist at the most recent Canadian Mountain Running Championships; and Laurie Proulx, winner of the 2024 UTHC 42K.
Ráez Villanueva to make his trail debut
We spoke to Ráez Villanueva, a successful road runner making his trail debut at the QMT 50K, on Thursday, as he began his long drive to Mont-Sainte-Anne from his home in Mississauga, Ont. Fans may recall he competed at both the Canadian 10K Championships on May 24 (finishing 13th, in 31:04) and the Tartan Ottawa International Marathon on May 25 (finishing just outside the top 10).
“I was eyeing QMT at that point,” he says, referring to his Ottawa “ultra.” “Maybe if I was a little less spontaneous, I would have picked a 10K or a 20K to start off, but I know I have the endurance fitness with me, especially with doing a marathon/10K back to back. So I thought, why not give the Canadian championships a shot? Maybe I’ll surprise myself. I’m excited to tackle some mountains! You can only get so many trails in Mississauga. I’ve been training on the Bruce Trail, but not even the Bruce Trail is going to compare to what QMT has in store for us.”
How to watch
The full-day finish line livestream kicks off on Saturday at 5:30 a.m. ET. Tune in on the QMT YouTube channel, here.
