Louis Calais wins 2026 Echappée Belle ultra-trail

Louis Calais won the 2026 edition of the Echappée Belle ultra-trail, finishing with a time of 21 hours, 02 minutes, and 59 seconds. The race, covering 145 km with 11,000 meters of elevation gain in the Belledonne massif, was shortened and modified due to severe weather conditions, including rain, fog, wind, and near-freezing temperatures.

Calais took the lead at the 28.8 km mark and maintained his advantage over Ludovic Pommeret, a former UTMB winner. Pommeret noted that Calais pulled away around the 70 km mark, ultimately finishing approximately one hour behind the winner. This victory follows Calais's recent success at the Ultra Terrestre in Réunion.

Despite his high-level athletic performance, observers have noted a disparity between Calais's competitive success and his commercial sponsorship profile, which remains more modest compared to other top-tier athletes in the sport.