Lyon, France 30 novembre 2025
Source: https://www.saintelyon.com/ https://www.instagram.com/asics_saintelyon/
“Pour amateurs éclairés” – Since 1952
The Asics SaintéLyon, a landmark in the history of running in France, will soon celebrate its 71st edition. The legendary night race between Saint-Étienne and Lyon, the oldest ultra race, has become a real phenomenon and the largest trail race in France in terms of participants.
Both a trail and road race (65% trails and 35% asphalt), the Asics SaintéLyon is the cult event at the end of the trail running season. It literally captivates everyone who takes part, whether solo or in relays, across eight race formats (from 13 to 164 km) between two major cities.
Running at night, surrounded by a sea of headlamps on the ridges of the Monts du Lyonnais, is always magical, whatever the often wintry weather conditions.
- 160km – Lyon SaintéLyon
- 80km – SaintéLyon
- 80km – Relais 2
- 80km – Relais 3
- 80km – Relais 4
- 45km – SaintExpress
- 24km – SaintéSprint
- 13km – SaintéTic
- 4km – SaintéGones
The Asics SaintéLyon is a legendary event in French running, notable as one of the oldest trail races in the country.
Here is a summary of its history and key facts:
📅 Early History: Hiking and The First Edition
- Inaugural Year: The first edition of the race took place in 1952.
- Original Format: It was initially a hiking event, and the original route was from Lyon to Saint-Étienne (the reverse of the current direction), following the Grande Randonnée 7 (GR 7) trail.
🏃♂️ Evolution into a Running Race
- Running Allowed: Running was officially permitted in 1977. This change was made because organizers found it increasingly difficult to enforce the rule that walkers were not allowed to run.
- The Course: The course now runs primarily from Saint-Étienne to Lyon, covering a distance that has varied over the years, but is typically around 78-82 km for the main event. It is a mix of trails and asphalt (roughly 65% trail and 35% road), and is famous for crossing the Monts du Lyonnais.
🌙 The Night Race & Modern Era
- The Defining Feature: The race is uniquely distinguished by the fact that it takes place at night, usually starting around 11:30 PM on the first weekend of December. This is its most famous characteristic, often involving harsh, wintry conditions like mud, cold, rain, or snow.
- Growth and Formats: It has grown into a massive event, becoming the biggest nature race in France in terms of participants, with well over 17,000 runners across various formats. In addition to the solo SaintéLyon, there are shorter distances (like the SaintéExpress, added in 2010) and relay races (teams of 2, 3, or 4).
- Sponsorship: The race is now known as the Asics SaintéLyon due to its main sponsorship.
The SaintéLyon is considered a cult event that marks the end of the trail running season, challenging runners with its distance, technical terrain, and the specific difficulty of running through a cold winter night.
