Quebec Mega Trail announces stage races for 2026
Trail runners, pack your headlamps: QMT 2026 is adding stage races and a night run
Daniel Thibeault
Quebec Mega Trail (QMT) may have just wrapped up its 2025 race weekend, but organizers are already looking ahead to next summer’s event, and the plans are ambitious. From July 2 to 5, 2026, the celebrated trail festival will return to the rugged landscapes of Charlevoix and Côte-de-Beaupré, concluding at Mont-Sainte-Anne, with fresh formats designed to offer runners a new kind of challenge.
Stage racing comes to QMT
For the first time, QMT will add multi-day stage racing to its program. The new “Trans-QMT” is a three-day experience that blends a night race with two demanding daytime stages.
Runners can choose from two versions, each limited to 50 spots:
Trans-QMT72: 15 km night race + 32 km + 25 km
Trans-QMT90: 15 km night race + 50 km + 25 km
Director and QMT founder Jean Fortier said the addition is a nod to Quebec’s trail-running roots. “The Trans-QMT is inspired by the Trans-Vallée, which really laid the foundation for stage racing here,” he said. “With the sport growing and QMT gaining in popularity, this is something we’ve wanted to bring to life for a long time.”
A new take on the QMT15
The classic QMT15 will get a twist in 2026 with the launch of a nighttime edition. Scheduled for Friday, July 3 at 9:00 p.m., the night race will offer 300 bibs (excluding those reserved for Trans-QMT runners). The traditional daytime QMT15 will remain on the schedule for those who prefer to run the trails in daylight.
Favourites return
While 2026 will bring new formats, QMT’s cornerstone events aren’t going anywhere. Distances from the QMT1 to the QMT135 will return, alongside crowd favourites like the QMT25, QMT32, QMT50 and QMT80.
For the second year running, the QMT50 and QMT80 will serve as the Canadian Trail Running Championships for short and long distances. The QMT135 and QMT50 will also continue their role on the World Trail Majors circuit, keeping QMT firmly on the global trail running map.
Don’t wait to register
Registration for all distances, including both Trans-QMT formats, opened Aug. 1. With limited bibs for the new stage races and the night QMT15, organizers expect these events to sell out quickly; 1,500 runners have already signed up.
To learn more about QMT or to register, head here.
