Ultra-Trail di Corsica

The Ultra-Trail di Corsica is a titanic 110-kilometer race with 7,200 meters of elevation gain that crosses the Corsican mountains in all their splendor and brutality. Starting from Corte, the former capital of independent Corsica perched on its eagle's nest at the confluence of the Restonica and Tavignano rivers, runners embark on a traverse of the island's mountainous spine — this "granite in the sea" whose summits exceed 2,700 meters just 30 kilometers from the Mediterranean shore.

Corsica is a mountain in the sea, and the Ultra-Trail di Corsica is its masterful demonstration. The course follows sections of the legendary GR 20, widely considered the most difficult long-distance trail in Europe, as well as transhumance paths and shepherds' tracks that wind through the maquis and forests of centuries-old Laricio pines. Runners move through a mineral environment of rare power: the Bavella needles, the glacial lakes of Rotondo and Melu, the cirques of Restonica and Solitude compose an Alpine-Mediterranean setting without equal anywhere in the world.

The 7,200 meters of elevation gain place this race among the most demanding ultras on the world calendar. Corsican terrain makes no concessions: ascents are over polished granite slabs, unstable scree, and rocky passages where hands are essential. The descents are equally formidable, with erratic stone paths, off-camber sections above precipices, and stretches of dense maquis where vegetation — rock roses, strawberry trees, tree heathers — scratches legs and hides the ground. The technicality of Corsican terrain is legendary and acts as a merciless filter for competitors.

The Corsican massif harbors exceptional biodiversity, shaped by insularity and altitude. Runners may spot the Corsican mouflon, an endemic species brought back from the brink of extinction by conservation programs, the bearded vulture soaring above the ridgelines, or the Corsican nuthatch, Europe's only endemic passerine. The flora is remarkably rich, with endemic species found nowhere else — Corsican aconite, Corsican hellebore — nestled among rocks at altitudes one would not expect on a Mediterranean island.

The Ultra-Trail di Corsica offers international runners the experience of a mountain ultra of exceptional intensity in a unique island setting. Corsica is served by direct flights from most major European cities to the airports of Ajaccio, Bastia, and Figari, and Corte is accessible by train from both of the island's main cities. It is an opportunity to confront a wild and untamed mountain, steeped in Corsican culture — its polyphonic chants, its mountain charcuterie, its brocciu cheese, its fierce island pride — and to live an ultra-mountain adventure that marks body and soul indelibly.