[Editor’s Note: This article was written by guest writer and runner, Deki Fourcin.]
At 5:15 a.m. on the last day of the 2024 Festival des Templiers, the headlamps of 2,500 runners surged through the darkness as they began their journey through the heart of the Grands Causses Regional Natural Park in France’s Aveyron, for the 2024 Les Templiers, or the Grand Trail des Templiers as it’s more formally called. Exactly 6 hours, 38 minutes, and 14 seconds later, Thomas Cardin (France) crossed the finish line to win the men’s race. Caitlin Fielder (New Zealand) dominated the women’s race, finishing in 7 hours, 42 minutes, and 24 seconds.
After a rocky start to the week, when torrential rain and flooding threatened to disrupt the event, Sunday’s race was blessed with balmy temperatures, sunshine, and mostly dry trails. The course covers 80.4 kilometers (50 miles), with 3,429 meters (11,250 feet) of elevation gain, setting off from Millau and passing through the forests, canyons, and caves of the Causse Noir, the Causse Méjean, and the Larzac plateau before returning to Millau again.
The race saw a significant increase in the prize money awarded to the top 10 finishers, with the first, second, and third places receiving €10,000, €4,000, and €3,000, respectively.
The start of the 2024 Grand Trail des Templiers. Photo: Greg Alric
The 2023 edition saw Julie Roux from France and the U.K.’s Jonathan Albon on the top step of the podium. With neither choosing to return to defend their titles, the door was wide open for two new names to be inscribed on the list of champions.
Les Templiers is the climax of the three-day festival and is France’s oldest trail race. It’s known for drawing in a star-studded lineup, and in its 30th year, the 2024 edition was no exception.
In the women’s race, fans were expecting a showdown between the French duo of Clémentine Geoffray and Blandine L’Hirondel, but it was Adeline Martin (France) who took the early lead, dominating the race through 65 kilometers (40 miles). Fielder bid her time, pouncing during the final section to take the lead. She increased her lead through the later stages, flying down the final descent into Millau and crossing the line as the champion.
The French delegation was strong in the men’s race too, with Théo Détienne taking an early lead before Thomas Cardin took the reins around halfway through the race. Cardin, who finished fourth in 2023, was a strong favorite, and his win marked the end of a six-year drought of French winners in the men’s race. By the race finish, Cardin had totally run away with the race, finishing nearly 20 minutes ahead of second place.
2024 Grand Trail des Templiers Women’s Race
Adeline Martin (France) and Jennifer Lichter (U.S.) passed through the 8k mark together, followed by Norway’s Sylvia Nordskar, France’s Blandine L’Hirondel, and New Zealand’s Caitlin Fielder. By 23k, a lead group including Martin, L’Hirondel, and Lichter had formed, coming through just in front of Nordskar, Clémentine Geoffray, and Fielder.
Martin used the next 500-meter climb to the Massabiau checkpoint at 29k to her advantage, pulling away slightly from L’Hirondel and Lichter. Hot on their heels, Geoffray and Fielder made sure that the podium stayed in sight.
The passage through Roquesaltes at 44k saw Martin increase her lead to almost three minutes, with Lichter and L’Hirondel holding onto second and third positions. Over the halfway point of the course, but with more than half of the elevation gain left to climb, less than three minutes separated positions two to seven. Nothing could be taken for granted, and everything was still at play.
Martin held on to the gap on the next descent and the climb up and over to the La Salvage checkpoint at 56k. L’Hirondel, Nordskar, Fielder, and Lichter continued their pursuit of Martin there. The group kept their positions through the next couple kilometers, but then after that Fielder and Nordskar moved up to second and third, closing in continuously on Martin.
Fielder and Nordskar made their move on the steep descent into Massebiau at 70k, storming onto the next climb in first and second before Fielder disconnected from Nordskar to take the ultimate lead. L’Hirondel and Geoffray were also there, now battling for third place. At this point, longtime leader Martin had dropped back in the field by a bit.
Some 10 kilometers later at the finish, Caitlin Fielder crossed the line in first, holding a narrow 2.5-minute lead on the rest of the field. Sylvia Nordskar remained the second-place woman, also by a fairly narrow margin to third place, Blandine L’Hirondel.
Only 90 seconds later, Clémentine Geoffray finished fourth, and about 10 minutes passed before fifth-place Jennifer Lichter next crossed the line. After leading the race for so many kilometers, Adeline Martin ultimately took eighth.
The 2024 Grand Trail des Templiers women’s podium (l-to-r): 2. Sylvia Nordskar, 1. Caitlin Fielder, 3. Blandine L’Hirondel. Photo: Cyrille Quintard
2024 Grand Trail des Templiers Women’s Results
- Caitlin Fielder (New Zealand) – 7:42:24
- Sylvia Nordskar (Norway) – 7:45:05
- Blandine L’Hirondel (France) – 7:48:13
- Clémentine Geoffray (France) – 7:49:46
- Jennifer Lichter (U.S.) – 8:00:52
- Anna Stiina Erkkilä (Finland) – 8:01:02
- Marie Goncalves (France) – 8:01:25
- Adeline Martin (France) – 8:08:28
- Marine Quintard (France) – 8:24:14
- Kim Schreiber (Germany) – 8:31:15
Caitlin Fielder, the 2024 Grand Trail des Templiers women’s champion. Photo: Cyrille Quintard
2024 Grand Trail des Templiers Men’s Race
It was France’s Théo Détienne who took charge early on, passing through the 8k checkpoint around a minute ahead of the pack. There was some trading of places in the early miles, but by 23k, Détienne was two minutes ahead of Thomas Cardin and Robin Juillaguet, both of France. Just behind, the lead peloton of 11 runners was still going strong, leaving the way open for anyone hoping to make a move.
By 29k, although the runners were less bunched, there wasn’t much change to the order, with the top three holding firm, followed by Aziz Yachou (Morocco) and Sébastien Spehler (France). The sun was rising over the mountain peaks as runners approached St. Andrée de Vezines at 36k, and a determined-looking Détienne came through the village after two hours and 44 minutes of racing, with Yachou, Cardin, and Juillaguet in hot pursuit, around 1.5 minutes later.
Cardin used the passage to 44k to his advantage, catching up with the leader, then taking the lead during the descent after that. Yachou and Juillaguet had also gained on Détienne, meaning that with 30k to go, the top four runners were all within a minute of each other.
The section up to La Salvage at 56k climbs onto the Larzac plateau, featuring technical singletrack and nearly 500 meters of elevation gain over 8k. For the first time, there was a clear distinction between the top three places, with six minutes separating Cardin, Yachou, and Juillaguet. By the time Cardin arrived at Mas de Bru, with 16k to go, it seemed that his victory would be undeniable, having extended his lead over Yachou to six minutes.
Cardin continued to power on in his victory quest, storming tirelessly up the final climb. By the time he reached the top, 7k from the finish line, he was over 17 minutes ahead of Miguel Arsénio (Portugal), who’d overtaken Yachou to move into second place. Next to the top, and right on the heels of Yachou, was Andreu Simón (Spain), and just behind, Détienne, determined not to lose sight of the podium. Simón had started the race more easily, moving up into and through the top 10 as the race progressed. Here, he’d placed himself in podium contention.
In the last kilometers, Simón overtook Yachou, to move into third place. This ultimately settled the top five positions for the last downhill to the finishing arch, with Thomas Cardin storming over the line ahead of second-place finisher Miguel Arsénio, followed by Andreu Simón in third place.
Rounding out the top five were Aziz Yachou and early leader Théo Détienne. Sébastien Spehler ultimately finished well outside of the top 10.
The 2024 Grand Trail des Templiers men’s podium (l-to-r): 2. Miguel Arsénio, 1. Thomas Cardin, 3. Andreu Simón. Photo: Cyrille Quintard
2024 Grand Trail des Templiers Men’s Results
- Thomas Cardin (France) – 6:38:14
- Miguel Arsénio (Portugal) – 6:57:34
- Andreu Simón (Spain) – 7:02:20
- Aziz Yachou (Morocco) – 7:03:14
- Théo Détienne (France) – 7:04:04
- Benoît Cori (France) – 7:08:21
- Goulwen Kerneguez (France) – 7:09:25
- Kevin Vermeulen (France) – 7:16:17
- Gautier Bonnecarrère (France) – 7:18:28
- Hugh Chatfield (U.K.) – 7:19:35
