SÉbastien Spehler back on his land, TV broadcast, live UTMB and huge trail weekend in Alsace
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The Trail Alsace by UTMB 2026 begins this weekend in Bas-Rhin with several days of racing between Lac Blanc, Barr, Orschwiller and Obernai.
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In just a few years, the Alsatian event has established itself as one of the most popular events on the UTMB World Series circuit in France.
This 2026 edition still promises a huge spectacle between the vineyards, the Alsatian castles, the long Vosges ridges and an always very special atmosphere around Obernai, the finish town of all the races.
And inevitably, one name is already attracting a lot of attention: Sébastien Spehler.
The Alsatian returns to the flagship format with the status of big favorite and the desire to regain his place after several seasons marked by ups and downs.
How to follow the Trail Alsace by UTMB 2026 live
LiveTrail
Like other events on the UTMB World Series circuit, the Trail Alsace by UTMB 2026 can be followed live thanks to official UTMB live tracking, with stops at the aid stations, real-time rankings and monitoring of the main favorites.
💉 The official live is accessible here: Live Trail Alsace by UTMB 2026
Television and radio
This year, media coverage will be particularly important.
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💉 The regional channel ICI Alsace TV will offer several special and direct broadcasts from Obernai, Barr and even Lac Blanc, with reports devoted to the favorites, behind the scenes of the organization and racing conditions.
💉 The retransmissions will also be available free of charge on france.tv.
The special editions will be broadcast daily in the programs ICI 12/13 and ICI 19/20 throughout the weekend.
Social networks
💉 To follow the atmosphere on the ground, the videos and images of the Alsatian trails, you will also need to monitor the organization’s official social networks: Instagram Trail Alsace by UTMB
💉 On the French side, many will particularly follow Sébastien Spehler, very active on his networks before this big Alsatian meeting.
Son instagram.
The main races of the Trail Alsace by UTMB 2026
The 2026 program offers several formats spread over the entire weekend.
The queen event remains the 100M, 158 km long for more than 5,100 meters of positive altitude difference. The start will be given on Friday from Lac Blanc with an arrival planned in Obernai after crossing the Alsatian Vosges.
The 100K will start from Orschwiller for 108 km and around 3,900 meters of elevation gain, with spectacular passages through Haut-Koenigsbourg and Mont Sainte-Odile.
The weekend also includes the Trail des Pélerins, a 29 km format, the Trail des Celtes over 47 km, as well as a race intended for young people, the Trail des Écuyers.
Sébastien Spehler, the huge favorite at home
Sportingly, all of Alsace is awaiting the return of Sébastien Spehler to his home field.
The Alsatian knows almost every portion of the route between Lac Blanc and Obernai. On these Vosges trails, he benefits from popular support that very few runners can hope to find elsewhere in the trail world.
Over the past two years, Spehler has gone through a mixed period.
In 2024, he impressed by winning the Ultra-Trail des Chevaliers with total domination. But the rest of his season was much more complicated, with physical problems, a painful second place on the 6000D then a retirement on the UTMB after more than 100 kilometers of racing.
The year 2025 then looked like a gradual reconstruction, with several victories on shorter formats, but also a new abandonment on the UTMB Alsace when he was the big favorite.
This 2026 edition therefore resembles a form of return to basics.
A very different race from the great alpine ultras
The Trail Alsace by UTMB does not have the immense Alpine passes of Chamonix or Zegama, but it offers another form of difficulty.
The Vosges trails alternate between long forest sections, incessant restarts, sometimes very rolling terrain then brittle sections where wear ends up becoming enormous after several dozen hours of running.
And above all, the Alsatian atmosphere gives a very particular identity to this event. Between villages, castles, dense public and passages in the vineyards, the Trail Alsace by UTMB has become much more than a simple UTMB qualifying race.
Results, ranking and podium of the Trail Alsace by UTMB 2026
The results of the Trail Alsace by UTMB 2026 will be updated throughout the weekend with the rankings of the different races and the performances of the favorites.
In the 100M, the first arrivals could cross the finish line in Obernai during the night from Friday to Saturday or Saturday morning depending on the racing conditions.
And inevitably, many are already dreaming of a perfect scenario: seeing Sébastien Spehler finally win at home in front of the Alsatian public.
