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Independent Nice 100M course analysis · 2026 edition

Nice 100M route guide: Auron to Nice in 16 sections

A practical guide to the 165 km Nice Côte d’Azur by UTMB 100M, from the high Mercantour to the Mediterranean. It combines a course map, elevation data, five race phases, sixteen planning sections, official sources, finisher experience and my personal race plan.

View the course map Explore the five race phases
165 kmofficial 2026 distance
8,900 m+official elevation gain
>2,650 mhighest point near Rabuons
50 hoursmaximum race time

Last meaningfully updated: 13 July 2026.

Independent guide, not the official roadbook Official race information remains the leading source for the course, aid stations, mandatory gear and time limits. The sixteen sections, ETAs, pacing and water volumes below are part of my personal preparation.

Nice 100M route at a glance

From Auron through the Mercantour to the Promenade des Anglais

The 2026 Nice 100M starts in Auron on 25 September and follows a 165 km route through the Mercantour towards Nice. The early part reaches high-Alpine terrain above 2,650 metres near Rabuons before a remote, technical descent into the Tinée valley.

Further south, the character gradually changes from high mountains to warmer Mediterranean terrain. The route still contains four final hills before the descent towards the sea and the finish on the Promenade des Anglais.

Check the latest details on the official Nice 100M page ↗

Course visualisation

Nice 100M course map split into 16 sections

The coloured line is an approximate split of the supplied GPX using the personal 16-segment model. It is not an official checkpoint map. Prefer not to use the map? Jump to the segment list.

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Five race phases

The Nice 100M route in five race phases

The sections are grouped by race logic: high-Alpine opening, first night, hard middle, heat and the long finish to the sea. Detailed chapter pages are currently available in Dutch.

CHAPTER 1

The Alpine opening: Auron, Rabuons and Isola

A deceptively fast opening descent is followed by the first 1,400-metre climb and a remote technical passage around Rabuons and Colle Longue.

38.0 km · +2196 m / −2837 m

Read this chapter in Dutch →
CHAPTER 2

The first night: Isola to Saint-Sauveur

Temperature drops, vision narrows and eating becomes a task. Saint-Sauveur is the first major reset and decision point.

25.7 km · +1359 m / −1726 m

Read this chapter in Dutch →
CHAPTER 3

The hard middle: Rimplas, Venanson and Utelle

After the first drop bag comes the biggest climb in the segment model, sunrise and a long descent into warmer terrain.

46.1 km · +2481 m / −2364 m

Read this chapter in Dutch →
CHAPTER 4

Heat and decision point: Utelle to Levens

The course is less Alpine here, but heat, fatigue and another steep climb make this a decisive phase.

18.5 km · +1576 m / −791 m

Read this chapter in Dutch →
CHAPTER 5

The long finish to the sea: Levens to Nice

Long descents, a second evening and the final hills still stand between Levens and the Promenade des Anglais.

38.9 km · +969 m / −2214 m

Read this chapter in Dutch →

Why this guide exists

What the Nice 100M elevation profile does not tell you

The Nice 100M combines a high-Alpine opening above 2,650 metres, remote and technical descending, long transitions through the Tinée and Vésubie valleys, warmer southern terrain and four final hills before the coast opens.

The official information gives the outline. This guide adds section logic, terrain and weather notes, finisher patterns and my own preparation: where to save the legs, where to keep eating and where not to spend too much too early.

Who built this guide

Built from my own preparation for the Nice 100M

I’m Volker van de Kerke, a trail runner from Hilversum in the Netherlands. Since 2021 I have built my mountain-race experience step by step: Matterhorn Ultraks, Villars Ultraks, the X-Traversée in Verbier, the 82.9 km Monte Rosa Trail with 6,350 metres of climbing, and the Indian Summer Ultra beyond 100 kilometres.

The Nice 100M will be my first 100-mile mountain ultra. This guide is therefore not a retrospective written by someone who has already finished the race. It is a public preparation file combining official race information, my personal section plan and lessons from previous participants. Where something is personal, estimated or uncertain, I label it clearly.

My parents-in-law live with dementia. I am using this preparation and race to raise money for Alzheimer Nederland, making the guide both a practical resource and part of the 100 miles for Alzheimer campaign.

Practical intel from previous runners

Rougher, colder and more technical than the Côte d’Azur name suggests

Several previous runners shared personal race experiences with me. I do not mention them by name here, and the official race information always remains leading, but their common thread is useful: Nice is not a polished Alpine path rolling gently towards the beach.

Expect technical terrain, a lot of singletrack, steep descents and sections that may be overgrown or hard to follow during a summer recce. On race day the course is marked, but before the race not every path is obvious or heavily used.

The key warning is simple: save the downhill legs. If I create too much braking damage early, the long descents in the second half can become physically and mentally brutal.

Unofficial, but useful

Four lessons from previous Nice 100M runners

These points come from personal race experiences of previous participants. They do not replace official information, but they help me read the course more realistically.

TERRAIN

Not a buffed-out UTMB path

Previous runners describe the course as rough, technical and at times surprisingly wild. Singletrack and steep descents ask for more control than the elevation profile alone suggests.

Practical experience · anonymised
WEATHER

From wintery Mercantour to a warm coast

Cold-weather kit and layering are not formalities. Previous runners experienced snow, wind and ice high in the mountains, while the race became warm closer to Nice. The goal is not to start overdressed, but to be able to layer up quickly.

Practical experience · anonymised
NUTRITION

Aid stations support the plan, they are not the plan

Soup, broth, cola and water can help a lot, but previous experiences show that real food is not always available exactly when you hope for it. My own nutrition and tested gut strategy must remain the basis.

Practical experience · anonymised
FINISH

The sea only truly opens at the end

The final kilometres are unforgettable once the coast appears, but the approach to Nice is not only glamour and villas. I should also expect less romantic stretches along edges, fences and urban zones before the Promenade makes it all worthwhile.

Practical experience · anonymised

Along the route

More than distance and elevation

The Nice 100M passes hydropower traces, fortifications, pilgrimage sites, medieval villages and the seafront boulevard in Nice.

Hydropower ambition

Chemin de l’Énergie

Above Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée, the route follows traces of a major hydropower ambition. The Grand Bancairon project aimed to use high lakes and streams for electricity; the Chemin de l’Énergie was cut into the mountainside as a dramatic work path.

In the race: For runners it is an early symbolic section: technical, high, remote and still early enough for mistakes to echo through the race.

Grand Bancairon and Chemin de l’Énergie — historical background ↗Lac de Rabuons — location and hydropower history ↗
High-Alpine water

Lac de Rabuons

Lac de Rabuons lies at around 2,500 metres in the Mercantour and is described as the largest lake in the Alpes-Maritimes. A hydropower project was considered there in the 1930s; a water intake was installed in 1939.

In the race: This is where the race first feels truly high-Alpine and remote.

Lac de Rabuons — location and hydropower history ↗
Alpine Maginot Line

Ouvrage de Rimplas

The fort above Rimplas, originally Ouvrage de la Madeleine, was the first ouvrage of the Maginot Line to begin construction. It sits strategically above approaches to the Tinée and Valdeblore valleys.

In the race: After Saint-Sauveur, Rimplas marks the moment the race climbs again on stiff legs.

Ouvrage de Rimplas — historical background ↗
Strategic highlands

Granges de la Brasque

The heights of La Brasque formed a strategic position above the Vésubie. In the personal segment model, this point comes directly after the heavy climb toward Venanson.

In the race: The terrain may feel less spectacular than the high-Alpine opening, but fatigue makes this section vulnerable.

Additional source verification is still pending.

Sanctuary above the valleys

Madone d’Utelle

Madone d’Utelle is a mountain sanctuary above Utelle. Local legend says Spanish sailors built an oratory there around the year 850 after being saved from a storm.

In the race: In the race this belongs to the warmer southern part, where cooling and restraint matter more than pace.

Madone d’Utelle — historical background ↗
Medieval hilltop

Tourrette-Levens

Tourrette-Levens grew around a strategic height north of Nice. Its castle dominates the village and the routes between the inland valleys and the coast.

In the race: Here Nice is close on the map, but the descents still demand precision on tired legs.

Château de Tourrette-Levens — historical background ↗

Complete planning model

Auron to Nice: all 16 race sections

Distances, ascent and descent per section come from my personal planning model. The official 2026 totals remain 165 km and 8,900 metres of elevation gain.

SEGMENT 01

Auron → Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée

The opening

8.1 kmdistance
+193 mgain
−661 mloss
1:15personal plan

The route

A fast net descent from Auron with several short climbing interruptions.

Symbolic miles 1.0–4.8.

Volker's race plan

Keep heart rate deliberately low and do not follow fast early descenders. Use liquid fuel to let the stomach settle.

Personal strategy, not general race advice.

Context

The race starts downhill, making restraint more important than speed.

SEGMENT 02

Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée → Refuge de Rabuons

First major climb

9.0 kmdistance
+1406 mgain
−44 mloss
2:35personal plan

The route

The first real wall of the race, climbing into high-Alpine terrain above Rabuons.

Symbolic miles 5.8–10.2.

Volker's race plan

Power-hike steadily, cap the effort and take frequent small carbohydrate doses.

Personal strategy, not general race advice.

Context

The official course reaches its highest point above 2,650 metres near Rabuons.

SEGMENT 03

Refuge de Rabuons → Colle Longue

High-Alpine traverse

11.8 kmdistance
+375 mgain
−804 mloss
1:55personal plan

The route

Rough, remote and technical terrain close to the Italian border.

Symbolic miles 11.2–17.3.

Volker's race plan

Use short steps, stay highly focused and do not try to recover time on the descent.

Personal strategy, not general race advice.

Context

The organiser explicitly describes the descent towards Colle Longue as remote and technical.

SEGMENT 04

Colle Longue → Isola Village

First long descent

9.1 kmdistance
+222 mgain
−1328 mloss
1:50personal plan

The route

A major net descent into the Tinée valley that is technical and highly demanding on the quads.

Symbolic miles 18.3–22.7.

Volker's race plan

Walk the steepest sections, keep cadence high and protect the quadriceps.

Personal strategy, not general race advice.

Context

A descent of this size early in the race can create disproportionate damage later.

SEGMENT 05

Isola → Pont de Paule

Transition into night

12.1 kmdistance
+523 mgain
−779 mloss
2:10personal plan

The route

Rolling terrain with repeated climbing and descending as darkness arrives.

Symbolic miles 23.7–30.0.

Volker's race plan

Allow pace to drop with the temperature, organise lights and clothing early and keep eating.

Personal strategy, not general race advice.

Context

The shift from afternoon warmth into a cold night is a separate race phase.

SEGMENT 06

Pont de Paule → Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée

Deep night

13.6 kmdistance
+836 mgain
−947 mloss
3:00personal plan

The route

A long night section with almost equal amounts of climbing and descending.

Symbolic miles 31.0–38.1.

Volker's race plan

Do not rush technical passages. Stay warm, keep food on schedule and use the aid station as a planned reset.

Personal strategy, not general race advice.

Context

The first night adds cognitive load on top of the physical work.

SEGMENT 07

Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée → Rimplas

Restart after drop bag

4.7 kmdistance
+409 mgain
−150 mloss
1:00personal plan

The route

A short but direct climb on stiff legs after the first major aid station.

Symbolic miles 39.1–40.9.

Volker's race plan

Restart the engine gradually instead of forcing race pace immediately.

Personal strategy, not general race advice.

Context

Drop bag 1 sits at roughly kilometre 63.7 in the personal plan.

SEGMENT 08

Rimplas → Venanson

The monster climb

15.1 kmdistance
+1528 mgain
−341 mloss
3:35personal plan

The route

The largest climb in the personal segment model, mostly during the early morning.

Symbolic miles 41.9–49.9.

Volker's race plan

Use a constant power hike, frequent small carbohydrate doses and let sunrise act as a mental reset.

Personal strategy, not general race advice.

Context

This segment combines major vertical load with accumulated overnight fatigue.

SEGMENT 09

Venanson → Granges de la Brasque

Morning reset

10.3 kmdistance
+186 mgain
−619 mloss
1:45personal plan

The route

More runnable terrain and a net descent after the long climb.

Symbolic miles 50.9–56.1.

Volker's race plan

Find rhythm again without turning recovery into an early speed session.

Personal strategy, not general race advice.

Context

Sunrise often changes both temperature and the mental experience of the race.

SEGMENT 10

Granges de la Brasque → Utelle

Long descent into heat

16.0 kmdistance
+358 mgain
−1254 mloss
2:50personal plan

The route

A long net descent with very little muscular relief for the quadriceps.

Symbolic miles 57.1–65.7.

Volker's race plan

Plan water and sodium ahead, stay technically precise and do not accelerate just because the profile drops.

Personal strategy, not general race advice.

Context

The route gradually becomes warmer and more Mediterranean.

SEGMENT 11

Utelle → Levens

The heat peak

12.0 kmdistance
+688 mgain
−636 mloss
2:40personal plan

The route

Rolling and exposed terrain during the warmest part of the day.

Symbolic miles 66.7–72.8.

Volker's race plan

Adjust pace to heart rate and temperature, cool actively and use the second drop bag for a full-body check.

Personal strategy, not general race advice.

Context

Drop bag 2 sits at roughly kilometre 121.8 in the personal plan.

SEGMENT 12

Levens → Chapelle Saint-Michel

Afternoon wall

6.5 kmdistance
+888 mgain
−155 mloss
1:20personal plan

The route

Short in kilometres but exceptionally steep and potentially hot.

Symbolic miles 73.8–76.7.

Volker's race plan

Keep cooling and do not underestimate the climb because of its limited distance.

Personal strategy, not general race advice.

Context

One of the final major climbs before the route turns towards the coast.

SEGMENT 13

Chapelle Saint-Michel → Tourrette-Levens

Chassis test two

12.1 kmdistance
+121 mgain
−980 mloss
2:00personal plan

The route

A long descent on which tired legs still need to function technically.

Symbolic miles 77.7–84.0.

Volker's race plan

Keep cadence, limit braking forces and prevent small errors.

Personal strategy, not general race advice.

Context

Concentration and leg control remain decisive in the southern finale.

SEGMENT 14

Tourrette-Levens → Drap

The valley

7.0 kmdistance
+237 mgain
−539 mloss
1:10personal plan

The route

A shorter transition section with another net descent.

Symbolic miles 85.0–88.2.

Volker's race plan

Continue drinking and eating despite the feeling that the finish is close.

Personal strategy, not general race advice.

Context

Heat can remain trapped in the lower valleys.

SEGMENT 15

Drap → Plateau Saint-Michel

The final obstacle

9.1 kmdistance
+485 mgain
−203 mloss
2:00personal plan

The route

A late climbing phase as the second evening approaches.

Symbolic miles 89.2–93.6.

Volker's race plan

Use simple carbohydrates, a clear task rhythm and never rely on “almost finished”.

Personal strategy, not general race advice.

Context

The official course describes four final hills before the descent to the sea.

SEGMENT 16

Plateau Saint-Michel → Promenade des Anglais

The finish to the sea

10.7 kmdistance
+126 mgain
−492 mloss
2:25personal plan

The route

Several remaining hills followed by the final descent to the Mediterranean.

Symbolic miles 94.6–100.0.

Volker's race plan

Run light, stay alert and only accelerate once the safe finale begins.

Personal strategy, not general race advice.

Context

Finishers repeatedly describe the first view of Nice and the sea as a mental turning point.

Finisher evidence

What finishers say about the Nice 100M

Direct 100M evidence carries the most weight. 50K evidence is only used for the final terrain near Nice.

The course as a fundraiser

Every €60 fills one symbolic mile towards Nice.
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Sources and method

What I base my route reading on

The official race information comes first. What I add here is my own preparation: how I read the course, where I see risks and which lessons I take with me.

OFFICIAL

Race pages and GPX

The official UTMB pages and GPX files are the basis for distance, elevation, course logic, mandatory gear and time limits.

Leading source when in doubt
MY PLAN

Segments, water and pacing

My segments, ETAs, water plan and race approach are personal. They help me make the race smaller, but they are not an official roadbook.

Personal preparation
PRACTICAL

Videos, Strava and TrailTalk

I use online videos, GPX files and race reports. I also received extra insider information through TrailTalk and Strava contacts. Some reports were shared with me personally; I use those experiences anonymously and only keep the main lessons.

Anonymised when needed
UPDATE

Last meaningful update

13 July 2026 — improved the search and reading structure, moved the map and race phases higher on the page, strengthened the author context and translated the remaining mixed-language labels.

Updated only when the content actually changes

Transparency

Sources and methodology

Courses, aid stations and mandatory equipment can change. Always check the official roadbook for your edition.

  1. Official Nice 100M page, 2026 edition (official race source)
  2. Official Nice 100K page, 2026 edition (official race source)
  3. Official Nice Côte d’Azur by UTMB 2024 finish report (official race report)
  4. Official recap of the 2024 100M weather conditions (official race report)
  5. Ouvrage de Rimplas — historical background (secondary historical source)
  6. Château de Tourrette-Levens — historical background (secondary historical source)
  7. Madone d’Utelle — historical background (secondary historical source)
  8. Promenade des Anglais — historical background (secondary historical source)
  9. Volker van de Kerke’s personal 16-segment plan. Used for personal ETAs, pace, water and strategy; not presented as an official roadbook.
  10. Personally shared race reports. Some race reports were shared with me personally. I use those experiences anonymously and only keep the main lessons.

Continue reading

Training

See how I train in the Netherlands for climbing, descending, nutrition, night and heat.

 Gear

Check the mandatory equipment and the products I am testing for race day.