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The World Mountain Running Association World Cup closed out its 2026 season this weekend at the Défi des Couleurs in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec, with Canadian Rémi Leroux delivering a standout silver-medal run in Saturday’s uphill final.
Leroux finished second in the men’s uphill race on October 10 in 29:04, behind American Meikal Beaudoin Rousseau (28:55), with another American, Cameron Smith, third in 29:12, according to the WMRA. In the women’s race, Germany’s Nina Engelhard won in 31:43, ahead of Britain’s Kirsty Skye Dickson (33:32) and American Erin Moyer (33:44).
The finals were marked by the absence of several Kenyan athletes, including the uphill discipline leaders, who were unable to secure visas in time — a loss that reshaped the weekend’s fields and denied spectators some of the sport’s biggest names. Despite missing the start line, the Kenyan contingent still sealed the uphill season titles on accumulated points.
Sunday’s classic mountain race, the traditional season finale, was set to decide the remaining overall World Cup standings and close the book on a season that took the circuit across Europe and North America. For athletes chasing final points, the Mont-Sainte-Anne weekend represented the last chance to move up the standings.
For the Quebec venue, hosting the World Cup final was a showcase moment. Mont-Sainte-Anne, better known for winter sports, has built a growing reputation on the international trail and mountain running calendar, and the Défi des Couleurs delivered autumn colours to match the occasion. Leroux’s podium in front of a home crowd gave Canadian fans plenty to cheer.
The visa difficulties that kept the Kenyans away are likely to prompt hard questions for organizers about how the sport supports its global athlete base — even as the racing itself delivered a fitting finale to the 2026 campaign.
Leroux’s silver was the highlight for the home nation on a weekend when Canadian fans turned out in force, and it capped a season of steady progress for the country’s mountain running program on the world stage.
