Dynastar X3 Courchevel 2026: an extraordinary triathlon that has become legendary
The Dynastar X3 Courchevel celebrated its 13th edition, bringing together nearly a thousand participants!
Dynastar X3 Courchevel 2026: an extraordinary triathlon that has become legendary
On Sunday 12 April, the Dynastar X3 Courchevel celebrated its 13th edition, bringing together nearly a thousand participants. This extraordinary triathlon keeps growing in popularity year after year and has become the unmissable event that closes the winter season and launches the summer one.
The concept is unique: a sequence of three alpine disciplines — cycling, trail running and ski mountaineering — that can only be done in Courchevel. The format, registered by the organising club Courchevel Sports Outdoor, can be contested solo or in teams of three.
The course lives up to its reputation: 13.9 km of cycling with 930 m of elevation gain, 6.3 km of trail running (+/- 180 m), then 4.8 km of ski mountaineering with 950 m of elevation gain, up to the summit of the Saulire, the highest point of the ski area at 2,710 metres above sea level.
Despite a sunless sky, conditions were ideal. Participants avoided the intense heat of the previous days, racing in a spectacular atmosphere of drifting mist and a sea of clouds. At the finish, the runners were warmly welcomed by many spectators, who had come up in particular thanks to the gondolas made available to them.
Margot Ravinel: after the Olympics, two masterstrokes: the win and the record
Already second in 2024, the Chamonix local Margot Ravinel made her mark on this edition by breaking the women’s race record in 2 h 21 min 13 s, erasing the previous best (2 h 22 min 48 s) set by Fiona Porte in 2022.
“The trail running course was very hard this year. It was completely covered in snow, and very soft snow at that. I had terrible cramps, which was a first for me. But I am delighted to have held on and taken this record,” she says.
Fiona Porte, twice a winner in 2022 and 2023, this time takes second place on the podium in 2 h 28 min 52 s ahead of Camille Poquet (2 h 39 min 07 s).
Also worth noting is the courageous comeback of Lucie Bidault, winner in 2024, who finishes a fine 9th after a serious road accident in the summer of that same year.
Among the participants, the British runner Pippa Matthews, sister of the Princess of Wales, took part discreetly alongside her husband James Matthews. She finishes a very respectable 36th in 3 h 24 min 41 s, already keen to return next year.
Will Juillaguet finally rewarded
Already present at the first edition in 2013 (winner in the mixed trio) and after several near misses, Will Juillaguet finally takes the solo victory in a time of 2 h 00 min 22 s.
“I love this triathlon, I come every year and I’m starting to know it well. I chose not to follow the leaders on the bike so as to save my energy. The trail section was hard with the snow, but I managed to come back. Despite a shoe problem in the transition, I was able to catch Valentin and pass him on the final climb. It was a great edition!” he explains.
The 2024 winner Valentin Noébès Tourres takes second place (2 h 01 min 40 s) after setting the best trail running time. Vincent Loustau (6 podiums including 3 wins over the last MSTC season) completes the podium in 2 h 06 min 09 s.
Among the notable performances, the ultra-trail runner Julien Chorier finishes a solid 22nd in 2 h 23 min 37 s.
Record broken in the mixed trio
The mixed team “Les derniers inscrits” dominated the competition by setting a new record. Nicolas Rondeau (cycling), Perrine Abadie (trail running) and Hugo Carcey-Collet (ski mountaineering) posted the best times in each discipline and cross the line in 1 h 56 min 43 s.
“The team was put together a week before the race. Perrine absolutely wanted to win and we managed to convince Hugo to join us! The hardest part was getting to the summit in time to cross the line together,” says Nicolas Rondeau with a touch of humour.
Solid performances in the teams
Among the men’s trios, the team “CSO Raid” wins in 1 h 58 min 07 s with Léo Remonnay, Lori Girard and Fleury Roux, the latter having crossed France from east to west in seven days.
In the women’s trios, “La triplette pipelettes” takes the victory in 2 h 17 min 01 s. Driven by Mathilde Fournier, who set the women’s cycling record (46 min 17 s), ably supported by Alexandra Garnier in the trail running and Sonia Brussoz, the best performance in ski mountaineering, the team largely dominated the proceedings.
See you this summer at the Björka X3 Courchevel
This edition, both demanding and friendly, already sets a date for enthusiasts for the next instalment of the Challenge X3 Courchevel. The summer version, the Björka X3 Courchevel, will take place on 12 July.
On the programme: 6,000 m of indoor rowing, 12.2 km of cycling (750 m of elevation gain) and 9.6 km of trail running (550 m of elevation gain/loss), again solo or in trios, in the exceptional setting of the Courchevel altiport.