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Tree ferns in the foreground and the cliffs of the Cirque de Mafate behind, with cloud in the valleys
Willdwind / William Martret / Unsplash

Grand Raid Réunion and Diagonale des Fous course maps

Five races across Réunion in October, all finishing in Saint-Denis, from the 54 km Métis Trail to the Diagonale des Fous, which starts on the island's south coast.

October 15 to 18, 2026 Réunion

The Grand Raid crosses Réunion, the French island in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar, every October. It was first run in 1989, and its long race has been called the Diagonale des Fous since 1994. The 2026 edition runs October 15 to 18, with five races that all finish at the Stade de La Redoute in Saint-Denis. The longer courses go through the Réunion National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site for its peaks, cirques and cliffs.

The Diagonale starts on Thursday night in Saint-Pierre. The Trail de Bourbon starts in Cilaos, the Mascareignes in Hell-Bourg, the Métis Trail in Saint-Paul and the Zembrocal relay in Saint-Joseph, and each joins the Diagonale's line on the way north.

The organizer's route notes warn of many forks to watch, through Sans Souci after the Maïdo and on the Saint-Bernard stretch near the end. Some of the course crosses private land that's only open during the race. Download the course map before you fly. Your phone's GPS shows where you are without a signal.

This is an unofficial guide: Goat Maps isn't affiliated with Grand Raid de la Réunion. Check the official site before you enter or race.

Grand Raid course map

Every course's aid stations on the Goat Maps topo map. Each course has a map of its own further down.

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Grand Raid courses

CourseDistanceClimbingStartTime limit
Diagonale des Fous180.8 km (112.3 mi)10,191 m (33,435 ft)Thu, Oct 15, 10:00 PM66 h
Trail de Bourbon106 km (65.9 mi)6,252 m (20,512 ft)Fri, Oct 16, 8:00 PM42 h
Mascareignes74.7 km (46.4 mi)3,832 m (12,572 ft)Fri, Oct 16, 1:00 AM21 h 15 min
Métis Trail54.1 km (33.6 mi)2,654 m (8,707 ft)Sat, Oct 17, 6:00 AM14 h
Zembrocal Trail (relay)160 km (99.4 mi)8,380 m (27,493 ft)Thu, Oct 15, 5:00 PM41 h 45 min

Grand Raid Diagonale des Fous

The full crossing, from Saint-Pierre on the south coast through Salazie and Mafate to Saint-Denis.

Distance
180.8 km (112.3 mi)
Climbing
10,191 m (33,435 ft)
Start
Thu, Oct 15, 10:00 PM
Time limit
66 h

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You leave Ravine Blanche at 10 PM on Thursday and climb on cane tracks and back roads through Domaine Vidot and Notre-Dame de la Paix to Nez de Bœuf, at 2,023 m. After Mare à Boue comes the long, often muddy climb toward the Piton des Neiges. You turn off below the summit at Croisée Kerveguen, the high point, near the Caverne Dufour refuge, and start a long, technical descent past Bélouve to the first base vie at Hell-Bourg. Coteau Kerveguen is the last water before Bélouve, about 11 km on.

From Plaine des Merles the Sentier Scout drops you into Mafate, then it's Grand Place, Roche Plate and the climb up the cliff to Ti Col, 2,029 m, before a long descent to Îlet Savannah, close to sea level. The last 40 km go through La Possession and over the Chemin des Anglais, an old paved path, to Grande Chaloupe. From Colorado you have to wear the official race T-shirt to the finish.

aid stations

kmWhereCutoff
0Ravine Blanche, Saint-Pierre (Diagonale start) Crew
14Domaine Vidot CrewFri 01:30
33.4Notre-Dame de la Paix school CrewFri 07:00
45.4Nez de Bœuf (relay change) CrewFri 10:30
55.6Mare à Boue CrewFri 13:00
65.1Coteau Kerveguen (water)
67.6Croisée Kerveguen (high point, no aid)
76.4Gîte de Bélouve (water)
80.6Hell-Bourg (base vie, Mascareignes start, relay change) Crew, Drop bagSat 01:00
93.8Plaine des Merles Sat 06:00
96Sentier Scout trailhead (crew, no aid) CrewSat 07:00
107.8Grand Place les Bas school CrewSat 11:30
116.4Roche Plate, Plateau Cerf CrewSat 16:30
122.4Ti Col, Maïdo (crew, no aid) Crew
123.9Maïdo, Tête Dure Sat 20:30
140.5Îlet Savannah (base vie) Crew, Drop bagSun 00:15
147.9Chemin Ratinaud Sun 03:00
155.1Place Festival, La Possession CrewSun 06:30
164.5Grande Chaloupe CrewSun 09:00
173.8Colorado CrewSun 13:30
180.8Stade de La Redoute, Saint-Denis (finish) Crew, Drop bagSun 16:00
The green cliffs below the Maïdo, falling into a cirque, with cloud on the horizon
Nathalie SPEHNER / Unsplash

Grand Raid Trail de Bourbon

Cilaos to Saint-Denis through Mafate, with the climb to the Maïdo halfway.

Distance
106 km (65.9 mi)
Climbing
6,252 m (20,512 ft)
Start
Fri, Oct 16, 8:00 PM
Time limit
42 h

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The Trail de Bourbon starts in Cilaos at 8 PM on Friday and goes over to Marla, then joins the Diagonale's course at Plaine des Merles for the Sentier Scout and the crossing of Mafate. The organizer calls the Maïdo its final wall, 2,000 m of climbing in 13 km, followed by 17 km of descent to Îlet Savannah and the last 40 km to Saint-Denis.

Marla and Roche Plate are timed, but their closing times are only indicative. The cutoffs that count start at Plaine des Merles.

aid stations

kmWhereCutoff
0Cilaos (Trail de Bourbon start) Crew
12.7Marla Crew
19.3Plaine des Merles Sat 03:30
21.4Sentier Scout trailhead (crew, no aid) CrewSat 04:30
32.8Grand Place les Bas school CrewSat 08:30
41.1Roche Plate, Plateau Cerf Crew
47.2Ti Col, Maïdo (crew, no aid) Crew
48.7Maïdo, Tête Dure Sat 17:45
65.4Îlet Savannah (base vie) Crew, Drop bagSat 21:30
72.9Chemin Ratinaud Sun 00:30
80.3Place Festival, La Possession CrewSun 03:30
89.6Grande Chaloupe CrewSun 06:30
99Colorado CrewSun 11:15
106Stade de La Redoute, Saint-Denis (finish) Crew, Drop bagSun 14:00
A steep mountainside in the Cirque de Cilaos, with pines below and cloud on the ridge
Laury Ricquebourg / Unsplash

Grand Raid Mascareignes

Hell-Bourg to Saint-Denis, out of Salazie by the Sentier Scout and across Mafate.

Distance
74.7 km (46.4 mi)
Climbing
3,832 m (12,572 ft)
Start
Fri, Oct 16, 1:00 AM
Time limit
21 h 15 min

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The Mascareignes starts at the Hell-Bourg stadium at 1 AM on Friday, in two waves. The second goes 10 minutes after the first, and its cutoffs are 10 minutes later too (the page shows the first wave's). It leaves Salazie by the Sentier Scout and drops into Mafate, then crosses the cirque by Îlet à Malheur and Deux Bras, in the Rivière des Galets, before climbing to Dos d'Âne.

The organizer bills it as 74 km and 3,800 m of climbing. The 2026 cutoff chart gives 74.7 km.

aid stations

kmWhereCutoff
0Hell-Bourg (base vie, Mascareignes start, relay change) Crew
15.9Plaine des Merles Fri 06:00
18.1Sentier Scout trailhead (crew, no aid) CrewFri 06:30
25.4Îlet à Malheur school CrewFri 08:35
33Deux Bras CrewFri 10:35
38Dos d'Âne (checkpoint, no aid) Fri 12:50
41.4Chemin Ratinaud Fri 13:50
48.8Place Festival, La Possession CrewFri 15:35
58.4Grande Chaloupe CrewFri 18:25
67.7Colorado CrewFri 20:45
74.7Stade de La Redoute, Saint-Denis (finish) Crew, Drop bagFri 22:15
A dry ridge above a valley in the Cirque de Mafate, with a hamlet on the flat ground and peaks behind
Louis Paulin / Unsplash

Grand Raid Métis Trail

Saint-Paul to Saint-Denis on Saturday morning, the shortest race and the newest.

Distance
54.1 km (33.6 mi)
Climbing
2,654 m (8,707 ft)
Start
Sat, Oct 17, 6:00 AM
Time limit
14 h

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The Métis Trail was added in 2024. It starts at the Grotte du Peuplement in Saint-Paul at 6 AM on Saturday, climbs to the Bellemène school and drops to Îlet Savannah, then follows the long races' line over the Chemin des Anglais to La Redoute.

The race page bills it as 51 km and 2,500 m. The 2026 cutoff chart, which this page uses, gives 54.1 km and 2,654 m. You don't need qualifying points, and most places go by lottery.

aid stations

kmWhereCutoff
0Grotte du Peuplement, Saint-Paul (Métis Trail start) Crew
6Bellemène school CrewSat 08:00
15Îlet Savannah (base vie) CrewSat 11:00
22Chemin Ratinaud Sat 13:00
29.1Place Festival, La Possession CrewSat 15:30
38.2Grande Chaloupe CrewSat 17:00
47.1Colorado CrewSat 19:00
54.1Stade de La Redoute, Saint-Denis (finish) CrewSat 20:00

Grand Raid Zembrocal Trail (relay)

A relay for teams of four, from Saint-Joseph over the volcano to Saint-Denis.

Distance
160 km (99.4 mi)
Climbing
8,380 m (27,493 ft)
Start
Thu, Oct 15, 5:00 PM
Time limit
41 h 45 min

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The Zembrocal opens the Grand Raid, from the Saint-Joseph town hall at 5 PM on Thursday. Its four legs are 37.5, 35.6, 48.3 and 38.6 km, with changes at Nez de Bœuf, Hell-Bourg and the Stade Guillaume Adolphe. The first leg climbs from the coast to the volcano road and Pas des Sables, then goes by Piton Textor to Nez de Bœuf.

The second leg follows the Diagonale over Kerveguen to Hell-Bourg. The third crosses Mafate and leaves it by the Orangers rather than the Maïdo, and the fourth takes the coast and the Chemin des Anglais to the finish. Relay runners get no drop bags from the organizer, so teams sort out their own.

aid stations

kmWhereCutoff
0Saint-Joseph town hall (Zembrocal start) Crew
14.2Grand Galet school Thu 20:00
28.5Pas des Sables (water) Fri 01:30
37.5Nez de Bœuf (relay change) CrewFri 03:45
48Mare à Boue CrewFri 05:15
58.2Coteau Kerveguen (water)
60.1Croisée Kerveguen (high point, no aid)
68.9Gîte de Bélouve (water)
73.1Hell-Bourg (base vie, Mascareignes start, relay change) CrewFri 12:45
86.2Plaine des Merles Fri 17:00
88.4Sentier Scout trailhead (crew, no aid) CrewFri 17:45
100Grand Place les Bas school CrewFri 21:00
114.1Route des Orangers, Sans Souci (water)
119.4Îlet Savannah (base vie) CrewSat 02:00
121.4Stade Guillaume Adolphe (relay change) CrewSat 02:50
126.9Chemin Ratinaud Sat 04:30
134.1Place Festival, La Possession CrewSat 05:45
143.6Grande Chaloupe CrewSat 07:30
152.9Colorado CrewSat 09:30
160Stade de La Redoute, Saint-Denis (finish) CrewSat 10:45
A raised walkway through tree ferns and tall trees in the Bélouve forest, Salazie
Arnaud STECKLE / Unsplash

Getting a place

Places are split by where you live. Residents of Réunion and of mainland France and its overseas territories enter a lottery. For 2026, pre-registration ran from January 20 to March 6 and the draw was March 18. You paid the full fee to enter and got it back if you weren't drawn. Anyone who missed out in 2025 and applied for the same race again had double the chance.

If you don't live on Réunion, you can skip the lottery with a travel package from Bourbon Voyages: entry, a return flight and three nights. For 2026 they went on sale on January 14, and they cover 950 of the Diagonale's 3,000 places. Runners who live outside France register directly, from January 15 in 2026, with 250 Diagonale places set aside for them. The Zembrocal has no lottery either: a team captain registers all four runners, and it closes at 215 teams.

The Diagonale, Bourbon and Mascareignes ask for qualifying points, by the organizer's own count: 1 point per kilometer and 1 per 100 m of climbing, from one race, finished between January 1, 2025 and July 31, 2026. The Diagonale needs two races of 85 points or more, the Bourbon one of 75 and the Mascareignes one of 40.

Getting to Réunion and the starts

A steep mountainside in the Cirque de Cilaos, with pines below and cloud on the ridge
Laury Ricquebourg / Unsplash

Fly into Roland Garros Airport, 7 km east of Saint-Denis. From October 3 to 13, 2026, the organizer's volunteers met runners off the Paris flights, and the race president or a stand-in gave the latest on the courses, the weather and the trails.

Race buses run to the starts. For the Diagonale they leave Saint-Denis at 5:10 PM down the west coast, and Sainte-Marie at 4:15 PM round the east, and both reach Ravine Blanche at 8 PM. For spectators there's a free shuttle on start night from the ZAC Canabady car park in Saint-Pierre. All times are Réunion time, UTC+4.

Crewing and drop bags

A raised walkway through tree ferns and tall trees in the Bélouve forest, Salazie
Arnaud STECKLE / Unsplash

Crews can help only within 300 m either side of an official aid station, and not at every station: the Diagonale allows it at 15 of its 33 points. The aid station table on this page shows which. Pacers aren't allowed, nor is anyone running alongside, carrying water or setting the pace.

Shuttles help crews reach some of the stations: from Bourg-Murat to Nez de Bœuf every 30 minutes from Thursday evening, from the RF08 forest road to the top of the Maïdo, to Îlet Savannah from the Expobat car park, and a service for the Sentier Scout in Salazie.

The Diagonale gets three drop bags (Hell-Bourg, Îlet Savannah and the finish), the Bourbon two (Îlet Savannah and the finish) and the Mascareignes one, at the finish. Each can weigh 5 kg at most.

Weather and what to carry

The green cliffs below the Maïdo, falling into a cirque, with cloud on the horizon
Nathalie SPEHNER / Unsplash

October in Saint-Denis averages highs of 27°C (81°F) and lows of 20°C (68°F) at the airport, by the 1991 to 2020 normals. At Le Brûlé, 1,069 m up in the hills of Saint-Denis, it's 20°C (68°F) and 11°C (52°F). The courses climb to more than twice that height, and the organizer warns that the weather changes and can make the course much harder.

The mandatory kit includes a headlamp with spare batteries, 1.5 liters of water, a whistle, a charged phone with the SARA Event app, adhesive elastic bandage, food, a hooded waterproof jacket with taped seams, a long-sleeved warm layer, a cup, ID and a survival blanket. Poles of any kind are banned: using one costs an hour's penalty, and the National Park can add its own sanction.

Grand Raid aid stations and GPS coordinates

For crews and spectators: each place on the map in decimal degrees, latitude first. Paste them into any map app or add them as waypoints in Goat Maps.

  • Ravine Blanche, Saint-Pierre (Diagonale start)

    2 m (7 ft)

    -21.33975, 55.45966

  • Cilaos (Trail de Bourbon start)

    1,207 m (3,960 ft)

    -21.13630, 55.47418

  • Grotte du Peuplement, Saint-Paul (Métis Trail start)

    6 m (20 ft)

    -21.01589, 55.26093

  • Saint-Joseph town hall (Zembrocal start)

    30 m (98 ft)

    -21.37883, 55.61895

  • Stade de La Redoute, Saint-Denis (finish)

    49 m (161 ft)

    -20.88499, 55.44212

  • Domaine Vidot

    649 m (2,129 ft)

    -21.31265, 55.54592

  • Notre-Dame de la Paix school

    1,686 m (5,531 ft)

    -21.24573, 55.59401

  • Grand Galet school

    489 m (1,604 ft)

    -21.30998, 55.64017

  • Pas des Sables (water)

    2,346 m (7,697 ft)

    -21.23164, 55.64857

  • Nez de Bœuf (relay change)

    2,023 m (6,637 ft)

    -21.20111, 55.62095

  • Mare à Boue

    1,604 m (5,262 ft)

    -21.16196, 55.57101

  • Coteau Kerveguen (water)

    -21.12771, 55.50667

  • Croisée Kerveguen (high point, no aid)

    2,475 m (8,120 ft)

    -21.11114, 55.49532

  • Gîte de Bélouve (water)

    1,502 m (4,928 ft)

    -21.06061, 55.53594

  • Hell-Bourg (base vie, Mascareignes start, relay change)

    995 m (3,264 ft)

    -21.06980, 55.52046

  • Marla

    1,614 m (5,295 ft)

    -21.10369, 55.43390

  • Plaine des Merles

    1,808 m (5,932 ft)

    -21.06613, 55.45102

  • Sentier Scout trailhead (crew, no aid)

    1,635 m (5,364 ft)

    -21.05495, 55.45452

  • Îlet à Malheur school

    830 m (2,723 ft)

    -21.02627, 55.42815

  • Grand Place les Bas school

    665 m (2,182 ft)

    -21.03868, 55.40988

  • Deux Bras

    258 m (846 ft)

    -21.00317, 55.39252

  • Dos d'Âne (checkpoint, no aid)

    818 m (2,684 ft)

    -20.97958, 55.36950

  • Roche Plate, Plateau Cerf

    1,256 m (4,121 ft)

    -21.07392, 55.40055

  • Ti Col, Maïdo (crew, no aid)

    2,029 m (6,657 ft)

    -21.06321, 55.38279

  • Maïdo, Tête Dure

    1,950 m (6,398 ft)

    -21.05095, 55.38093

  • Route des Orangers, Sans Souci (water)

    738 m (2,421 ft)

    -20.98435, 55.35596

  • Bellemène school

    403 m (1,322 ft)

    -21.01741, 55.30368

  • Îlet Savannah (base vie)

    133 m (436 ft)

    -20.97280, 55.32685

  • Stade Guillaume Adolphe (relay change)

    229 m (751 ft)

    -20.96724, 55.33515

  • Chemin Ratinaud

    440 m (1,444 ft)

    -20.96243, 55.35695

  • Place Festival, La Possession

    20 m (66 ft)

    -20.93886, 55.33109

  • Grande Chaloupe

    10 m (33 ft)

    -20.89630, 55.37696

  • Colorado

    682 m (2,238 ft)

    -20.90825, 55.42363

Grand Raid FAQ

When is the Grand Raid Réunion 2026?

October 15 to 18, 2026. The Zembrocal relay starts on Thursday the 15th at 5 PM and the Diagonale des Fous at 10 PM, the Mascareignes at 1 AM and the Trail de Bourbon at 8 PM on Friday the 16th, and the Métis Trail at 6 AM on Saturday the 17th.

How long is the Diagonale des Fous?

The organizer bills it as 180 km with 10,200 m of climbing. The 2026 cutoff chart gives 180.8 km and 10,191 m, from Saint-Pierre to Saint-Denis, with a 66 hour limit. Finishers have until 4 PM on Sunday.

How do you get into the Diagonale des Fous?

Residents of Réunion enter a lottery in the first months of the year. Residents of mainland France can enter the lottery or buy a travel package with entry, flights and lodging. Runners living abroad register directly from mid-January, for a quota of places. Everyone needs two finishes of 85 points or more between January 1, 2025 and July 31, 2026, counting 1 point per kilometer and 1 per 100 m of climbing.

Can you use trekking poles at the Grand Raid?

No. Poles of any kind are banned in every race. Using one costs an hour, plus a sanction from the National Park.

Can you have a pacer or crew at the Diagonale des Fous?

No pacers. Crews can meet you only within 300 m of the aid stations that allow it, which for the Diagonale is 15 of its 33 points, including the bases vie at Hell-Bourg and Îlet Savannah.

What is the highest point of the Diagonale des Fous?

Croisée Kerveguen, at 2,475 m, near the Caverne Dufour refuge. It's on the trail up the Piton des Neiges, and the course turns off there without going to the summit. The climb out of Mafate to Ti Col, 2,029 m, comes late, after about 122 km.

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Updated . An unofficial guide, from the organizer's published information. Coordinates from the organizer's course and OpenStreetMap contributors. Photos from Unsplash. Organize a race? We help with course files.