LE 1000 DU SUD 2026 ON OPENRUNNER
ROUTE SHEET (English version - Streckenplan in Englisch) - available later
GPX FILES - available later
PHOTO CONTROL PLACES - available later
The 17th edition is the southernmost route in the entire history of Le 1000 du Sud (the northernmost point is Tallard, south of Gap). We visit eastern Var, Alpes-Maritimes, Liguria, Piedmont, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, and Drôme. The landscapes are very varied: mid- and high-altitude mountains, plateaus, and even the coast. The route is 100% paved. We enjoy taking (very) small roads. Some of them might surprise you.
The 2026 route is inspired by the 2019 edition, one of the toughest in the history of Le 1000 du Sud (13 finishers, including 8 in under 100 hours, out of 37 participants). We have tried to maintain the overall structure while smoothing it out in some areas. In its revised version, this Franco-Italian challenge features 18,300 meters of elevation gain (compared to 20,900 in 2019). The difficulties are distributed very unevenly:
First, 175 kilometers of moderate difficulty, leading to the Var Valley;
Then, an impressive section of medium altitude, approximately 300 km in "mounta cala" style, in the southeastern part of the French and Italian Maritime Alps;
Followed by about sixty kilometers of gentle uphill terrain in the Piedmont plain and the Stura Valley;
Then come the two major mountain passes, Lombarde and Bonette (without the Summit): 3,350 meters of elevation gain over 100 km (from km 540, Vinadio, to km 640, Jausiers);
The last 350 kilometers (from Barcelonnette), in Haute Provence, should be fairly easy.
The 2026 edition may seem slightly less demanding than the 2019 edition, due to the removal of some particularly challenging climbs (Perinaldo via Dolceacqua; Monte Ceppo; Passo di Teglia, Colle di Casotto, Prato Nevoso, Madonna del Colletto, Col de Pontis, Saint-Apollinaire, Col de Moissière). The Col de Turini and the summit of the Bonette have also been removed from the route. Nevertheless:
Don't focus solely on the Lombarde and the Bonette to the point of underestimating the 300 km that traverse the hinterland of Nice, Liguria, and Piedmont: a succession of climbs and descents, sometimes quite steep, on roads that are often very narrow and not very smooth – accept that this will take time.
Don't panic if your average speed drops below the critical 10 km/h mark and the dreaded tortoise catches up with you. The final 350km section of the 1000km route, after Barcelonnette, offers an opportunity to make up some time. First, the route descends the Ubaye and Durance valleys, and then the slopes of the Baronnies Provençales are gentler than those of the Maritime Alps.