Défi des Escaliers
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Event overview
Défi des Escaliers de Québec is an urban stair and road running event in Quebec City scheduled for 20 June 2026. The event is produced by Je Cours QC / Gestev and is sanctioned at the ARGENT level by Athlétisme Québec. Courses use the city’s stair networks that link the Lower Town (Basse-Ville) and Upper Town (Haute-Ville) and finish in the downtown area.
The organiser provided indicative course information from 2025 showing that routes alternate between stair climbs and descents and include multiple staircases and several thousand steps on longer distances. Race-day formats include running and walking options and a youth race for children.
Distances and course details
- 19 km
- 14 km
- 9 km
- 4 km
- 2 km (youth)
Indicative details from 2025: the 19 km course passed nearly forty staircases for a total of about 2,468 steps and had an age minimum of 14 years. The 14 km course included about thirty staircases and about 2,404 steps with an age minimum of 10 years. A 9 km option was described with roughly twenty staircases and 1,367 steps; a 4 km route included 16 staircases and 520 steps. The youth 2 km event was for ages 5 to 12 and had a 30-minute time limit in the 2025 information. Course maps, elevation profiles and detailed descriptions were provided by the organiser for reference. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.