SaintéLyon: The race of headlamps

History

Created in 1952 as a simple winter hike between Saint-Étienne and Lyon, the SaintéLyon was anything but a race at the outset. At that time, running at night in winter was almost utopian. The first participants, headlamps in hand and city shoes on their feet, braved the cold, the snow, and the slippery trails in a spirit of adventure and camaraderie.

But in the 1970s, something changed. A new movement swept across France: free running . A breath of freedom inspired by the Spiridon movement , which championed a popular, joyful, and unconstrained approach to running. This trend gave wings to the SaintéLyon race. In 1977 , it allowed runners, for the first time, to... run. The legend entered a new dimension.

The awakening of the pioneers

Now free of restrictions, the race attracts new types of runners: endurance athletes, those passionate about long efforts, the night, and the silence. Figures emerge, such as Michel Delore , multiple winner in the 70s and 80s. The SaintéLyon gradually becomes more demanding: road sections give way to trails, the elevation gain intensifies, and the weather remains true to form, unpredictable and often harsh.

But it's also a time when the Spiridon spirit remains very much alive: no glitz, few sponsors, but a fraternal atmosphere. A human-scale event, where people come as much for the challenge as for the camaraderie.

A current icon of the outdoor world

In the space of 70 years , the SaintéLyon has become a true outdoor institution. With over 17,000 bibs sold each year, often in just a few days, it attracts a multitude of runners eager to experience "the longest night." The formats have multiplied: solo, relay, sprint, express. The organization has become more professional. And the image of the race, with its headlamps lined up in the night, its sticky mud, and its wavering lucidity, is now part of the collective imagination of trail running.

But despite this evolution, the SaintéLyon has lost none of its soul. It still embodies this free and accessible spirit.