Elise Delannoy

About

Elise Delannoy is a French ultra-trail and vertical-endurance athlete from Northern France who trains, unusually, on the terrils — the man-made mining spoil heaps of the Pas-de-Calais coal basin — in place of the mountains most of her competitors have on their doorstep. That training paid off on the biggest trail stage: at the 2019 Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc she finished as the top French woman and 7th woman overall, a result that marked her arrival among Europe's elite female trail runners. In a specially organized attempt on the Nœud-les-Mines terril, she set the women's world record for positive elevation gain in 24 hours, climbing the mound 278 times for 16,572.6 meters of cumulative ascent — the fourth-best overall performance in the discipline's history, men included — and spent 18 hours matching the pace of the men's world-record holder before digestive issues slowed her. She has since raced the 235km Marathon des Sables and continues to compete on the international ultra-trail circuit, using her record attempt to argue publicly that the men's elevation record is within women's reach.

Notable Wins

• — Women's World Record — 24-Hour Positive Elevation Gain
• — 16
• — 572.6m (Nœud-les-Mines terril)
• — UTMB 2019 — 7th woman overall / 1st French woman
• — Marathon des Sables 2023 (finisher)

Race History