A high-level student-athlete at theUniversité Grenoble Alpes, Nélie Clément continues her rise in the sport at the 2025 World Mountain Running and Trail Running Championships. As part of the French women’s team, the young athlete took second place on the podium in the vertical race and finished in the top 10 twice in individual events.
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e edition of the World Mountain Running and Trail Running Championships (
WMTRC) took place from September 25 to 28, 2025, in Canfranc, Spain, featuring five race formats: vertical race, short trail race, long trail race, and mountain race (senior and U20). This top-tier international competition brought together nearly 1,700 athletes from 70 countries.
Master's 2 student in Teaching, Education, and Training Professions - 1
er degree (INPSE), and recipient of the “Coup de pouce” scholarship from the Université Grenoble Alpes Foundation for the 2025–2026 academic year,
Nélie Clément He reached new heights at these world championships and cemented his place among the elite in mountain racing following his first World Cup victory last July.
A first world title in the elite division
French Elite Mountain Running Champion in 2025 and 2024, French Junior Cross-Country Champion in 2025, 4
e At the 2022 European Championships, Nélie Clément also (and already) boasts an impressive record of national and international achievements in the Junior category, including three French championship titles, a bronze medal in the team event at the 2022 World Championships, and a gold medal in the team event at the 2022 European Championships.
At just 22 years old, and for his 7th
e Selected for the French national team, this rising star of French racing played a major role in the Les Bleues' success at these world championships by finishing 8th
e Location of the vertical race. A steep uphill race covering 6.4 km, completed in 47’40’’ with a total elevation gain of 990 m.
With Christel Dewalle (6
e), Marie Nivet (22
e) and Céline Jeannier (28
e), Nélie Clément (8
e) thus secured a superb silver medal in the team event on the elite international circuit. This is a remarkable achievement, as it marks the first-ever medal in the uphill race for the French women’s team at the World Championships.
Also competing in classic mountain racing, this future elementary school teacher achieved her second Top 10 finish at these world championships, placing 7th
e, and the top French finisher in the race. A 14.3-km race with 775 m of elevation gain and an equivalent amount of elevation loss.
A top-level athlete for the past six years and a specialist in several running disciplines (mountain running, cross-country, road running, and track running), Nélie Clément has benefited this year from the support of the
UGA Foundation. Thanks to the “Coup de pouce” grant, she will be able to better fund her numerous trips and training camps in France and abroad, as well as purchase new pairs of running shoes and strength-training equipment. This will help her perform even better this season on the international stage!
Elite Sports on the UGA Trails
To help students balance their studies with high-level sports, the UGA offers several specific and innovative support programs, including the university training and coaching centers (
CUFE). Established in seven sports disciplines, the CUFEs are based on the pooling of resources: the university provides its sports facilities, while the sports community provides its technical staff and coaches.
The CUFE Track and Field program is the result of a collaboration between the UGA, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Track and Field League, and the supporting club, Entente Athlétique Grenoble. It is designed for national- or international-level athletes who have the status of high-level student-athletes. This support program provides optimal conditions for training, as well as athletic, medical, and paramedical care, right on campus.
