About this race
Marathon des îles - La Désirade - étape 5 is a running stage on La Désirade, a French island in the Guadeloupe archipelago. It is typically scheduled for April, begins in the afternoon, and spans approximately 22 kilometers with around 419 meters of elevation gain. The event is also listed as étape 5 La Désirade under the Guadarun name, positioning it as part of a six-stage island-hopping series instead of an independent road race.
Guadarun operates on the principle of “One Day, One Island!”: each stage directs runners to a different section of Guadeloupe, with distances typically ranging from 15 to 25 kilometers. The overall series covers La Désirade, Marie-Galante, Terre de Haut, Terre de Bas, Basse-Terre, and Grande-Terre, making this stage one point in a week focused on crossing the archipelago. The La Désirade segment is brief enough for trail-running, not marathon distances, and its elevation changes ensure it is more than a simple flat island course.
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