Aurélien Dunand-Pallaz has set a new supported fastest known time on Corsica's GR20, covering the route from Calenzana to Conca in 27 hours 29 minutes on 24 and 25 September. The 33-year-old from Savoie, France, improved François D'Haene's record of 29:46:20, set in July 2026, by 2 hours 17 minutes 20 seconds.
Dunand-Pallaz left Calenzana at 5am on Thursday and reached Conca at 8:29am on Friday. The route runs for roughly 166 kilometres with around 12,000 metres of climbing, and is widely regarded as one of Europe's most technical long-distance trails. He ran with nine pacers across the traverse, among them Théo Detienne, Diego Pazos and Arthur Joyeux-Bouillon, supported by a logistics team handling food and equipment along the way.
The record was built steadily rather than in a single surge. Dunand-Pallaz was around 30 to 36 minutes ahead of D'Haene's schedule at Tighjettu, roughly 1 hour 40 minutes up at Vizzavona about halfway through, and more than two hours ahead at the Col de Bavella, 17 kilometres from the finish. He was reported to have avoided the usual slump through the night.
The attempt followed five years of planning, with the 2026 season built around technical, rocky terrain. In July he won the Restonica course at the Ultra-Trail di Corsica, a 110km race with 7,200 metres of ascent, as a test of his preparation. His best-known result remains second place at UTMB in 2021.
The GR20 has seen a burst of record activity this summer, with D'Haene's July time now bettered within weeks. Dunand-Pallaz's performance is also a reminder of the depth of French mountain running as the autumn calendar turns towards the Diagonale des Fous on Reunion later this month.