Route du Rhum organisers have unveiled a strengthened corporate responsibility programme for the 2026 edition, built around a new strategy called "Terres d'engagements" as the race approaches its 13th running between Saint-Malo and Guadeloupe.
The plan builds on more than a decade of work by organiser OC Sport, which recently gained international B Corp certification. For this edition it covers transport, energy, ecosystem protection, accessibility and the preservation of the race's heritage, developed alongside the Saint-Malo city council, the Brittany region and the Guadeloupe region.
Rail travel is the headline mobility push. French rail operator SNCF, a partner for 2026, will add 16 extra regional TER services on the Rennes to Saint-Malo and Paris to Saint-Malo routes, alongside 15 extra TGV services between Paris and Saint-Malo. Across the 13 days of the race village, that adds up to 280,000 TER seats and 65,000 extra TGV places.
Locally, Saint-Malo Agglomération will run expanded bus services, five temporary lines linking outlying towns to the station, two park-and-ride sites with shuttles, and a dedicated shuttle for people with disabilities. There's also a push on electric vehicles, with 36 charging points installed and race partner Suzuki supplying a fleet of 12 fully electric eVITARA vehicles for the village.
One notable shift: the village will now draw its power entirely from the mains grid, removing the need for fossil-fuelled generators. That's thanks to investment from the Saint-Malo council and a new grid connection carried out by Enedis.
Waste management has been tightened too, with OC Sport Pen Duick, CITEO, the Saint-Malo authorities and recycling specialists Aremacs coordinating collection and composting across the village. Water fountains will be installed to cut single-use plastic, backed by ocean sustainability group 11th Hour Racing, which is also helping establish Cetacean Protection Zones along the course and will co-host an "Ocean Day" on Friday 30 October.
"The Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe has an extraordinary capacity to bring people around the world closer to the ocean," said Jeremy Pochman, chief executive and co-founder of 11th Hour Racing. "With that reach comes the opportunity to lead by example."
A new rule banning cargo returns has also been written into the race notice. Natura 2000 protected coastal areas between Pointe du Grouin and Cap Fréhel are the subject of a dedicated environmental impact study with ecological consultancy Biotope, with around 15 measures planned to protect sensitive sites.
"Our goal isn't to claim a perfect model, but to improve the event with every edition," said Julie Coutts, managing director of OC Sport Pen Duick. "The Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe must keep inspiring and bringing people together, while finding the right balance between the emotion it generates, its reach and its development."
On the territorial side, 2026 brings the first "Off du Rhum" fringe programme, extending the event beyond the docks with exhibitions, concerts and local trader events across Saint-Malo. Fifty associations will be hosted at the event, including Brittany's Plankton Planet and Témoins Polaires, plus Guadeloupe's own Capture and Release.
