Calendar of the Top 15 trail races in France
For those who dream of being able to run in the great outdoors all year round and discover magnificent regions and their landscapes along the way, we have put together a calendar of very different trail races in France: one per month throughout the year, except for May and June when we could not choose between several races and therefore chose not to choose. This selection of 15 trail races will take you from the Côte d'Azur to Brittany via Auvergne and will have you running in the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Massif Central or even along the Atlantic Ocean. This shows how lucky we are in France to be able to enjoy landscapes and routes that are perfectly suited to trail running all year round.
Let's go for a grand tour of the most beautiful trails and paths in France from January to December.
January
Galinette Trail
12km and 800m +, 26km and 1250m +, 38km and 2050m +, 44km and 2350m +.
The Galinette Trail is a race organized in January by the Marseille Trail Club, spanning several distances. The courses are technical and challenging, with breathtaking views of Marseille, the Sainte-Baume, and the Sainte-Victoire mountains as rewards. A perfect introduction to a new trail running season.
FEBRUARY
Trail of the Balconies of the Azure
23km and 1000m +, 47km and 2200m +, 68km and 3400 D+
The Balcons d'Azur trail takes place less than 10 minutes from Cannes in the heart of the Esterel Mountains, amidst pine trees, heather, and rosemary. The trails overlook the Bay of Cannes with the Alps and the Lérins Islands as a backdrop. Tracks, paths, and trails run alongside and overlook the deep blue sea. What more could you want from a trail race in the middle of winter?
March
Vulcan Trail
13km and 570m +, 28km and 870m +, 48km and 1820 m+ and 77km and 2850m +
The Vulcain Trail is a race that takes place in the heart of the Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Natural Park, around Volvic and the Puy de Dôme. The Vulcain Trail offers courses on volcanic trails, alternating between forests, ridges, and technical passages, with ancient lava flows, rounded puys, and deep forests as a backdrop. A discovery of magical landscapes around ancient volcanoes.
April (or March)
Ventoux Trail
15km and 530m +, 29km and 1550m +, 46km and 2400m +, 64km and 3250m +, 75km and 3900m +
The Ventoux Trail is one of the flagship trails of early spring. It offers spectacular scenery between oak forests, rocky ridges, and on clear days, incredible views of the Alps and the Mediterranean. It takes place in late March or early April and starts in Bédoin, a village well-known to cyclists. It's a demanding trail, like any climb of the giant of Provence.
May
Besançon Forts Trail
11km and 330m +, 16km and 560m + (duo), 22km and 600m +, 42km and 1300m +, 62 km and 2400m +
The Besançon Forts Trail is a unique blend of nature, military heritage with the many Vauban forts, and spectacular views of the Doubs Valley. A route halfway through the city of Besançon and halfway through nature, offering both an urban and a nature trail.
Maxi-Race of Lake Annecy
16km and 900m +, 44 km and 2365m +, 58 km and 3500m +, 100 km and 5300m +
The Maxi-Race of Lake Annecy is a 100 km mountain trail race that circles Lake Annecy via the peaks. It crosses ridges, passes, forests, and mountain pastures, always with the beautiful Lake Annecy below. A highly technical course with a wide variety of terrain. Other routes are also possible, ranging from 16 to 58 km.
June (or July)
Mont Blanc Marathon
10km and 325m +, 23km and 1680m +, 42km and 2540m +, 92km and 6330m +
The Mont Blanc Marathon is a high-mountain trail and much more than just a marathon, even though no marathon is easy. A demanding 42km course with 2,700m of elevation gain around Chamonix, featuring airy trails, forests, torrents, and snowfields. The difficulty and beauty of trail running combined in one event.
Mercantour Trail
30km and 2000m +, 50km and 3800m +, 75km and 5200m +, 130km and 9000m +
A wild alpine trail awaits you, with altitude passages at 3,000m, dizzying ridges, and technical trails. The longest race, the Ultra Mercantour, with 130km and 9,000m of elevation gain, is an extreme format. The Mercantour National Park, where the races take place, is one of the most beautiful and wildest national parks in France.
Ultramarine
34km and 173m +, 56km and 500m +, 70km and 500m +, 100km and 800m +, 175km and 1430m +
Head to the ocean and Brittany for a trail race that follows the coastal paths around the Gulf of Morbihan. A mix of beaches, dirt roads, wooded passages, and village crossings. With views of the Gulf's islands and magnificent sunsets over beautiful seascapes.
July
Monteynard footbridges trail
www.trail-passerelles-monteynard.fr
16km and 850m +, 25km and 1150m +, 30km and 1600m +, 42km and 220m +, 68km and 3500m +
The Monteynard Passerelles Trail runs around Lake Monteynard-Avignonet, offering mid-mountain trails with stunning views of the surrounding mountains. This race is famous for its passages over Himalayan footbridges suspended above the lake.
August
Ultra Trail Mont Blanc
15 km and 1200 D+, 50 km and 2350 D+, 57 km and 3500 D+, 101 km and 6050 D+, 148 km and 9300 D+, 176 km and 10000 D+, PTL 300 km and 25000 D+
The UTMB is probably the most famous trail race in the world, renowned for its beauty and difficulty. It starts in Chamonix and runs around Mont Blanc, crossing three countries along the way in an impressive and grandiose environment. Several race formats are offered beyond the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc (UTMB) and its 176 km and 9,900 m of elevation gain, ranging from the YCC with 15 km and 1,200 m of elevation gain to the PTL, which stretches over 300 km with 25,000 m (!) of elevation gain. The UTMB attracts both the world's best ultra-trailers and many ultra-trail enthusiasts.
September
Great Trail of the Pyrenees
40 km and 2400 D+, 50 km and 3000 D+, 60 km and 3600 D+, 80 km and 5000 D+, 120 km and 7500 D+, 160 km and 10000 D+
A pure and tough mountain trail, crossing passes, forests, and skirting lakes in a wild and spectacular setting. Technical courses with stony paths and steep passes. A true high mountain adventure, difficult and demanding, with spectacular landscapes alternating between high-altitude lakes, peaks, and high-mountain cirques.
October
Grand Trail of the Templars
28km and 1170m+, 34km and 1406m+, 48km and 2224m+, 62km and 2689m+, 80km and 3429m+, 100km and 4271m+
Sublime landscapes around Millau, with the Grandes Causses in the south of the Massif Central, await you at the Festival des Templiers. A trail event taking place in mid-October, the main event is the Grand Trail des Templiers, with its 80K run and 3,400m of elevation gain. You'll have a choice of routes and distances from 28km to 100km. A great way to discover this superb region and its Grandes Causses.
November
Saintélyon
13km and 230m +, 24km and 517m +, 45km and 900m +, 80km and 2300m +, 160km and 4500m +
A trail race in the middle of the night in November, often sometimes in the rain, snow, and cold. It had to be thought of. The Saintélyon is famous precisely because its weather is unpredictable and it's run at night. With milder years and others where snow and ice are on the menu, it's a bit of a lottery. Running at night is always a unique experience, a bit magical with the long coil of headlamps that follows you until the first light of day between Saint-Etienne and Lyon.
December/January
Sancy – Mont Dore Winter Trail
23 km and 1050m +, 33 km and 1600m +
This trail actually takes place at the very beginning of January, but it can be considered the end-of-season trail of the previous year. It's a return to the Auvergne region on snowy, icy, or muddy courses, depending on the weather. You have to love running in the cold and snow, with the rewards of winter volcanic landscapes, frosty fir trees, and a polar atmosphere.
15 beautiful, varied, and challenging trail races with a wide range of distances and elevation gains, from the most accessible discovery formats to the most extreme ultra-trail formats reserved for the most experienced or the craziest runners, potentially both. How lucky to have such a wide variety of races in France to challenge yourself to real sporting challenges and, above all, discover sumptuous landscapes and unspoiled nature.
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