2023: a big year for trail lovers! The 2023 trail race calendar is already packed, with events across every region of France. Whether you're an experienced runner or simply looking to explore new paths, there will certainly be a race to match your ambitions. In this article, we take a look at the trail calendar in France and highlight some of the most popular races of the year.
Trail du Ventoux (Vaucluse 84)
Since 1990, Mont Ventoux has been classified as a "Biosphere Reserve" by UNESCO for the great richness of its natural and cultural heritage. The Giant of Provence is also a prime destination for outdoor sports. It is in this exceptional environment that the Trail du Ventoux winds its way, setting off from Bédoin along the wildest paths to reach the mythical summit at 1,912 m altitude.
Date: 11–12 March 2023
The Ventoux sprint: 15 km and 550 D+/-
Balcon des jas: 29 km and 1,550 D+/-
Le 46 "Origine": 46 km and 2,050 D+/-
The full ridge run (solo or as a two-person relay): 72 km and 3,900 D+/-
L'EcoTrail de Paris (Paris 75)
The Ecotrail showcases the natural and cultural surroundings of Paris and proves that organising major sporting events can go hand in hand with eco-responsibility. For walkers, 4 hiking and Nordic walking routes are organised in Paris, the Yvelines, the Val de Marne and the Val d'Oise.
Date: 18 March 2023
10 km and 170m D+
18 km and 400m D+
30 km and 500m D+
45 km and 900m D+
80 km and 1,500m D+
Le Duo Hermitage (Drôme 26)
Duo Trail de l'Hermitage: "We start as two, we finish as two!" For those who think trail is a solo sport, the Duo de l'Hermitage will change your mind! So grab your teammate's hand and head to Tain-l'Hermitage, in the Drôme.
Date: 13 to 14 May 2023
The Saturday 13 May duos
Gambert 10km and 350m D+
Hermitage 15km and 500m D+
Sunday 14 May duos:
Chapelle 40km and 1,600m D+
Bergeron 13.9km and 350m D+
Crozes-Hermitage 26km and 900m D+
Challenges 2 days
Atol duo challenge: Duo Gambert + Duo Bergeron
Cimalp duo challenge: Duo Hermitage + Duo Chapelle
La Maxi-Race d'Annecy (Haute-Savoie 74)
Explore the mountains around Lake Annecy with routes ranging from 16 to 90 km, available solo or as a team, over 1 or 2 days.
Date: 26–28 May 2023
The Lake Annecy loop:
- In 1 day: The MaXi-Race 87km and 4,900m D+
- Over 2 days: The XL-Race 89km and 4,900m D+
- As a team: The R-Race SEPas impossible 87km and 4,900m D+
The half tour: The Marathon-Expérience 45km and 2,400m D+
The secret race: The Marathon-Race 40km and 3,300m
The quarter tour: 16km and 1,000m D+
The U18 WMRA U18 WMRA World Cup (national selections only) and the open race: 4.6 km and 230 D+
L'Oxy Trail (Paris 75)
Oxy'Trail was founded in 2013, with the aim of bringing people together and showcasing the natural and cultural treasures of Paris – Vallée de la Marne. Oxy'Trail offers all sports enthusiasts three original routes, between city and nature, of 5, 13 and 23 km, as well as a Nordic walking event and Oxy'jeunes youth races.
Date: 24 to 25 June 2023
Oxy'5 km and 73m D+
Oxy'13 km and 154m D+
Oxy'23 km and 220m D+
L'EDF Pierra Menta Summer (Savoie 73)
Born from the iconic ski mountaineering race, the EDF Pierra-Menta Été was founded in 2015 with the ambition of offering a trail event sharing the same passion as its elder sister: a unique mountain race for teams of two, traversing the finest summits of the Beaufortain in Savoie.
Date: 30 June to 2 July 2023
70km and 7,000m D+ (3-day race in teams of 2)
Le Trail des Passerelles du Monteynard (Isère 38)
The Trail des Passerelles du Monteynard in Isère offers 10 race formats on mid-mountain routes, all accessible for its 12th edition. The views are truly remarkable: two footbridges roughly 200 metres above Lac de Monteynard, with a 360-degree panorama of the surrounding massifs!
Date: 1–9 July 2023
Saturday 1 July
New for 2023: Trail du Drac 13 km and 600m D+
Sunday 2 July
Le Petit Train: 30 km and 1,500m D+
Le Mine Express (duo): 16 km and 850m D+
Tuesday 4 July
Le 3ème Poste: 17 km and 700m D+ (Solo or as a 2-person relay)
Saturday 8 July
La Rando des Passerelles: 11.5 km and 500m D+
Trail de Côte Red: 26 km and 1,200m D+
Trail de l'Ebron: 16 km and 600m D+
Sunday 9 July
Le Maratrail: 42 km and 2,400m D+
La Grande Course: 65 km and 3,500m D+ (solo and relay x3)
L'Ut4M (Isère 38)
The Ultra Tour des 4 Massifs is a must in your Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes race calendar. Indeed, the 11th edition, with its 12 races ranging from 16 to 179 km, gives every runner — from beginner to elite — the chance to set their own personal challenge. An unusual tour of the Grenoble metropolitan area across 4 massifs: the Vercors, Taillefer, Belledonne and the Chartreuse.
Date: 20–23 July 2023
Ut4M
160 Xtrem 174.6 km and 11,510 m D+
160 Challenge 179 km combined across 4 stages and 11,510 m D+
100 Master 97.2 km and 5,860 m D+
80 Challenge 78.6 km combined across 4 stages and 6,395 m D+ combined across 4 stages
40 Series:
- Vercors 40 km and 2,830 m D+
- Taillefer 49.8 km and 3,580 m D+
- Belledonne 48 km and 2,930 m D+
- Chartreuse 41.2 km and 2,850 m D+
Ut4M 20 Series:
- Vercors 19.9 km and 1,810 m D+
- Taillefer 22 km and 1,810 m D+
- Belledonne 20.7 km and 2,040 m D+
- Chartreuse 16 km and 735 m D+
The 6000D (Savoie 73)
The 6000D is a trail race held in Tarentaise (Savoie) for the past 33 years on the last weekend of July. Suited to trail runners of all levels, several races are on offer so everyone can find their perfect challenge.
Date: 27–29 July 2023
The 6000D 69km and 3,400m D+
The 6000D (relay team of 3)
- Relay A: 21km and 1,560m D+
- Relay B: 26.8km and 1,690m D+
- Relay C: 20.4km and 190m D+
The 6D Marathon 43km and 2,000m D+
The 6D Lacs 30km and 1,500m D+
La 6 Découverte 11km and 600m D+
The 6D Bob 1.5km and 125m D+
Tignes Trail (Savoie 73)
Tignes invites you to the 7th edition of the Cimalp Tignes Trail. And a major new feature this year! To mark the 60th anniversary of the Parc National de la Vanoise, the 44 km route becomes a 46 km. You'll have the opportunity to run along preserved trails through one of France's most beautiful national parks.
Date: 19–20 August 2023
Saturday 19 August, the spotlight is on youth with 3 races (0.8 km, 1.7 km and 3 km)
Sunday 20 August, the adult routes, with 3 distances:
13 km and 750m D+,
27 km and 1,600m D+
46 km and 3,070m D+
Le Grand Raid des Pyrénées (Hautes-Pyrénées 65)
This gathering of 6,500 runners puts the Pyrenees mountain range in the spotlight — and in particular the superb, still-wild and unspoilt central Pyrenees massif — through breathtaking high-mountain routes. The starting gun is fired in August, in the commune of Vielle-Aure in the Hautes-Pyrénées.
Date: 24–27 August 2023
- Ultra Tour: 160 km and 10,000m D+
- Tour des Cirques: 120 km and 7,500m D+
- Tour des Lacs 80: km and 5,000m D+
- Tour du Moudang: 60 km and 3,500m D+
- Tour de la Gela: 40 km and 3,400m D+
- Tour du Néouvielle: 40 km and 2,400m D+
L'UTMB® (Haute-Savoie 74)
Founded in 2003, the UTMB® (Ultra-Trail du Mont-White) is the most iconic and prestigious trail running race in the world. 171 km and 10,000 metres of positive elevation gain to circumnavigate Mont-White, crossing Italy, Switzerland and France. An unmissable fixture for trail runners worldwide, the UTMB® brings together the global trail running elite and more than 10,000 passionate runners in Chamonix each year to compete in one of the 8 races in the event, including the finals of the UTMB World Series circuit.
Date: 28 August to 3 September 2023
The UTMB®: 171 km for approximately 10,000m D+, starting from Chamonix, with a maximum time of 46:30 h.
PTL®: 300 km for approximately 2,500m D+, starting from Chamonix, with a maximum time of 152:30 h.
The CCC®: 100 km for approximately 6,100m D+, starting from Courmayeur, with a maximum time of 26:30 h.
The TDS®: 145 km for approximately 9,100m D+, starting from Courmayeur, with a maximum time of 44:00 h.
The OCC®: 56 km for approximately 3,500m D+, starting from Orsières, with a maximum time of 14:30 h.
The MCC®: 40 km for approximately 2,300m D+, starting from Martigny-Combe, with a maximum time of 10 h (reserved for volunteers, partners and local residents).
The ETC®: 15 km and 1,200m D+ (reserved for runners aged 23 and over)
The YCC®: a challenge dedicated to young people born between 2001 and 2009, comprising 2 events over 2 days: a trail starting from Courmayeur on Tuesday and a short, innovative race on Wednesday in Chamonix, YCC The Revenge (between 2 and 15 km depending on category).
L'Evancy trail Côte d'Opale (Pas de Calais 62)
This year, more than 7,000 trail runners from across France and around forty countries will line up at the various start lines, aiming to complete the 10 events organised over the weekend. The Trail Côte d'Opale in Pas de Calais has become, over 15 years, the flagship outdoor sports event north of Paris.
Date: 9 and 10 September 2023
8 km and 80m D+
13 km and 190m D+
16 km and 280m D+
24 km and 190m D+
12 km and 130m D+
27 km and 270m D+
42 km and 830m D+
80 km and 1,120m D+
104 km and 1,300m D+
Le Trail des Templiers (Aveyron 12)
Founded in 1995, the Festival des Templiers pioneered trail running in France. Held across the Grands Causses territory and the iconic valleys that lend a majestic character to these vast plateaus — the Tarn, the Jonte, the Dourbie — Les Templiers offers not only a competition but also a great trail festival and the chance to discover an unspoilt heritage. The Templiers village, based in Millau, has become the ultimate trail crossroads: a popular event firmly rooted in a spirit of solidarity and nature conservation.
Date: 19–2 October 2023
Endurance trail: 106 km and 4,580m D+
Le grand trail des Templiers: 80.6 km and 3,530m D+
L'intégrale des Causses: 66.3 km and 2,860m D+
Marathon du Larzac: 35.5 km and 1,420m D+
Boffi fifty: 48.4 km and 2,300m D+
Le marathon des Causses: 36 km and 1,640m D+
La monna Lisa trail: 29.7 km and 1,170m D+
Dourbie formi: 24.6 km and 1,260m D+
La vo2 trail: 17.7 km and 700m D+
Les troubadours: 11.4 km and 540m D+
La templière: 7.3 km and 290m D+
La Grand Raid – La Diagonale des Fous (La Réunion 974)
Le Grand Raid is the main ultra-trail organised on the island of La Réunion. Le Grand Raid features 4 races designed for different levels, from the great Diagonale des Fous for the most experienced runners to the Mascareignes, via the Zembrocal Trail relay. La Diagonale des Fous is the most celebrated and mythical of the Grand Raid races, crossing the island of La Réunion from south to north, through the cirques of Cilaos, Salazie and Mafate.
Date: 19–22 October 2023
La Diagonale des Fous: 165 km and 10,000m D+
Le Zembrocal Trail: 147 km and 7,910m D+
Le Trail de Bourbon: 109 km and 6,260m D+
La Mascareignes: 71 km and 4,010m D+
La SaintéLyon (Rhône 69 & Loire 42)
This year marks the 69th edition of the Asics SaintéLyon, a landmark in French running history. The iconic nocturnal raid between Saint-Étienne and Lyon, the oldest ultra-distance race, has become a true phenomenon and the largest off-road race in France in terms of participants. Running through the night, amid an immense ballet of head torches along the ridges of the Monts du Lyonnais, is always — whatever the often wintry weather conditions — a magical experience.
Date: 2–3 December 2023
Lyon Sainté Lyon: 156 km and 4,390m D+
SaintéLyon: 78 km and 2,050m D+ (or relay of 2, 3 or 4 runners)
SaintExpress: 44 km and 926m D+
SaintéSprint: 24 km and 350m D+
SaintéTic: 13 km and 190m D+
