2023 is packed with action for trail running enthusiasts! The 2023 trail race calendar is already loaded with events across all regions of France. Whether you are an experienced runner or simply looking to discover new trails, you will find the perfect race. In this article, we look at the French trail calendar and highlight some of the most popular races of the year.
Trail du Ventoux (Vaucluse 84)
Since 1990, Mont Ventoux has been designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in recognition of its exceptional natural and cultural heritage. The Giant of Provence is also a premier playground for outdoor sports. In this stunning setting, the Trail du Ventoux winds its way from Bédoin along the wildest singletracks up to the iconic 1,912 m summit.
Date: 11 to 12 March 2023
Le Ventoux Sprint: 15 km and 550 D+/-
Balcon des Jas: 29 km and 1,550 D+/-
The 46 "Origine": 46 km and 2,050 D+/-
L'Intégrale des Crêtes (solo or 2-person relay): 72 km and 3,900 D+/-
The Paris EcoTrail (Paris 75)
The EcoTrail showcases the natural and cultural heritage of Paris, proving that major sporting events can go hand in hand with eco-responsibility. For walkers, 4 hiking and Nordic walking routes are organised across Paris, Yvelines, Val-de-Marne, and 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: "Start together, finish together!" If you think trail running is a solo sport, the Duo de l’Hermitage will change your mind! Team up with your partner and head to Tain-l’Hermitage, in the Drôme.
Date: 13-14 May 2023
Duos on Saturday 13 May
Gambert 10 km and 350m D+
Hermitage 15km and 500m D+
Duos on Sunday 14 May:
Chapelle 40km and 1 600m D+
Bergeron 13.9km and 350m D+
Crozes-Hermitage 26km and 900m D+
2-Day Challenges
Atol duo challenge: Duo Gambert + Duo Bergeron
Cimalp duo challenge: Duo Hermitage + Duo Chapelle
The Annecy Maxi-Race (Haute-Savoie 74)
Explore the mountains around Lake Annecy with routes between 16 and 90 km, solo or in teams, over 1 or 2 days.
Date: 26 to 28 May 2023
The Tour of Lake Annecy:
- Over 1 day: The MaXi-Race 87km and 4 900m D+
- Over 2 days: The XL-Race 89km and 4 900m D+
- Teams: The R-Race SEPas impossible 87km and 4900m D+
The half tour: The Marathon-Expérience 45km and 2 400m D+
The secret race: The Marathon-Race 40km and 3 300m
Le Quart de Tour: 16km and 1 000m D+
The U18 WMRA World Cup (national team selections only) and the open race: 4.6 km and 230m D+
The Oxy Trail (Paris 75)
Oxy’Trail was created in 2013 to bring people together and showcase the highlights of Paris - Vallée de la Marne. Oxy’Trail offers sport lovers three original urban-trail routes of 5, 13, and 23 km, along with Nordic walking and Oxy’jeunes races for kids.
Dates: 24 to 25 June 2023
Oxy'5 km and 73m D+
Oxy'13 km and 154m D+
Oxy’23 km and 220m D+
The EDF Pierra Menta Été (Savoie 73)
Born from the iconic ski mountaineering race, the EDF Pierra-Menta Été was established in 2015 to deliver a trail race driven by the same passion: offering a unique two-person team mountain race across the most stunning peaks of the Beaufortain in Savoie.
Dates: 30 June to 2 July 2023
70km and 7 000m D+ (3 race days 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 accessible mid-mountain courses for its 12th edition. What"s more, the views are remarkable: two suspension bridges around 200 metres above Lake Monteynard, and a 360-degree panorama of the surrounding peaks!
Date: 1 to 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 1500m D+
The Mine Express (duo): 16 km and 850m D+
Tuesday 4 July
Le 3ème Poste: 17 km and 700m D+ (Solo or 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
The Maratrail: 42 km and 2400m D+
La Grande Course: 65 km and 3,500m D+ (solo and relay x3)
The Ut4M (Isère 38)
The Ultra Tour des 4 Massifs is a must-see in your Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes race calendar. Its 11th edition features 12 races from 16 to 179 km, offering every runner—from beginner to elite—the chance to take on their own challenge. A unique tour around the Grenoble metropolitan area across 4 massifs: the Vercors, the Taillefer, Belledonne, and the Chartreuse.
Dates: 20 to 23 July 2023
Ut4M
160 Xtrem 174.6 km and 11,510 m D+
160 Challenge 179 km total over 4 stages and 11,510 m D+
100 Master 97.2 km and 5,860 m D+
80 Challenge 78.6 km across the 4 stages and 6,395 m D+ cumulative across the 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 33 years on the last weekend of July. Suitable for trail runners of all levels, several races are on offer so everyone can find their ideal challenge.
Date: 27 to 29 July 2023
The 6000D 69 km and 3, D+
The 6000D (3-person relay)
- 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+
La 6D Lacs 30km and 1 500m D+
La 6 Découverte 11km and 600m D+
La 6D Bob 1.5km and 125m D+
Tignes Trail (Savoie 73)
Tignes is ready to welcome you for the 7th edition of the Cimalp Tignes Trail. And there"s a big update this year! To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Vanoise National Park, the 44 km route becomes a 46 km course. Take the chance to run pristine trails across one of France"s most stunning national parks.
Date: 19 to 20 August 2023
Saturday 19 August, time for juniors with 3 races (0.8 km, 1.7 km, and 3 km)
Sunday 20 August, adult races across 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 in the spotlight—specifically the pristine, wild Central Pyrenees massif—through stunning high-mountain routes. The race sets off in August from the village of Vielle-Aure in Hautes-Pyrénées.
Date: 24 to 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+
The UTMB® (Haute-Savoie 74)
Created in 2003, the UTMB® (Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc) is the most iconic and prestigious trail running race in the world. 171km and 10,000 metres of positive elevation gain to circumnavigate Mont White across Italy, Switzerland, and France. A key event for trail runners worldwide, the UTMB® gathers the global trail elite and over 10,000 passionate runners in Chamonix every year to take part in one of the event's 8 races, including the UTMB World Series Finals.
Date: 28 August to 3 September 2023
The UTMB®: 171 km with approx. 10,000m D+, starting from Chamonix, max time 46:30 hrs.
PTL®: 300km with approx. 2,500m D+, starting from Chamonix, max time 152:30 hrs.
The CCC®: 100 km with approx. 6,100m D+, starting from Courmayeur, max time 26:30 hrs.
The TDS®: 145 km with approx. 9,100m D+, starting from Courmayeur, max time 44:00 hrs.
The OCC®: 56 km with approx. 3,500m D+, starting from Orsières with a 14:30 max cutoff time.
The MCC®: 40 km with approx. 2,300m D+, starting from Martigny-Combe, max time 10 hrs (exclusive to volunteers, partners, and local residents).
The ETC®: 15 km 1,200 m D+ (open to runners aged 23 and over)
The YCC®: A challenge dedicated to youth runners born between 2001 and 2009, featuring 2 events over 2 days: a trail starting from Courmayeur on Tuesday and an innovative short 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, over 7,000 trail runners from across France and around 40 countries will toe the line to take on the weekend's 10 races. Over the past 15 years, the Trail Côte d’Opale in Pas-de-Calais has become the flagship outdoor sporting event north of Paris.
Date: 9 and 10 September 2023
8km and 80m D+
13km and 190m D+
16km and 280m D+
24 km and 190m D+
12km and 130m D+
27km and 270m D+
42km and 830m D+
80km and 1,120m D+
104km and 1,300m D+
Le Trail des Templiers (Aveyron 12)
Founded in 1995, the Festival des Templiers pioneered trail running in France. Held in the Grands Causses and the iconic gorges that give these vast plateaus their majestic character—the Tarn, Jonte, and Dourbie. Today, Les Templiers offers serious racing alongside a true celebration of trail running and protected heritage. Based in Millau, the Templiers race village has become the premier hub for the trail community, driven by solidarity and nature conservation.
Date: 19 to 22 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: 35.5km and 1,420m D+
Boffi Fifty: 48.4 km and 2,300m D+
Le Marathon des Causses: 36 km and 1,640m D+
The Monna Lisa Trail: 29.7 km and 1,170m D+
Dourbie Formi: 24.6 km and 1,260m D+
The VO2 trail: 17.7 km and 700m D+
Les Troubadours: 11.4 km and 540m D+
La Templière: 7.3 km and 290m D+
The Grand Raid - La Diagonale des Fous (Réunion Island 974)
The Grand Raid is the premier ultra-trail event held on Reunion Island. It features 4 races suited to different skill levels, from the legendary Diagonale des Fous for elite runners to the Mascareignes and the Zembrocal Trail relay. The Diagonale des Fous is the most iconic race of the Grand Raid, crossing Reunion Island from south to north through the cirques of Cilaos, Salazie, and Mafate.
Date: 19 to 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+
The Mascareignes 71 km and 4,010m D+
La SaintéLyon (Rhône 69 & Loire 42)
This year marks the 69th edition of the Asics SaintéLyon, a true monument in the history of French running. The legendary night raid between Saint-Étienne and Lyon—the pioneer of ultra races—has become a genuine phenomenon and France"s biggest trail running event by participant numbers. Running through the night, surrounded by an immense sea of headlamps across the ridges of the Monts du Lyonnais, is always pure magic, whatever the winter weather throws at you.
Date: 2 to 3 December 2023
Lyon Sainté Lyon: 156 km and 4,390m D+
SaintéLyon: 78 km and 2,050m D+ (or 2, 3 or 4-runner relay)
SaintExpress: 44 km and 926m D+
SaintéSprint: 24km and 350m D+
SaintéTic: 13km and 190m D+
