Running events France

You leave your competitive spirit in the changing rooms and enjoy the pleasure of running at night with friends in an ultra friendly atmosphere under the encouragement of a host of supporters. This night march organized by the city's fire brigade takes you to discover Reims by Night! On the program, an 8 km course consisting of two 4 km loops in the heart of the Cité des Sacres in the footsteps of the kings of France. The departure is from Notre-Dame Cathedral, the site of the coronation of the French rulers, to the Basilica of Saint-Rémi, where Clovis was baptized, and back along the banks of the Marne Canal. The price is 12 € for pre-registration, 17 € on site.

The Jules Verne has become the flagship event for all joggers (Sunday or more experienced) and enjoys great popularity. The race is open and accessible to all and offers courses in the city centre. The atmosphere is always guaranteed. The roads are blocked for the occasion and the town fills up with running enthusiasts for a day. A mixed 5 km or 10 km men and women are waiting for you. These last distances are qualifying for the French championships, so you will be able to compete with very good athletes. Even children can try their hand at a 1 km course with "La Petite Jules Verne". Everyone has his own challenge!

This event organized by the Niderviller firefighters' association celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2024. The race covers 12 km, mainly between the Marne-Rhine canal and the local forest. The original feature of this event is that it takes place at night, with a 9.30pm start from the Complexe de Salles in Niderviller. Participants must be equipped with a headlamp. Accompanying persons, families and friends can enjoy refreshments on site, including refreshment stands, pizza-flams, grills and cakes. A DJ will provide entertainment.

The first CH'Vandier trail in Saint-Quirin took place in 2023, as part of the village fête. Organized by the Saint-Quirin firefighters' association, the trail took place over a hilly, rugged 12km course, with a positive vertical drop of 325m. The second version takes place in a semi-nocturnal format, starting near the Saint-Quirin pond at 6:30 p.m., on a 14.5 km course with a 425 m vertical drop. Open to athletes born in 2006 and earlier. Refreshments and catering on site. Fireworks at 10pm.

On June 18, the commune of Mignerette is organizing the 10 km de Mignerette, a friendly running event for around a hundred participants, to be held in the village in the morning. On the program: two road races of 5 km with no elevation gain (at 10.30 a.m.) and 10 km (at 9.30 a.m.) for the most hardy, between country lanes, woods and river banks. Children won't be outdone, either, with a short three-kilometer course dedicated to them. Prizes will be awarded to all athletes.

Difficulty: medium.

Meeting point: Place de la Mairie, Mignerette. Starts at 9.30 a.m. and 10 a.m.

Other practical information: all non-licensed participants must bring a medical certificate stating that they are not contraindicated in competitive running.

It's one of the major sporting events in the Val Parisis conurbation. Unique in its route and organization, the Trail des Châtaignes takes place on the Buttes du Parisis, with several routes passing through the unique heritage of the Fort de Cormeilles, all in a forest and natural environment. In 2023, several distances were proposed, from 11 to 48 kilometers, including a duo race if you wish to run with your dog, as well as a night-time proposition. Very well organized, the trail is a well-deserved success.

It's a ritual event for athletes from Saint-Leu and beyond, and the 20th edition will take place in 2025. La course des coteaux is a multi-faceted event. In fact, there are no fewer than 4 courses on offer. Adults can choose between two distances: 5 and 10 kilometers. For children, a 1-kilometre "d'éveil" race, and a 2.2-kilometre "benjamins" and "minimes" race see hundreds of youngsters take to the track in full stride! Be warned, the gradient can be surprisingly steep!

The IRONMAN 70.3 du pays d'Aix is the only French competition over the Ironman distance to qualify for the world championships. It attracts 2,500 competitors, including many foreign triathletes (some 50 nationalities). The Aix competition, created in 2011, starts with a 1.9 km swim at Lac du Plantain in Peyrolles, followed by a 90 km bike ride through the Aix countryside and a 21.1 km half-marathon, finishing in the city's narrow streets and Parc de la Torse. The course is divided into three 7 km loops, with a finish on Cours Mirabeau. The event also includes the Irongirl, a running event for women aged 15 and over, and the Ironkids for children.

A newcomer to the running scene (^1st held in Aix in 2018), the Bacchantes race raises funds to fight male cancers, particularly prostate cancer. A portion is donated to the French Urology Association. Runners, whether male or female, are required to wear a moustache (natural, glued or drawn) and set off on an 8 km run through the historic center and up to the Parc de la Torse. You can also make it a corporate challenge, by mobilizing a team of employees. A special HPP (Hôpital privé de Provence) prize for the biggest fund-raiser, and a time challenge for the fastest time.

Once again this year, the Rennes Green Marathon takes place on a course that is 100% urban, 100% Rennes, just like all six events that make up this annual two-day event. The marathon, of course, but also a 5 km women's race, a relay marathon, a duo marathon, a 10 km race and a 5 km family walk at night. There's something for everyone, and challenge-seekers won't be outdone: on the marathon section of the old course, 10% of runners finished in under 3 hours! Previously taking in the city's northern districts, this 100% urban approach is the result of the ecological aspirations that have been at the heart of this sporting event since its creation in 2011. In ten years, over a million trees have been planted in partnership with the Yves Rocher Foundation.

The Vannes Marathon is not 1, but 4 sporting events. 1 marathon of 42,195 km very exactly with 2000 participants. 1 duet race, the "Duo de l'Hermine", one partner starting for 19 km, the other for 23 km, with 700 teams. 1 race of 10 km, "Les foulées du golfe", with 2000 runners. 1 company relay, in 9 km, 10 km, 12 km and 11 km, for 300 teams. The proposed circuits are among the most beautiful running circuits in the world, thanks to the itineraries that follow the coastal paths of the Gulf of Morbihan.

For more than sixty years, the Volvic cross-country race has brought together runners from all walks of life, of all ages and from many countries. The different editions attract more than 1 500 registered runners. Organized by the Stade Clermontois Athlétisme, the cross-country race starts and finishes on the site of the Volvic spring. It brings together three very different courses, from the short to the long loop. This last one has a strong difference in level! Around the race, the event offers a relay race for families, initiations to Nordic walking, animations for children, and the cross-country fitness and health village. Put on your sneakers and embark on the adventure this year!

In April, the Nantes Marathon des Ormeaux invites you to challenge yourself over 42.195 km through the city's architectural gems. Iconic landmarks such as Place Graslin, the château, the cathedral and Place Royale line the route. You'll follow the banks of the Erdre and Loire rivers. The route crosses the Parc de Procé, the Jardin des Plantes and the Machines de l'Île site. Three other events are also on offer: the Foulées de l'éléphant by Decathlon, the half-marathon, and the Marathon Relais, reserved for companies.

A spectacular setting for a spectacular race. The Xtrem version of the triathlon is indeed a crazy sport designed for sharp athletes. An outdoor sport that combines swimming (with a night start in the middle of the lake and a 3.8 km crossing), cycling for 180 km with 5 passes to climb and running with a nice marathon to finish in beauty and effort at the top of the Semnoz for the "Top Finishers" and on the esplanade of the lake in Saint-Jorioz for those who will be "out of time"... 250 places available for ultra-motivated athletes! More "accessible" versions with the AlpsMan Half Triathlon, Xperience Trirace and the AlpsKid. Challenges to share.

Another race that brings people together on the island, other than the famous Foulées du Gois, is the Trail de Barbâtre. For the record, on the island of Noirmoutier, the commune of Barbâtre is linked to the mainland by the famous Passage du Gois. The program includes three main races between dunes, forests and beach, a 21 km trail with 150 m D+, a 14 km loop with 100 m D+ and a 2 loop of 7 km accessible to all. 2 kids' races of 1 and 2 km complete the day. Start and finish at Place du Marché. License or medical certificate required.

It's one of the best-known races in the department: at the end of August, hundreds of runners gather on the immense beach of Agon-Coutainville, ready to rush across the sand. In addition to the difficulty of running on ground that's not always stable, facing the elements, including the wind, is another challenge! Several races are offered, with distances ranging from 7 to 20 kilometers. Guaranteed atmosphere and professional organization are just some of the advantages that encourage many amateurs to try this unique experience.

See the city as you've never seen it before! The urban trail was invented in Lyon, a style of running that has spread to other cities, which have become, for a weekend, special running grounds. With its marked relief (we are talking about a difference in altitude of 1,400 m and 6,000 steps for the 37 km, the main event reserved for a maximum of 1,000 runners), Lyon is the ideal city to welcome the best trailers and beginners (from the 8 km to the 37 km, without forgetting the 12 km rando). Always the same advice: register early (as early as December for a spring edition), because the participants are jostling each other at the starting gate.

A nature race close to the sea, and even partly in the sea! At the end of July, the Run starts in Saint-Vaast and invites you to run 8 km, including the tour of the island of Tatihou. Specificity: the sea rises quickly and, if your feet are dry (or almost) on the way out, it is on the way back that the tidal range makes you run in several tens of centimeters of water. An unusual event that brings together athletes, the curious and enthusiasts.

This race against the rising tide is a challenge against a unique site: Le Gois and its cobblestones. Created in 1987, this unique event remains a benchmark, bringing together 2,000 national and international runners. The Race des As, a major event, brings together the elite of international marathon running. It is preceded by popular races open to all on the open road. An incomparable opportunity to defy the elements. Athletes must conquer the sea through waves, crosswinds and currents. Since 2022, a new ebb-tide race.

Every year, the "La Cherbourgeoise" race takes place as part of the "Femmes dans la Ville" festival. The race, which serves as a fitting climax to a week of festivities, is aimed at women, who usually wear pink as a tribute to the fight against cancer. This is only to be expected, since the registration fees for the event are donated to the fight against this disease. The course is relatively short, and there's no competitive spirit here: we celebrate the pleasure of being together!

The surroundings of the Poitevin Marsh are ideal for boat walks, cycling and hiking. We know that and we appreciate it. What we know a little less is that over the last five years, the maraîchins paths have been welcoming long-distance runners once a year. The Maraisthon association is organising an eco-marathon. In other words, a 42,195 km race organized in a sustainable development approach around the beautiful village of Coulon. Signalétique, bags, gobelets and other banners are designed in natural, recyclable and biodegradable materials. Assistance to runners during the test - the tests since a 10 km is also proposed - is also provided by electric vehicles. The customers, snacks and lots provided to the participants are organic. And of course, the selective sorting and cleaning of the course. In short, if you want to take part in a 100% nature-respectful test, it is at the Maraisthon that you need to go.

This green trail crosses sumptuous panoramas in the heart of the Bièvre valley, between the county of Dabo and the priory of Saint-Quirin, between the Zorn and the Red Saar. Walscheid is an exceptional playground for trail running, with magnificent courses of every difficulty, from the easiest to the most technical. The Walscheid trail is a great opportunity to discover this area, where Moselle's highest peak, the Grossmann, is enthroned. Walscheid is known as an authentic and friendly trail, with races for everyone.