Trails in the Lot

The Lot is a bit like a good goat cheese; dry on the outside but tender on the inside. With an area of 5,217 km², the department offers you an astonishing variety of landscapes for your nature run. You'll love treading the trails of the Causses du Quercy Regional Natural Park, an immense limestone plateau where pubescent oaks and dry lawns will make you feel like you're running in the deep south 🌳. Don’t be surprised if you pass by gaping holes, as the ground here is like a giant Swiss cheese. The most famous, of course, is the Gouffre de Padirac, a monumental natural cavity plunging 103 meters deep, the perfect place to test your vertigo before climbing back up 🦇. The climate is quite mild, with hot summers that make the cicadas sing and mild winters, perfect for running all year without freezing ❄️. It's the ideal environment to work on your proprioception on rocky paths that require constant vigilance 👀.

Running here is also a journey through time. You can't come to the Lot without greeting the Valentré Bridge in Cahors, a fortified medieval structure classified by UNESCO. Legend has it that the architect made a pact with the Devil to finish it, so if you smell sulfur at the 30th kilometer, don't worry, it's normal 😈. You will also have to tackle the sacred elevation of Rocamadour, the vertiginous city clinging to its cliff like a limpet on a rock. Climbing the 216 steps of the Great Pilgrims' Staircase at a run is the ultimate test to validate your physical preparation ⛪. In Figeac, birthplace of Champollion, try deciphering your split times as he deciphered the hieroglyphs on the Rosetta Stone 📜. And if you hear a local shout "Adiu!" or talk about a "drôle" to refer to a child, it's because Occitan still sings in the Quercy valleys 🗣️.

After the effort, comfort is not an option here, it's a religion. The cuisine of the Lot is made for epicureans, with the black truffle of Quercy topping the list, the "black diamond," which you unfortunately won't find at the aid station 🍄. However, you can restore yourself with a good melty Rocamadour or a slice of pastis (the cake, not the anise), all washed down, in moderation, with a glass of Cahors black wine, renowned since the Middle Ages for reinvigorating tired bodies 🍷. Sportingly, keep an eye on the trail calendar because it's packed. We can't miss mentioning the Ultra Trail Causses & Vallées, the main event crossing the most beautiful spots in the department, or the Trail des Fontaines which will introduce you to the local hydraulic heritage 💧. If you love vineyards, the grand trail des cadourques is for you, while the Trail de l'Aqueduc will offer you a lesson in Roman history while you run. Finally, the Urban Trail de Cahors will allow you to visit the prefecture in a fun and intense way 🏙️.

A race in the Lot guarantees a moment of pure conviviality, far from the stress of big metropolises, with volunteers who have hearts of gold. Come on, choose your next race below and show us what you're made of! 👇