Ultratrails in Occitanie

A region rich in history ⏳

From a historical point of view, the name was born from the fusion of the two former territories of " Languedoc-Roussillon " and " Midi-Pyrénées ". After several months of deliberation, the term " Occitanie " emerged and is complemented by a red 🔴 and yellow 🟡 logo, with a cross drawn in the center. Geographically, it's a blend of hilly landscapes, mountains, and a vast Mediterranean coastline. You can find a whole floral ecosystem gathered in one place and alternate between sunbathing and hiking. Located between the South-West and the South-East of France, it benefits from the culinary influences 🍝 of these two neighboring regions, Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in addition to having its own specialties. Halfway between duck and aïoli, you'll have a wide choice of tasting 🦆. But all that is very theoretical, and we're more into concrete than magret. Let's talk ultra-trail 😈 

Trail yes, but harder... 🥵

Here's a slight recap, just in case you have a memory lapse 🧠. The ultra-trail is a term usually given to trails over 80 km. Typically, they also have a significant elevation gain (otherwise, it would be too easy 😅). Needless to say, if you're just starting out in trail running, the ultra is not for you yet ❌. Just like the trail, the race takes place in a natural environment (forest, plain & mountain) and allows you to explore a territory with only your legs for support 🦵. The practice has developed significantly in the 2000s-2010s, and more and more athletes are now participating in this type of distance. The names of Kilian Jornet, Baptiste Chassagne, Mathieu Blanchard or Courtney Dauwalter are among the most famous. The 4 most renowned races of this type are The Ultra Trail of Mont Blanc (UTMB), The Grand Raid of Réunion, The Western States 100 and The Hardrock 100. These races are the Holy Grail of ultra-trail, and we're talking more like 160 km than 80 km (and yes, your calculations are correct, that's twice as much 😓). We don't know about you, but just talking about it makes us tired 🛌. The worst part is they take less than 48 hours to complete it ⚔️... But let's not get sidetracked, and see what ultra-trail looks like in Occitanie.

A prime playground 🏔️

With its numerous departments (13 to be precise 🧐) listed in alphabetical order here: 👉 Ariège (09), Aude (11), Aveyron (12), Gard (30), Haute-Garonne (31), Gers (32), Hérault (34), Lot (46), Lozère (48), Hautes-Pyrénées (65), Pyrénées-Orientales (66), Tarn (81), and Tarn-et-Garonne (82); Occitanie offers abundant choices in terms of routes. If you want to follow the Mediterranean coastline for many kilometers: it's possible ✅. If you want to tackle the Pyrenean massifs, to the West or East: that's also possible. And if you want to combine both by frolicking in the mountains with a sea view 🌊: of course it's possible! All in a unique Occitan atmosphere. You'll discover why they say that southerners are warm and party-goers. Between the start and finish, you'll cover the kilometers supported by the cheers of crazy locals 🤪.

The 3 must-visit places 🌅

The second-largest region in mainland France 🇫🇷, it is home to tons of wonders waiting to be discovered. As good friends, we've got your back and selected three iconic places you must visit if you want to claim you've toured Occitanie 😉.

• The famous Cité de Carcassonne 🏰. This place, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the 1990s, will take you back to ancient times. Like Marty McFly, you'll trade the DeLorean 🏎️ for a good pair of sneakers 👟. This medieval village has now developed significantly around tourism, and you can observe fortifications including 3 km of ramparts and more than fifty well-maintained towers 🧽. It is also a strategic point located near the Corbières Nature Park. You can easily get there if you wish to extend your stay with a bit of hiking or nature walks 🌱.
• Montpellier and its beach surroundings. For beach and sun enthusiasts, this is the sought-after destination. The Occitan coast stretches from Montpellier to Argelès-sur-Mer and its famous Côte Vermeille. So you have plenty of walking, enjoying the sun ☀️, and lots of room to lay your towel 🏖️.
• Toulouse and its student life 🧑‍🎓. You've surely heard of this little modern city in the south of France. Not so little, it became in 2025 the third most populous city in France 🥉, overtaking the splendid capital of Gaules (Lyon). Constantly bathed in sunshine, it's a pleasant place to live where inhabitants take it easy all year round 😎. Join them for a weekend or a week, and make sure to explore its numerous historic and cultural sites 🏛️. The Capitole, the Pont-Neuf, and the Couvent des Jacobins, you'll return enriched from these few days in the region. And if you want to blend in perfectly, don't forget the most important thing: Toulouse is the land of the chocolatine 🥐.

A place conducive to practice 🏃

Ideal for trail running, ultra-trail, and all outdoor sports practices in general 💨 (cyclosportive, gravel, triathlon 🏊, hiking, climbing...), Occitanie combines breathtaking landscapes and significant elevation gain. The rivers 💦 and streams that flow through it have eroded the rock over centuries, giving birth to natural wonders such as the Gorges du Tarn, Gorges de l'Hérault, and Gorges du Gardon 🪨. The organizers of the Tour de France have long since discovered the environmental potential of the region and regularly host several stages there. But here, we're not talking about biking 🚴, and as everywhere in the world, trail running is also growing in France. Our flagship region is no exception to the rule, and the hiking trails have multiplied in the area 👌.

Varied offerings 😎

Whatever your desire may be (especially if you want to run more than 80 km 🔥), you'll find what you're looking for in the beautiful Occitan region. Furthermore, most of the ultra-trails highlighted on this page offer other shorter distances, varying according to the events, which allow registering the rest of the family or your somewhat reluctant friends to start an ultra 🤝. No one will have an excuse not to accompany you on your journey. To start, we can tell you about the very famous Festival des Templiers, which concludes in Millau, in Aveyron 🌉. In its category, it is a must. The variety of courses offered (more than 10 courses ranging from 4 km to 106 km) allows you to come every year and aim a little higher each time 😎. If you start from the bottom, the build-up might take you 10 good years, so be sure to have some time ahead 😬. Similarly, you can also consider the Grand Raid des Cathares and the Festatrail which offer respectively 6 and 7 courses in a natural setting, ranging from ten kilometers to more than a hundred kilometers (and even 161 km for the longest course of the Grand Raid des Cathares 😳). If you're looking for distances with round numbers (for example for Strava stats, just saying 👀), the Grand Raid des Pyrénées held every year in August in Hautes-Pyrénées has what you need. Courses of 40 km, 50 km, 60 km, 80 km, 120 km, and 160 km are available, solo or relay, and will let you discover the famous Tourmalet, the Pic du Midi de Bigorre, and the Massif du Néouvielle. Finally, if you're looking to challenge yourself against the best international athletes 🌍, and set a record on a known distance, the 100 Miles Sud de France is perfect for you 🫵.

And crossover disciplines 🚦

Finally, to make the effort less monotonous, ultra-trail can also be combined with other sports practices: Paddle or Mountain Biking, choose your pair 🃏. In the first case, it's the Tarn Water Race that offers this rather original challenge. You can choose between a run & paddle course (the one with paddles, not rackets 🤦), or an 80 km Paddle 🛶 course with a little 1.5 km race. So yes, it's not much running, but if you want to diversify and try an ultra-paddle, you're in the right place. The advantage of paddleboarding is you can even cool off during the effort 🧊. The second challenge, relatively extreme, is the Ultra Trail Causses and Vallées. Rightfully, the organizers named it the "Xtrem Challenge". More than 90 km of running is already enormous, but add 200 km of mountain biking and you get the route of this crazy trail 😤. By the end of the weekend, you'll know Cahors and its surroundings like the back of your hand 👍.

Well, we think we've given a nice overview of what's best in Occitanie when it comes to Ultra-trail. And if you still have questions, the best is to see for yourself, we assure you won't be disappointed 😝.