Fast Hiking Tour – Athletic Hiking

"1 kilometer on foot, it wears, it wears, but 50 kilometers on foot, that's one hell of a hike" 🥾. We don't know whether you read it while singing, but one thing is certain: we're only telling the truth!

Hiking probably brings back childhood memories, when your parents forced you to walk all day, in the mountains or along the seaside? 🌊 Good or bad, it doesn’t matter—those are memories from the past. The new trend right now is Fast Hiking, literally “fast hiking,” which sets the tone for the discipline pretty well 😌. Like many sports, hiking hit a glass ceiling a few years ago, with an average number of participants stagnating and a lack of novelty 👀. So, with the aim of revitalizing the sport, reinventing the rules of the game, and adding challenge to the effort, the term Fast Hiking 🚶 was born. The concept is simple: a finish line, more competition, and effort management taken up a notch. And to accomplish it all? As much time as necessary 😮‍💨. Here, the goal is to cross the finish line while soaking up the landscapes and fully living the experience!

If you’re a seasoned fan of outdoor and endurance disciplines, you’re probably drawing a link with trail running or ultra-trail, but don’t be mistaken: this is much more about athletic hiking than slow running 🏃. The aim isn’t to run faster than others. Above all, you need to feel the effort, choose your pace, learn to navigate, and progress at your own rhythm ✅. Your real opponent is none other than the terrain, alternating between mountains, forest, countryside, city and seaside, to discover nature in all its forms. And trust us, it’s not always easy to tame 🥵.

But the territory we’re especially interested in here is that of a famous tricolor rooster: France 🇫🇷. It may seem logical given that FFRandonnée oversees the circuit, but a little reminder never hurt anyone ‼️. We’re talking here about the Fast Hiking Tour, i.e., the conglomerate of the most famous events of its kind in the country. From Puyvalador to Pollionnay, via Berthen, Sorède or Morbier, you’re going to be taken through landscapes you absolutely have to see at least once in your life 🤩. To start the season off right, head North, to Hauts-de-France. The Open de Fast Hiking Monts de Flandre is waiting for you in mid-April with two hikes of 8 and 16 km. It’s ideal to kick off your season without flirting with injury: you ease back into it gently, just before a summer that looks packed with events 😈. In July-August, there’s no time to slack off—we tackle the first batch of difficulties. The Open Fast Hiking Puyvalador and the Open Fast Hiking Vielle-Aure let you stretch your legs on trails shared between forests and mountains 🏔️.

For the second part of the program, shift your attention to the months of September, October and November. You can even choose among the region that interests you most: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Occitanie or Bourgogne-Franche-Comté—local culinary specialties can guide you too 🤤. More into melty cheese or a succulent cassoulet? Your taste buds will be as delighted as your eyes 👁️. La Trace 6/46 starts in Morbier in September, a few days before the back-to-school period, to recapture that feeling of extended vacation. The 15 and 21 km options let you set off in a more discovery or intensive mood, depending on what you feel like 🧘. The Open Fast Hiking de Pollionnay follows in October, and one month before the Christmas holidays, it’s the Open Fast Hiking Sorède that comes to close the season 🏁. Here’s our calendar right on time, but we recommend staying tuned—the discipline is booming and many more events may emerge 💥. Sport hiker, Nordic walker, or tired trail runner, the Fast Hiking Tour is waiting for you!

One last argument in case you’re still lacking motivation: Fast Hiking is a responsible practice 🌱. Respect for what surrounds you matters just as much as your performance 😉. In short, the true champion is above all the one who leaves no trace behind. So, ready to become a professional Fast Hiker 😎.