National Trail Challenge

The National Trail Challenge is the surprise you didn't expect! The FFA (French Athletics Federation) has set up a new series of 11 races 🏃‍♂️ to rank the best runners in mainland France 🇫🇷. Among the chosen events, those from the Trail Tour National are on the list ✅. Bonus! The top 5 in the standings will receive a prize money award! 💵

On the menu: 6 long trails and 6 short trails, located throughout France, passing by Brittany, Savoie, the Grand Est, Provence, and many more places… 🗺️ An opportunity that everyone will be able to seize! The FFA aims to increase the number of official trails in the country, to achieve better geographical distribution of races that qualify for the French Championship 🏆. The goal is also to reduce a certain environmental impact by limiting unnecessary travel abroad! 🌱 To get ranked, you must participate in at least 1 race in each of the following three types of terrains : high mountains 🏔️, plains 🌾 and mid-mountains ⛰️.

Here are some of the proposed races and their themes:

IN THE PLAINS: 

(Photo Credit: Le Tour du Nipalou)

• The Trail of the Emerald Coast in Saint-Malo (Ille-et-Vilaine), in September
• The Roquefortrail in Roquefort-la-Bédoule (Bouches-du-Rhône), in November
• The Trail of Chambon in Eymouthiers (Charente), in November
• The Soli'Trail of Bouliac in Bouliac (Gironde), in December

IN THE MID-MOUNTAINS: 

(Photo Credit: Le Tour du Nipalou)

• The Tour du Nipalou in Lorcières (Cantal), in October
• The Trail of Fontfroide in Narbonne (Aude), in March
• La Sarladaise in Sarlat-la-Canéda (Dordogne), in June

IN THE HIGH MOUNTAINS:

(Photo Credit: Méribel Trail)

• The Aymon Trail in Bogny-sur-Meuse (Ardennes), in February
• The Chaussée des Géants in Thueyts (Ardèche), in June
• The 6000D La Plagne in Mâcot-la-Plagne (Savoie), in August
• The Méribel Trail in Méribel (Savoie), in August

Note that there will be no difference in rankings between the categories "Espoir", "Senior/Master" and "Team" 👥. It is also not possible to compete in this challenge if you do not hold an up-to-date FFA competition license "competition" (current, of course 😎). Obviously, this rule does not prevent you from participating in the race ✌️. You will simply not be ranked in the National Trail Challenge 🤷‍♂️.

There will be a distinction in prizes between "long trails" and "short trails", but the amounts won remain the same for both distances. Here is a small preview of the prizes 💰, based on the results:

• 1st man and 1st woman: €6,000
• 2nd man and 2nd woman: €4,000
• 3rd man and 3rd woman: €3,000
• 4th man and 4th woman: €2,000
• 5th man and 5th woman: €1,000

So, if your thirst for a new challenge has awakened ⚡, all that's left for you to do is participate! 🔥