Races in Grenoble

All roads lead to Rome Grenoble, just a stone’s throw from Switzerland, Italy, Lyon, or even the sea (some even claim they’ve already seen it from the top of Chamrousse 🤣). Welcome to the Capital of the Alps, Grenoble! And you’ll see, around here it’s tchoukar!

Summer will be hot, winter will be cold—pretty much the Grenoble life. But when it comes to scenery, we’re sure you’ll never get tired of it. Let’s start with a bit of geography, Jamy-style. You’ll find yourself surrounded by no fewer than 4 Alpine massifs: Belledonne, Chartreuse Taillefer, and Vercors, with peaks as famous for their winter sports resorts as for the legendary finishes of the Tour de France: Alpe d'Huez, Villard de Lans, or the 2 Alpes. Plenty to treat yourself to some great outings in the great outdoors that will delight the seasoned trail runner sleeping inside you.

On the agenda for your Grenoble getaway: valleys, surrounding forests and rivers, with snow-capped mountains as your backdrop. Because yes, to come to Grenoble you need a good pair of... skis, or running shoes. A true trail-running land, you’re going to love running the slopes, the roads, the trails that the city and its surroundings have to offer.

Like any self-respecting Grenoblois, we’ll meet you in front of Fnac - Victor Hugo (VH for insiders). Just nearby lies the historic heart of the city with Place Victor-Hugo and its fountain. Then head to one of the city’s most famous squares—if not the locals’ favorite—lined with cafés, bars and all kinds of shops: Place Grenette! It’s the perfect spot for a leisurely stroll, lulled by the water flowing from the Lavalette Water Tower, this impressive fountain made of Sassenage stone.

Grenoble also boasts a rich historical and cultural heritage, headlined by the Fort de la Bastille, a former 19th-century military base that has become the city’s main attraction today. Either you take the easy way with the cable car, more commonly known as "the bubbles", or, like any self-respecting Finisher, you climb up on your own two legs 😅! Your effort won’t be in vain, because once at the top, the panorama will leave you speechless, with a view over the entire city. And there’s nothing better, for an athlete, than clearing your mind: the Grenoble Museum and its many works of art from all over the world, or the Museum of the Resistance and Deportation of Isère, will make you unbeatable on the department’s historical facts. You can also wander through the picturesque alleyways of the old town and cross the Isère via the Saint-Laurent footbridge, built in 1837 to replace the city’s oldest bridge, originally constructed in the 11th century. That’s it for the historical side! Then continue your journey toward the square by the Cathedral of Our Lady of Grenoble to admire its Romanesque and Gothic style—construction began in the 10th century and ended only... 9 centuries later! Sometimes you just have to take your time 😚.

Nature spots more your thing? Don’t worry, be happy we’ve got what you need with the City Garden (not huge, admittedly) and its centuries-old trees, and the Parc Paul Mistral (PPM), offering 21 hectares of greenery to lengthen your stride—this is the city’s green lung 🌳! Keep your eyes open: with a bit of luck, you might run into Mister V 🤷‍♂️!

To miss nothing of the city, the best thing is to sign up for one of Grenoble’s races! And you’ll have plenty to choose from. If you’re a fan of point-to-point races, line up for Grenoble-Vizille. If you want to work as a team, the Grenoble Ekiden is the one you need. To mix things up, you can also take off on the Grenoble Urban Cross. And it’s not over—you can also take part in a great Grenoble trail with UT4M, a regional classic 👌.

But running isn’t everything in life (if that’s true, there are other sports...). Here, GF38 and FCG Rugby welcome you at the Stade des Alpes. Want to cool off during long, hot Grenoble summers? Then head to Pôle Sud, the huge ice rink that hosts the Brûleurs de Loups hockey players 🏒.

Grenoble is also something to savor, and the city has nothing to envy its Lyonnais friends when it comes to gastronomy. Grenoble walnuts, Croziflette, Gratin Dauphinois, and Dauphiné ravioli for main dishes. For desserts, we treat you to Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage and Saint-Marcellin, and since every good meal ends with a digestif, here it’s Chartreuse and génépi (one at a time, of course). 🥃

On the land of Stendhal, write your story too. Grenoble, a sports city par excellence, offers you an exceptional setting for running.