Races in Hauts-de-France

Here you are in the northernmost region of France (formerly Picardy and Nord-Pas-de-Calais, to be very precise), neighboring Belgium once and across from England, proudly represented by 5 beautiful highlights, which are the departments of Nord (59), Pas-de-Calais (62), Aisne (02), Oise (60), and the Somme (80). On the menu of this authentic and unique region: hedgerows, forests, beaches, dunes, cliffs, belfries, villages, and castles! Are you ready? Then lace up your sneakers!

Your adventure naturally begins in Lille of Reunion, known for its Grand'Place, its Belfry, its alleyways before continuing on the coast at Dunkerque (which has a rich maritime heritage) and Calais (its belfry deserves a photo). Don't take the ferry to the United Kingdom though and stay with us; there are still plenty of treasures to discover here! You can, for example, visit Douai (on the banks of the Scarpe River), Roubaix (the former industrial textile city), Arras (which offers not one, but two beautiful squares) or even Amiens (a city of art and history with its Gothic jewels like the Cathedral of Notre-Dame)! Beauvais, Soissons, Compiègne, Maubeuge, Saint-Quentin are certainly worth a visit, but it's up to you to organize your agenda to prioritize your visits, as you can't always do everything in life. One thing is sure, you absolutely must stroll through the city centers of northern towns to see the red brick houses, it's a classic of the area! To delve into the history of this region and understand its dynamics, don't hesitate to visit the Lewarde Mining History Center, simply the largest museum on the mining theme in France, or head to site no.9-9 bis.

The heritage of the area is very rich and discovering all these historical places is a sport in itself. For a combination of preparation and bucolic environment, choose the village of Gerberoy, one of the most beautiful villages in France. Small vineyard, cobbled streets: charm is not lacking. Parfondeval and its red brick houses are also an option. Then head to Senlis, its medieval city is sublime... You can also enjoy the sea air and plan some nice interval sessions between Berck, Boulogne-sur-Mer and Le Touquet. As for the castles, the list is quite charming with Esquelbecq, Pierrefonds (which offers a trail by the way, the Trail of Pierrefonds Castle) but also Chantilly. We're not talking about whipped cream even if it's a local specialty on par with maroilles. Make your choice to accompany your coffee: lightness or cheese? Don't miss a little visit to Parc Astérix to become an indomitable Gaul and check that Ordralfabétix's fish is really fresh!

The great advantage of the region for working out your calves is the richness of its landscapes, the places to train, and the often favorable climate for this type of activity. The area is rich in natural parks like Oise-Pays de France or the Caps et Marais d'Opale. On the Côte d'Opale, you can run on long sandy beaches at the foot of magnificent limestone cliffs; beware, the wind might play spoilsport. Little paradises to visit or explore for a natural warm-up. By the way, if these wonderful landscapes really appeal to you, your first race is a no-brainer: the Evancy Trail National Côte d'Opale held annually in the Pas-de-Calais. And to continue marveling, go admire (or zoom through 🏃🏻‍♀️) the Baie de Somme where dunes, marshes, and salt marshes succeed one another (you can also recover in one of the seaside resorts like Ault, Cayeux-sur-Mer, Fort-Mahon-Plage, Le Crotoy, Mers-les-Bains or Saint-Valery-sur-Somme), before reaching the Hortillonnages of Amiens and its floating gardens. The Marquenterre ornithological reserve offers 250 hectares to showcase your running skills again between marshes, dunes, and forest. You got it, practicing running in the Hauts-de-France will show you all the colors (and yes, after all, we are indeed on Henri Matisse's land).

After all these workouts, you're ready for competition, right? So, lace up your shoes and come challenge yourself in one of the many races organized across the Hauts-de-France territory.

The calendar of Trails in the Hauts de France is well filled and the settings are varied! You can embark on the Trail of the Hobbits in the forest 🌲, participate in the Transbaie — a legendary race by the sea 🌊. In the city 🏨, you can register for the Urban Trail of Lille, a true reference! More originally, you might opt for the Race of the Terrils which will let you climb the small black hills of the well-known mining operations in the region. The list goes on: the famous Evancy Trail National Côte d'Opale, the Sarrazine, the Trail of Pierrefonds Castle, etc 😁. Want to test your limits? The Ultratrails in the Hauts de France like the Grand Trail Nocturne des Hauts-de-France or the Trail of the Pyramides Noires will give you a run for your money!

A fan of road racing? Don't worry, you'll find your happiness in the list of Semi-Marathons in the Hauts de France. We can mention some unmissable events like the Route du Louvre, the International Semi-Marathon of Lille or the Semi of Phalempin. Finally, the various Marathons of the region will also meet the expectations of the bravest 😅, for instance, you can partake in the Marathon of Chantilly Castle or choose the Marathon of the Somme. We specify that this is not an exhaustive list; many more races await you in the Hauts de France 😉.

And it's not over, there are still dozens more to discover run to miss nothing of the region's riches! You'll have understood, there are all types of races and for all tastes, enough to make you happy whether it's windy or rainy (let's not forget we are in the Hauts-de-France huh Biloute 😂). And by the way, participating in these events is a great way to see the monuments you might have missed during your visits! We especially think of the Abbey of Valloires, the ruins of Saint-Bertin Abbey, or the Familistère of Guise.

To dine, order a pot of mussels and fries, a Flemish stew, and a slice of maroilles. For dessert, why not indulge in the Macaron of Amiens 😍?

If after all this you don't become a real Northerner, we'll lose our accent!