Races in Nantes

Welcome to Nantes, the largest city in Loire-Atlantique and in the Pays-de-la-Loire region (and not Brittany). South of the Armorican American Massif, crossed in particular by the Loire, the Erdre and the Sèvre, the “ City of the Dukes ” offers many routes along the water that let you enjoy a unique running experience.

Let yourself be guided by following the green line drawn on the ground by Tom Hanks as part of the Voyage à Nantes, which lets you discover the city’s treasures over 8.5 km (ready to smash a record 😃?) such as the Castle of the Dukes of Boulogne Brittany (yes, it’s true, we’re not in Brittany), the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Cathedral (we were missing Jacques 🎵, oh well), the Passage Pommeraye, the Brittany Tower (we’ll say it again, we’re not in Brittany), or Place Royale.

Butte Saint-Anne, in the heart of the city, remains an unmissable Nantes spot for you if you’re looking to do a solid hill workout or climb a few stairs. Île de Nantes, connected by 13 bridges (it’s not Venice either, you know 😂) is a journey in itself with its famous Machines designed by François Delarozière, internationally recognized 🌎 and awarded as innovative tourist facilities. You don’t know about them 😱 ? It’s an exhibition and entertainment space located on a former shipyard. At the tip of the island, you can discover the Beaulieu Park for a total change of scenery, and on the other side the Hangar à Bananes (the perfect place to rehydrate after the effort, by the way) with the Buren rings.

Let’s not forget that we’re only about fifty kilometers from the Atlantic Coast and that we’re just below Brittany ☔️ ! So you’re not safe from sometimes heavy rain—don’t forget your good yellow raincoat. That’s perfect: it’s the local color, you’ll look like a real little canary! But don’t panic: winter still isn’t Siberia, and the sun shows up nicely the rest of the year ☀️.

It’s always possible to mix things up by combining culture with nature, all set in postcard-worthy landscapes. After visiting the 23 monuments, it’s time for greenery! The city offers over 1,000 hectares of green spaces (around a hundred parks in total) and will even let you travel to the ends of the earth with its Little Amazon and its Japanese Garden ! Several exceptional places to run are waiting for you, such as the Jardin des Plantes or the Parc de Procé! For interval training, we recommend Quai de la Fosse or the Saint-Félix Canal (for a shorter session).

For something more bucolic, you can absolutely visit Trentemoult, a former fishing village famous for its colorful houses—don’t forget your phone, you’ll take great photos that will dazzle your Instagram community 🤣. Nearby, Clisson in the heart of the Nantes Vineyard (pretty cool if you like running through the vines) and Oudon (not a Japanese dish) with its castle are nuggets you shouldn’t skip! For even more space, look toward Lac de Grand Lieu, about twenty kilometers south of Nantes. And if you want to feel freedom—the real kind—lengthen your stride along the Loire; if you don’t feel the fatigue, you’ll end up at the foot of the ocean liners in Saint-Nazaire 😉 !

After the warm-up, it’s race time 🤗. Because Nantes is a land of running! Ready to rack up the kilometers? The range of races is broad with the Foulées du Tram, the Nantes Marathon, the Nantes Urban Trail, the Odyssea Nantes, the Nantes Vineyard Trail. If you want to see other landscapes, sign up for the Nantes Montaigu Trail—you’ll end up in Vendée.

But don’t leave so quickly! You’ve earned a reward after all that effort and sightseeing! On the menu: Nantes duck with a piece of Curé Nantais, the city’s famous cheese. Prefer something sweet? You’ll have to live up to your reputation with berlingots and Rigolettes Nantaises, these sugar shells filled with a delicious fruit marmalade. Impossible to get hungry with that!

Verne to infinity and beyond 🚀 !