Running Races in the Basque Country

Ah, the Basque Country! If you've decided to visit for a vacation or a weekend, you've made a good choice 😍! Bayonne and Saint-Jean-de-Luz are notable towns, very popular in the summer, where many events take place throughout the year. Don't know the Basque pelota, strength contests, Basque songs, and dances? The intangible cultural heritage holds a prominent place for the Basques, who celebrate it as much as they can! Make sure to attend the Bayonne Festivals just to see. True marathons, inspired by the famous Pamplona Festivals! Hiking enthusiasts surely know the Basque Country, where the first heights of the Pyrenees begin. In the summer, thunderstorms and rain ⛈ often join the party... Better finish the hikes before 4:00 PM! Some famous hikes in the Basque Country? The "Eagle Mountain," Mondarrain, peaking at 749 meters, provides an opportunity to discover the town of Espelette and its famous chili pepper 🌶. The Holzarte Footbridge allows crossing the gorges of the same name, carved by the Olhadoko Erreka stream. Pic d'Orhy represents the highest point of the French Basque Country (2017 meters elevation) and allows observing the Bay of Biscay from its summit. Oh yes, we almost forgot, the Atlantic offers local surfers 🏄🏼 numerous spots, like the beaches of Anglet, near Biarritz. They were mentioned in our article on the 10 beaches to run in summer... The Basque Coast stretches its rocky landscapes to Bilbao in Spain. Beach and Mountain, an area to enjoy as much in summer ☀️ as in winter ❄️, ready to run in the Basque Country?!

What's the running calendar in the Basque Country? Trail, road race or walk, you'll find everything in the agenda below. Among the famous mountains of the Basque Country, we could mention the summit of La Rhune (901 meters). The Skyrhune is run there, a very popular sky race where you can meet the cream of trail runners, this event being a qualifier for the Golden Trail National Series. A rare event ends in Hendaye near the Spanish border 🇪🇸: The TransPyreneA, which offers participants the "simple" fight to cross the Pyrenees, from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic 😎. That's around 900 kilometers of course on its main event... with over 65000 meters of positive elevation gain! A point-to-point race contested over 2 weeks, which can be run as a duo. Phew, we're saved 😅! More accessible and besides a marathon and a half-marathon, the road race event of the Biarritz - Basque Country International Marathon offers a walk combining city and seaside, as well as a race for kids. Let's go, the whole family in the car!

Zorte on (good luck in Basque)!