24 Hours of the Ardanavy 2026

Ready to Navy-gate between performance, endurance and competition? 😎 In Urt, in the splendid landscapes of the southwest of France, the local Firefighters’ Association has a challenge in store for you that you won’t soon forget 💭. 

Will you make it through? That’s the question that will keep running through your head during these 24 hours of racing. The 24h de l’Ardanavy event starts in September, as the heavy heat of summer fades 🥵. That way, there’s no risk of the engine catching fire during the effort 😳. The crispness of autumn will be back and will allow you to “ start again, twelve times ,” as the organizers’ motto suggests. You’ll follow the course of the Ardanavy with an elevation gain of 50 to 80 mD+ per loop, and each return to the start corral will be a real boost of energy ⚡️, between snacks and cheers 📣. After all, firefighters are known for bringing the vibes and pushing each other upward ⬆️.

The concept is pretty simple: run 12 loops of 7.5 km in 24 hours. You have two hours to complete each loop 🔁. You tell yourself that 7.5 km in two hours should be doable. Sure—but what about repeating the feat 12 times in a row? 👀 The concept is that of a backyard, but revisited to make it more accessible—no need to run all weekend to make the podium, 24 hours will be enough (and between us, that’s already more than enough 😂). In the end, being able to mobilize at any hour of the day is a bit like what firefighters experience during their shift, and here you can get a feel for it 💪. Luckily for you, since this is a fun event, you can share your shift if you want and do the course in a joëlette. The most supportive can therefore share their adventure as a team of 8 and create magical memories ✨. Finally, to make the ranking as fair as possible, all finishers who complete the 90 km of running will be ranked according to their average across the 12 lap times. No way to save yourself on laps 9, 10 and 11 and go all-out on the 12th—you’ll need to be consistent and enduring 🔥. So, ready to take your shift? 👩‍🚒

But the 24h de l’Ardanavy isn’t just a race for performance or a sporting event 🏃. It’s a true immersion in the great outdoors. The trails run along the riverbank, cross the surrounding fields, and will give you the feeling that summer holidays are still going on 🤩. The Ardanavy is a tributary of the Adour, which means that if you keep following the bank, you’ll end up with your feet in the Atlantic Ocean 🐟. Yes, everything is connected. A bit like the Basque Country, the Landes and the gastronomy too 🤤. Bayonne ham, veal axoa, cured meats, sheep’s cheese or Espelette pepper—we could name a hundred recipes that already make us want to head for the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region 💨. And even if you might miss the last ferias of Dax or Mont-de-Marsan by a few weeks 📅, know that there’s no season for an ice-cold beer on a terrace—so don’t hold back 😉. If you’re a real superhuman and the effort calls you again, you can also take the opportunity to surf the incredible spots of Anglet, Biarritz, or the entire Basque coast 🏄. And why not finish in Spain? The border is only a few dozen minutes away by car 🚘.

Our last little piece of advice? A good night’s sleep beforehand and a well-charged watch will get you to the finish 🏁.