Beaver Trail 2027

Challenge, idyllic landscapes and originality: the Beaver Trail (the Trail Castor in French 🦫) ticks all the boxes. Why that name? Because this super cute and intriguing little animal lives along the banks of the Gardon gorges 🏞️. And what does that have to do with us? Well, because the race takes place in Poulx, a small town in the Gard department, in the Occitanie region 🌞. Located near Nîmes, this small town has far more to show than its name suggests! 😜 It boasts, in particular, a remarkable natural heritage with three Natura 2000 sites and two natural areas of ecological interest for fauna and flora 🪻. That’s quite something! Your setting will therefore be more than perfect for running one of the 6 distances offered: an 80 km, a 50 km, a 28 km, an 18 km and a 9 km trail and a hike of 10 km 😏.

These 6 courses are perfect for you and your running buddies—there’s something for every taste and every level. You can choose the “Ti' Beaver” race of 9 km and 210 mD+, the “Beaver Discovery” of 18 km and 650 mD+, the “Beaver Advanced” trail of 28 km and 1,000 mD+, the “Beaver Intense” trail of 50 km and 1,800 mD+ (if you’re really feeling strong 😅), or the “Beaver Trail Peï” of 77.5 km and 2,600 mD+ for the lug-sole fanatics 👟. The Pink October hike, for its part, offers a leg-stretcher over 10 km and 150 mD+, and also to donate the full amount of registration fees to the League Against Cancer 🎗️. You’re spoiled for choice! Make up your mind and come run and enjoy yourself under the gentle October sun 🤗. And if you thought the charitable aspect of the event was the icing on the cake 🍰, you’d be wrong! Indeed, the 28 km and 50 km courses will earn you 1 and 2 valuable ITRA points respectively and are UTMB World Series Qualifiers. As you can imagine, that means the routes are very technical—you need preparation! 💪

In addition, the 50 km trail counts toward the standings of the long trails in the Challenge Gardois des Trails, and the 28 km toward those of the short races. The Beaver Trail is the penultimate stage of this challenge, which includes 10 races in total ! 🤓 So now’s the time to give it everything to rack up as many points as possible 🏆. The final stage of the challenge will be the Hivernatrail in December! ❄️

Be sure to bring something to cool off, because the course will raise the temperature 🥵. The technicality and difficulty will POUsh you to stay alert ⚠️. The Gardon, for its part, will accompany you during your effort, to quench your thirst and treat your eyes 😍. The advantage of these routes is that you’ll never get bored—there’s so much to GARDe at 😉. First at your feet, with sand, rocks 🪨, paths or scree, you’ll be treated to a very changing and challenging terrain. The scenery on offer is absolutely enticing 😼. A passage by the majestic Pont du Gard (twice), ruins, riverside paths 💧, cave crossings… In short, you’ll go from surprise to surprise while keeping an eye on the Cévennes and Mont Ventoux during your run ⛰️. Depending on the race, you’ll also pass through Cabrières, Lédenon, Sernhac, as well as other historic monuments such as the Hermitage chapel ⛪ or the medieval castle 🏰. If you like steep paths in wild nature, this race is made for you!

After drinking your complimentary beer at the end of your race 🍺, a relaxing swim in the Gardon is not to be refused—watch out for the crocs! 🐊 You can also enjoy the excellent atmosphere, the friendliness 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦, the generosity and the kindness of the volunteers 🤝. The crocodile is the emblem of Nîmes, just a few strides away 🏃‍♂️—a chance for you to discover the “French Rome” 🏛️. Otherwise, you can head over to Uzès to visit its castle and stroll through the historic streets of the town 🤩. Take the opportunity to taste a few specialties such as croquants or Nîmes-style cod brandade 🐟.

Get your Poulx ready before you come 🫀. If it’s beating fast, that’s normal—it’s the excitement of taking part in an exceptional trail!