Grand Raid Ventoux by UTMB® 2027

Ready to take on the unpredictable Mont Ventoux? Head to Malaucène, in the heart of Vaucluse, for an adventure that will leave its mark on your calves and your mind! ✨ The Grand Raid Ventoux by UTMB® welcomes you to the "Giant of Provence", rising to 1,912 m. Ah, it’s not just a little bump: it’s a wild territory where the weather can flip from blazing sunshine to an icy mistral in the blink of an eye 🌬️. Here, you run on the home turf of athletes like Caroline Chaverot, an ultra-trail legend, who made her big comeback on these steep trails ⛰️. Whether you’re here to win or to tick off the French trail calendar, it’s one of the rawest gems on the list 💎. What’s more, by taking part, everyone does a good deed: since 2016, €2 per bib has been donated to the Œuvre des Pupilles Orphelins des Sapeurs Pompiers of the department 🚒. In the end, a simple gesture can add a little extra soul to every stride, all the way to the summit 💛.

For this race, in Vaucluse, you’re spoiled for choice with four flagship distances setting off in late April, an ideal time when Provence starts to bloom 🌸. The "Ultra Giant of Provence" (UGP) is the queen event: a 125 km course with 5,700 m of positive elevation gain. Starting from Malaucène, the route reaches the Saint-Amand ridges, after tackling the summit’s legendary scree slopes 🧗. If you prefer a mid-distance format, the "Great Ventoux Epic" (GEV) offers 87 km for 4,200 mD+, a journey between wild gorges and hilltop villages 🏘️. Fans of the marathon format will feast on the "Mistral Marathon Trail" (MMT) with 51 km and 2,500 mD+. While the more sensible ones (so to speak 🤣) can discover the essence of trail running in nature on the "Trail des Coteaux" (TDC) and its 26 km for 1,100 mD+ 🌲.

Beyond the physical challenge, this event is a strategic step for international trail runners’ passports 🤓. This race is part of the UTMB® World Series circuit, so by crossing the finish line, runners earn Running Stones, those precious tokens essential for entering the lottery for the finals in Chamonix 🎟️. A great opportunity to polish your UTMB Index and see where you stand against the world’s best 📊. And with this UTMB label, it also allows you to validate ITRA points, essential to gauge your technical performance out on the trails 📉. This is the time to boost the stats while taking a visual slap in the face from the Dentelles de Montmirail 🏔️.

In this Regional Natural Park, the immersion is total, and spotting marmots around a bend in the trail is not uncommon 🐾. Plus, there’s a unique heritage: from the Groseau spring to the Saint-Sidoine chapel 🏛️. A little anecdote about this Ventoux, which is, among other things, a cinema and cycling star: it’s also nicknamed the "Bald Mountain", because of its limestone summit devoid of vegetation, which in fact looks like a lunar landscape 🌕. That nickname wouldn’t please everyone... 🙊 Joking aside, for this event, the passionate firefighter organizers also put the focus on eco-responsibility: here, you bring your own cutlery, you limit waste, and you protect this fragile biodiversity ♻️. And since it’s a bit of a model student, this race also celebrates women with concrete initiatives such as the GOFAST association, which organizes round tables and shared outings to boost gender diversity on the start lines 🚺.

After all that, it’s hard to find flaws with this race, especially since the area is STILL packed with treasures. Like the Palace of the Popes in Avignon or the ochres of Roussillon, which are less than an hour’s drive away 🏰. We’re starting to know this saying, but we’ll never repeat it enough: after the effort comes the comfort. Here, it’s waiting for you with local gastronomy: imagine yourself savoring Carpentras strawberries or a truffle dish after burning thousands of calories on the ridgelines 🍓. It looks like this very sporty trail can quickly turn into an unforgettable stay under the sunshine of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur ☀️.

Taking on the Provençal Giant and living a human and sporting experience? This is the event where it happens! 🤓