Harvesters' Races and Walk 2026
- Next event : Sun, September 27, 2026Date confirmed
The event in a few words
The perfect moment to find out whether you're drunk on talent or just plain drunk 🤪.
While the winegrowers are still busy around the vines, another harvest is being organized on the La Haie-Fouassière side: the bib harvest 🍇. Meet at the end of September for the Harvesters' Races and Walk, in this wine-growing commune of Loire-Atlantique nestled between Clisson and Nantes. September marks the back-to-school season, that time when you pull your trainers out of the closet to ease back into running 🎒.
The route sets off from the Château de Rochefort, an 18th-century building watching over the vineyard, and immediately dives into the muscadet vines. The profile stays fast and runnable, only slightly lifted by a few gentle false flats characteristic of the Sèvre-et-Maine terroir 🍷. You'll come across two aid stations per loop: a first at km 2, run by the Arche le Sénévé association, and a second at km 6, on Launay Square. The 21 km participants head out for a second loop and find the same stations again, before reaching the finish at the foot of the castle 🏁.
Behind the bibs, the Animation Hayonnaise association keeps a local memory alive: that of the old harvesters' walk, which once linked Pirmil Square in Nantes to Pirmil Square in La Haie-Fouassière ↔️. The format has grown over the years, but the spirit remains the same: intergenerational and family-friendly, open to anyone who loves running as much as enjoying the moment between the vine rows 👨👩👧. On the start line, you'll see both dedicated time-chasers and walkers who came from the neighborhood, all carried by the same harvest festival vibe 🎶.
Once the trainers are put away, enjoy a tasting of muscadet on site, then bite into a Nantes-style fouace, a light brioche delicately scented with orange blossom, typical of the Nantes region 🥐. Just a few kilometers away, Clisson unfurls its Italianate towers and medieval castle, while the Sèvre Nantaise invites you to extend the stroll along the water. Then head to Nantes for a well-deserved terrace: you'll have harvested your first kilometers of autumn. ⚠️ Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health; consume in moderation
So, ready to harvest the grapes kudos? 😂
4 reasons to join this race
A word from the organizer:
"The Harvesters' Races and Walk aim to preserve the values and perpetuate the traditional harvesters' walk that used to go from Pirmil Square in Nantes to Pirmil Square in La Haie-Fouassière"
A distance for every taste
21 kmTOP
10 km
- Sunday, September 27, 2026 at 10:00 AM
- 21 km
A few more words
Start at 10 a.m., kicking off the festivities. The course repeats the 10 km loop twice through the vineyards, with the same elevation changes and the same aid stations at each pass. The climb from km 7-9 comes back a second time between km 18 and km 20, just before the finish line 💪. A distance suited to runners who are comfortable on the road and eager to carve out their path in the Nantes vineyard.
10 km : Grape Harvesters' 10km Race
Road Running- Sunday, September 27, 2026 at 10:15 AM
- 10 km
A few more words
Start at 10:15 a.m. from the Château de Rochefort, in the heart of the Sèvre-et-Maine vineyard. The course climbs gently from the very first kilometer before dropping into a dip at km 2, right where the first aid station is located, run by l'Arche le Sénévé. The route then flows on without too many bumps until the second station, Place de Launay at km 6, before tackling the real difficulty of the loop: a steadier climb between km 7 and km 9, the high point of the circuit 🏃. The descent that follows brings you calmly back toward the château at the finish.
10 km : Grape harvesters' walk
Walking- Sunday, September 27, 2026 at 10:30 AM
- 10 km
A few more words
Start at 10:30 a.m., on the same hilly route as the running race, but at a self-paced pace. A chance to take the time to observe the rows of Muscadet vines, catch your breath a bit on the km 7-9 climb, and greet the volunteers stationed at the km 2 and km 6 refreshment stations 🌾. A format designed to discover the vineyard with the family, without a stopwatch or pressure.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
You can pick up your bib:
On Saturday, September 26, 2026, all day (during opening hours), at partner 360 Expert Outdoor, 3 route de Clisson, 44115 Basse-Goulaine
On Sunday, September 27, 2026, on site, until 10 a.m.
Please note, you will need to show your ID when picking up your bib.
The races will start on Sunday, September 27, 2026 at the Château de Rochefort, 44690 La Haie-Fouassière:
10:00 a.m.: 21 km start
10:15 a.m.: 10 km start
10:30 a.m.: 10 km walk start
Aid stations are planned:
at km 2 (run by the association l'Arche le Sénévé)
at km 6, on Launay Square
Participants in the 21 km will find the same stations on their second loop, and a finish-line refreshment station rounds out the setup, with fruit, chocolate, water, and fruit juice.
Your registration includes:
Access to aid stations along the course and at the finish
A finisher gift
Access to the village activities: makers' market, muscadet and fouace tasting, musical atmosphere.
If you still have questions, you can contact the organizers by email: contact@animation-hayonnaise.fr
Focus
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