MAURITIUS ODYSSEY 2027

The dodo couldn't fly, and history has seen where that got it: on Mauritius, you'd better have good legs 🦤. The Mauritius Odyssey sets down its bibs in the southwest of the island, at the foot of the Morne, in the district of Black River. In early May, the austral summer is running out of steam: expect properly tropical heat, a few passing showers and a sun that doesn't ask your opinion 🌦️.

Five stages, five private estates opened exclusively: the scenery changes every morning. The kickoff is given at the Royal Raid Mauritius, a legendary Mauritian trail race, with 30 km and 934 mD+ of mountain and forest trails 🏔️. The next day, 31 km and 1,050 mD+ await you in the savanna of Domaine de Yemen, watched over by deer. Ferney follows with 30 km and about 1,000 mD+ beneath an endemic tropical forest, then Bel Ombre with 30 km and 950 mD+ along the hillsides, with the lagoon in sight 🌊. The finale is run in two loops of 10 km, 970 mD+ at Domaine du Petit Morne, under the gaze of Le Morne Brabant, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In total, 141 km for runners to devour, enough to fill the training log, that is more than three marathons back to back over the week 🌴.

This island nature race stands out for its all-comfort stage race format: a single base camp at the Morne, a 4* full-board hotel, morning starts, free afternoons for the beach 🏖️. The "Royal Raid Mauritius" serves as a launch pad, alongside the local trail community. At the helm, TSDMADA (Trails Solidaires de Madagascar), experienced in stage races in Madagascar, handles course marking, tracking, a doctor and shuttles. The field size is deliberately limited: you'll know the first name of every neighbor at your table before the last stage 🥥. The walkers have their own route, from 10 to 18 km per stage, enough to bring along a companion who prefers coconut trees to the clock.

As for the plate, Mauritius runs on dholl puri, flatbreads stuffed with split peas sold on the street corner, and gâteaux piments, spicy fritters worthy of a luxury aid station 🌶️. The island's landscapes also include tea plantations: a cup after the stage is worth all the gels in the world 🍵. The Morne served as a refuge for escaped slaves, one more reason to walk off your recovery toward its foot, legs heavy but head held high 🚶. A tailor-made travel extension can be added before or after the week to extend the getaway on the Mauritian culture side, on the shores of the Indian Ocean 🌺.

On this island, the dodo has disappeared but the nap version of the dodo survives, and the Mauritius Odyssey makes it mandatory after every stage, where Odysseus had to row for ten years 😴.