Trail of the Dukes - Montbéliard 2026

Damoiselle or damoiseau, please hereby receive an invitation to the lands of the Dukes for the time of a trail named the Trail of the Dukes—what a coincidence, don’t you think! Enough with the formalities: come cut your teeth in Montbéliard, city of princes, in the Doubs département in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region. In November, if you don’t want a runny nose, wrap yourself up in warm, cozy clothes ! 🤧

Four distances are on the program for these festivities : the Countess: 13 km and 250m D+, the Duchess: 22 km and 600m D+, the Dukes: 32 km and 800m D+, and finally, for those who don’t fear the night and its dangers, the Nocturnal of the Princess, a timed and relay race of 2h. You’ll have to lap the Fort du Mont Bart and its surroundings as many times as possible, all of it in a sumptuous setting brought to life by onlookers and troubadours. On Sunday, the day after the nocturnal, no mass—but it will be the starting gun for the three other solo races.

As for your route, to get properly warmed up in the winter chill, your hosts offer you a false start at La Roselière to jog gently to the Château de Montbéliard, where the races will be set off 🏰. You’ll have the chance to strut through the city streets before reaching the Parc des Miches. And no dirty mind, you little whippersnapper ! You’ll then pass through the Bois Bourgeois, then by the Étang des Princes, before showing what you’re made of at Fort du Mont Bart. Finally, you’ll be allowed to take a loop through Sainte Suzanne before returning to the city to cross the finish line. 🏁

To perk yourself up after your epic, feast on the traditional Montbéliard sausage and a good spoonful of cancoillotte on a slice of country bread. That’ll truly put you back on your feet ! 😋

Come run merrily and show your bravery on the trail of the dukes ! 🧐