Night races

The night race calendar is clear: the practice is accessible to everyone in terms of distance! 🤗 You can find 5 km, 10 km, halves, marathons, as well as all types of night trails (discovery, short, long, and ultra long distance...). If you have never started a night race 🌙, perhaps prioritize urban events, which are less technical (in theory) than trails in natural settings 🏜️.

Note that there are 2 types of night races. It seems logical, but firstly we will mention those that take place 100% at night: the start, the race, and the finish will take place under the stars (evening or night) like the Folle Neteï 🌅. There are also "semi-nocturnal" races! Some start before sunset like the San't Appianu Trail, others in the middle of the night with a burst finish at dawn 🌄, notably the case of the Full Moon Trail. Speaking of the different types of night races, you can also be tempted by white night trails (what a sensation to run on a white duvet, let's mention here the Inuit Trail), urban trails (if your jam is megacities) or canitrails (if you never run without your dog 🐕).

In short, there is really something for everyone 🌱. And to best guide you in your search, feel free to browse the night race calendar below to make your choice! 📆 By the way, it's a hard task to select races... But let's mention in France the SaintéLyon, which will rekindle the derby spark in some, the Grand Trail des Hauts de France with its top ambiance, or the Corrida Crédit Agricole Toulouse 31, run along the Périgueux canal 👑. The mythical UTMB (Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc) should, of course, be featured in the Hall of Fame of events pinned to your trophy board 🖼️. Want to go international? The Rock’n'Roll Las Vegas Marathon will make you live the American dream in the extravagance of the Nevada city 🇺🇲. In Europe, The Bilbao Night Marathon is run in the urban landscape of the Spanish Basque Country capital. Thousands of spectators will cheer you on throughout the 42 kilometers of the course. Bilbao is moreover a very beautiful cultural destination... 💃

Besides your courage and dedication to run at night, you will definitely need your headlamp 🕯in the maze of the Lut by Night (Lyon) or the (very) demanding Diagonale des Fous in Réunion 🏃‍♀️. If you want some tips to prepare as best as possible for a night running event, equip yourself with a lamp that allows you to reduce the light beam when climbing and widen it when descending 🔦. Like any type of race, a night trail can of course be done with friends (Ekiden, duo, relay...), the memories will be all the stronger. Especially if one of you has a little issue with their headlamp 🤣.

Tip! Don't forget to get your bearings by training at night 👣. It is essential to become familiar with the darkness. Work on your footing, while adapting to the cold ❄️ (which can play a part, especially if you line up for a night event in winter or in high mountains). For the rest, the same advice always applies: eat well (by taking in carbohydrates before the event), drink well, sleep well... 😴 But rest assured, like all runners, if you sign up for a significant distance, the moment will inevitably come when you ask yourself "how to feed myself and prepare for a night race". Shall we bet? 😉 Last little advice, then we stop, promise, in summer, watch out for temperature variations at different times of the race... 😬

It's time to make your choice! ☝️ If we could summarize it briefly, know that urban trails allow you to run on sometimes unusual city courses, while nature trails at night offer unforgettable settings, although often more demanding 💪.