Trail du Ventoux

The Trail du Ventoux takes runners from Bédoin to the bare summit of Mont Ventoux, 1,910 m above the Vaucluse. This March trail-running event in southern France, held annually since 2004, brings amateur and professional runners together on the same mountain. The primary race is a loop starting at the Domaine des Florans, with the main distance being the 46 km “Le 46 Origine,” the most chosen option, featuring approximately 2,500 m of elevation gain. Alternative distances include a 7 km walking event and the 75 km “Intégrale des Crêtes,” which can be completed solo or as a relay and involves around 3,900 m of climbing. The course utilizes the mountain's terrain, not merely passing through it. Runners will encounter ochre landscapes, challenging trails, large water tanks, the Tête de Chauva region, and finally the Ventoux summit before descending back towards Bédoin. The descent route varies by course, potentially following the GR4 towards Chalet Reynard or the Plaine des Ermitants, then navigating rougher sections like combe la Grave, Collet Rouge Haut, and vineyard paths near Bédoin. Serge Jaulin and Christine Grouiller established the event; earlier routes began at the Bélézy domain before the race relocated to Bédoin and the Domaine des Florans. It attracts skilled French trail runners and athletes from neighboring countries, and has previously hosted the French Trail Championships amidst difficult mountain conditions with wind and snow.