The Trail Quillan begins and ends at the Château de Quillan, located in the Aude department of Occitanie, south of Carcassonne. This spring trail-running event in the Pyrénées Audoises is organized by the Foulée des 3 Quilles. It features a children’s race on Saturday afternoon, followed by several adult options on Sunday: an 11 km trail with 350 m of elevation gain, an 18 km race with 700 m, a 28 km race with 1,600 m, a 42 km marathon with 2,800 m, a 42 km relay, and an 11 km hike with the same 350 m climb as the short trail.
The courses are loops around Quillan, utilizing hilly paths through protected vegetation and the cirque de Quillan. This is not a flat course for speed; the longer races accumulate significant elevation, and the terrain includes numerous technical climbs and descents. The event is in its fifteenth edition, and participants return for reasons beyond the competition. Volunteers offer encouragement along the route, a batucada provides music on the course, and the day concludes with a communal meal for runners, hikers, families, and local residents.