Epopee Royale 2026

Epopee Royale is a late-November gravel running race in France’s Loire Valley, with routes that blend road racing and trail running. It begins at the Château Royal de Blois and concludes in Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire, in Indre-et-Loire. The race provides distances ranging from 13 km to 126 km, accommodating short runs, long ultra-style efforts, and intermediate distances. Its slogan is “Be the king of effort!”, aligning with the royal theme and conveying the core concept: runnable mixed terrain through château country. The course features rolling paths instead of significant mountain ascents, incorporating forest tracks, farm lanes, towpaths, gravel sections, greenways, roads, and natural paths. The long route shows modest elevation gain for its length, approximately 800 m over about 120 km. Participants will see Loire heritage sites and châteaux such as Chaumont, Amboise, Chenonceau, and Nitray, within a region designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. STK Événements initiated it as France’s first event focused on gravel running, and the race also benefits a charitable cause.