La Verticale du Château de Nice

La Verticale du Château de Nice is a 2 km trail race in Nice, on the French Riviera, usually run in late June. The point is in the name: it climbs. The event sends runners up the slopes of the Château de Nice, making it short on distance but heavy on effort, more like a hard uphill burst than a long day out on the trails. The race is in the Alpes-Maritimes department of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and is listed as both an in-town race and a château-themed race. Runners get a compact urban climb with the Mediterranean Sea in view, giving it a Nice-specific feel: city streets, old hilltop heritage, and the coast all packed into a quick, steep course. It is treated as a popular trail event, especially for runners who want a sharp climbing challenge without committing to a long mountain route.