Trail du pays de La Chataigneraie 2026

The Trail du Pays de La Châtaigneraie guides runners through the Vendée bocage, passing through La Châtaigneraie, Terval, Cheffois, and Mouilleron Saint Germain in western France. This nature trail event, typically held in early October, offers race distances from 9 km to a 42 km marathon course, alongside children’s and junior races. Even the shorter routes involve climbing: the 9 km has approximately 162 m of ascent, the 15 km has about 362 m, and the 30 km gains over 500 m. The race emphasizes the local terrain over flat road speed. The 16 km route ventures into the Cheffois Quarries, while the 42 km course connects these quarries with the Rochers de Mouilleron Saint Germain and ascends close to 1,000 m. A two-person relay covers the marathon distance, divided into 22 km and 20 km segments. Community participation is evident, with over 200 runners on the 15 km and more than 100 on both the 9 km and 30 km. NIKROME manages timing, and an app provides live GPS tracking for following participants.