Mesnil au Trail is a March trail-running weekend in Le Mesnil-au-Val, a village in Normandy’s Manche department just inland from Cherbourg. The event is built around off-road running and walking in a natural setting, with trail races of 10 km, 17 km, and 24 km, plus walking routes such as 6 km, 12 km, and 17 km. Several courses can also be done after dark, although the 17 km walk is daytime only.
The race uses the “Au pays des Vikings” theme and gives families more than one way in, with children’s and junior courses alongside the adult trails and walks. Nordic walking appears on the programme too, usually over 6 km, 9 km, and 12 km. Participation is solid for a village event, with a previous edition drawing 1,569 people, and the setup includes modern extras such as live GPS tracking and an app-based fan zone.