Trail de la croix de fer by night 2026

Trail de la Croix de Fer by Night is a night trail event in Le Mériot, in the Aube department of France, with runners setting off at 7 PM under headlamps. It offers two trail distances: 9 km with 220 meters of climbing and 16 km with 400 meters of climbing, plus a 16 km Nordic walk. The shorter race has a listed entry fee of 9 euros, which fits the low-key club feel of the event. The routes use the paths around Le Mériot and Saint-Nicolas-la-Chapelle, and recent rain can turn them muddy enough to make the race feel properly off-road. Around 1,300 people joined a recent edition, including trail runners, hikers, and Nordic walkers, so the field is much broader than a pure racing crowd. Espérance Endurance Trail organizes it, and the evening continues after the finish with hot food; more than 170 meals were served at a recent edition. Friends can also follow participants through live GPS tracking in an app, which is useful on a dark course lit mostly by headlamps.