Trail de la forêt royale - Bélesta 2027

Trail de la forêt royale is a sold-out trail race in Bélesta, in the Pays d'Olmes area of Ariège, with 500 participants and a field that recently drew 450 starters. It opens the local running season and is still a young event, now on its fifth edition. The main race is a 16 km mid-mountain trail with 890 meters of climbing; it is short enough to race hard but steep and technical enough to punish mistakes. Walkers get their own 9 km hike with 400 meters of climbing, starting just after the runners. The route uses undergrowth tracks, meadow paths, repeated climbs, and technical descents. A new course keeps the Château d'Amont, the forest sections, and views over the mountains and the Pays d'Olmes as core parts of the race. The forest gives the event its name and its best piece of history: it was once used for timber to build Louis XIV's fleet. Elliot Philippon and Carlotta Finn are recent winners, with Finn taking the women's race despite going off course.