Thur Trail

The Thur Trail is a 29-kilometre trail race with 1,100 metres of elevation gain, starting from Thann, a historic town located at the entrance to the Thur Valley in the Alsatian Vosges mountains. This accessible yet engaging event offers a complete immersion into the characteristic landscapes of the Alsatian side of the Vosges, from terraced vineyards through centuries-old beech forests to the rounded summits that locals call "ballons."

Thann, a medieval town dominated by the ruins of the Engelbourg Castle — whose collapsed tower is nicknamed "the Witch's Eye" — marks the southern end of the famous Alsace Wine Route. The Collegiate Church of Saint-Thiébaut, a jewel of Flamboyant Gothic architecture, watches over the runners at the start. The town is also the gateway to the Ballons des Vosges Regional Natural Park, a vast protected area of 3,000 km² encompassing the highest peaks of the Vosges range and serving as the natural playground for this race.

The Thur Trail course ascends the Thur Valley, a torrential river that has carved its bed through Vosgian sandstone and granite. The trails follow the wooded flanks of the valley, passing through mixed forests of beech, fir, and spruce whose dense canopy filters the light, creating a hushed and mysterious atmosphere. Runners discover the summit chaumes — those distinctly Vosgian high-altitude meadows where cattle graze, producing the milk for the famous Munster cheese. Viewpoints open out across the Alsatian plain, the Sundgau, and on clear days, the blue line of Germany's Black Forest across the Rhine.

The 1,100 metres of elevation gain spread over 29 kilometres offers a balanced profile suited to both experienced trail runners and those looking to try their hand at mountain racing. The Vosgian trails, well-marked by the Club Vosgien — one of Europe's oldest hiking clubs, founded in 1872 — are generally smooth and runnable through the forested sections, with some more technical passages along rocky ridgelines. Exposed tree roots and pink sandstone scree fields add a welcome technical dimension without ever making the course inaccessible.

The Thur Valley is a distillation of Alsatian culture at its most authentic. As runners pass through mountain hamlets with their half-timbered houses, they catch the aromas wafting from the Vosgian farm-inns — the marcaires — where the traditional marcaire meal is served: tourte, roïgabrageldi, and farmhouse Munster. The valley's natural richness is remarkable, with the presence of the capercaillie, an iconic Vosgian species now endangered, and the chamois, successfully reintroduced to the massif. The Thur Trail embodies the spirit of Vosgian trail running: convivial, rooted in a generous terroir, and carried by landscapes of a discreet yet deeply endearing beauty — from morning mists over the fir forests to golden light on the high-altitude meadows.