Trail de la Rhune

The Trail de la Rhune is a 22-kilometre race with 1,200 metres of positive elevation gain that concentrates in a short format all the intensity and beauty of the Basque Country. Starting from Sare, classified among the most beautiful villages in France, this event's centrepiece is the ascent of La Rhune (905 m), a mythical mountain in Basque culture whose summit marks the border between France and Spain. Seen from the Basque coast, La Rhune's distinctive silhouette dominates the horizon like a terrestrial lighthouse, an immutable landmark for sailors, shepherds, and now trail runners who come to test themselves against its steep slopes.

The course, although short in distance, offers a formidable elevation-to-distance ratio (55 m/km) making it one of the most vertical races in southwestern France. The trails climb from the lush green meadows of the valley floor, through golden ferns and blooming gorse, toward altitude moorlands battered by Atlantic winds. The climb to La Rhune's summit is an exercise in pure muscular commitment, on terrain alternating between muddy trails typical of the Basque Country, slippery sandstone slabs, and rocky passages sometimes requiring the use of hands. From the summit, the panorama is one of the finest in the western Pyrenees: the Atlantic Ocean stretches endlessly westward, the Basque coast unfurls its cliffs and beaches from north to south, and on clear days, the summits of the central Pyrenees are outlined to the east.

La Rhune is far more than a mountain: it is a sacred place in Basque mythology. In ancestral tradition, its summit is the domain of Mari, goddess of nature and earth, and the caves piercing its flanks sheltered the lamiak, fairy creatures of Basque folklore. The cog railway that has climbed the mountain since 1924, one of the last in France, testifies to this summit's longstanding tourist appeal. The pottok, small semi-wild horses emblematic of the Basque Country, graze freely on La Rhune's slopes, adding a pastoral note to an already emotionally rich course. The cromlechs and tumuli scattered across the heights recall that these mountains have been inhabited since prehistory.

Sare is a Basque village of exemplary beauty, with its red and white half-timbered houses, its pelota fronton, its church with wooden galleries, and its cemetery with discoid stelae. Village life is organised around centuries-old traditions — Basque pelota, Basque strength sports, polyphonic singing, patron saint festivals — that make every visit an authentic cultural immersion. The Sare caves, a remarkable underground network, and the Col de Lizarrieta, an ancestral crossing point between France and Spain, further enrich the discovery options surrounding the race.

For international runners, the Trail de la Rhune is a perfect introduction to Basque trail running and Basque culture. Access is facilitated by Biarritz airport (30 minutes) and Bayonne TGV station (40 minutes). The French Basque Country offers a globally recognised art de vivre: pintxos, Basque cake, Espelette pepper, Ossau-Iraty sheep cheese, txakoli and Irouléguy wines compose a generous table that magnificently rewards the effort. Accommodation in traditional Basque guesthouses, with views of La Rhune and the ocean, transforms this race weekend into a memorable experience. The race's short format allows combining the event with discovering Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Espelette, Ainhoa, or an excursion to San Sebastián, the world's gastronomic capital just 45 minutes' drive away.