Trail Napoléon

The Trail Napoléon is a legendary 115-kilometer race with 5,800 meters of elevation gain that retraces on foot the famous Route Napoléon taken by the Emperor during his return from the island of Elba in March 1815. From Grasse, the world capital of perfume nestled in the Préalpes d'Azur, to Grenoble, capital of the French Alps, runners cover one of the most historically significant routes in France, crossing landscapes of striking diversity as they head north through the Southern Alps.

The course sets off from the fragrant hills of the Grasse hinterland, where fields of lavender, jasmine, and rose perfume the spring air. The trails soon climb toward the limestone plateaus of Haute-Provence, passing through perched villages with narrow lanes such as Séranon and Castellane, gateway to the Verdon Gorges. Runners then traverse the grand landscapes of the Haut-Var and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, where forests of Scots pine and larch alternate with luminous alpine meadows and mineral ridgelines.

The historical dimension of this race is ever-present. Each stage of the course corresponds to one of Napoleon's stops during his bold march toward Paris, known as the "Flight of the Eagle." Runners pass through Digne-les-Bains, where the Emperor rested in the spa town, then through Sisteron, whose citadel perched on a rocky spur above the Durance River could have halted his advance. Crossing the Col Bayard at over 1,200 meters marks the entry into the Champsaur valley and signals the approach to the Grenoble basin. This unique blend of athletic endeavor and historical narrative gives the Trail Napoléon a singular identity in the French trail running landscape.

The elevation profile is that of a true alpine ultra: the 5,800 meters of climbing accumulate across mountain passes and ridgelines that test both endurance and muscular resilience. The terrain is varied — dry garrigue paths in the south, singletrack through forests in the middle valleys, and rocky high-altitude trails on the most elevated sections. Night management is a major strategic element, as most competitors face at least one nocturnal phase, with the navigation and cold-weather challenges this entails in mountain terrain.

The Trail Napoléon offers international runners an extraordinary south-to-north traverse of the French Alps, a total immersion in preserved territories far from mass tourism. Accessibility is excellent: Grasse is just 30 minutes from Nice and its international airport, while Grenoble has its own TGV station. It is a unique opportunity to walk — and run — in the footsteps of an emperor, while discovering the geographic richness of a secret and majestic Alpine France.