Trail de Haute Provence

The Trail de Haute Provence is a 165-kilometer ultra trail race with 8,000 meters of elevation gain, taking place in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, starting from Forcalquier. This race is one of the most demanding in southern France, an epic crossing through the mountains and plateaus of Haute-Provence, that luminous and fragrant territory stretching between the Alps and the Mediterranean.

Forcalquier, a characterful town perched on a hill in the heart of the Lure region, is the ideal starting point for this adventure. This historically rich city, once the capital of an independent county in the Middle Ages, offers a remarkable heritage setting with its citadel, medieval lanes, and renowned Provencal market. Runners set off from this luminous town to plunge into 165 kilometers of wild Provencal mountain terrain.

The Trail de Haute Provence course crosses the department's great landscape ensembles. The Lure mountain, twin sister of the Ventoux rising to 1,826 meters, offers long wind-swept ridges with panoramic views of the Alps, the Durance river, and lavender plateaus. The Verdon Gorges, the largest canyon in Europe, add a spectacular dimension with their dizzying white limestone cliffs. The Valensole plateaus, covered with lavender fields stretching to the horizon, perfume the air with an intoxicating fragrance in season.

The 8,000 meters of elevation gain over 165 kilometers make this a major physical challenge. The course profile is characterized by long ascents toward ridges and summits, followed by deep descents into valleys. The climbs toward the Lure ridges and the summits of the Digne Pre-Alps are particularly long and demanding. Terrain technicality varies, alternating between rolling forest tracks, panoramic ridge trails, technical single tracks in gorges, and passages over limestone slabs.

The climatic conditions of Haute-Provence are a central element of the challenge. Summer heat can be crushing in valleys and on exposed plateaus. The mistral, that powerful dry northern wind, can blow with considerable violence on the Lure ridges and exposed areas. Temperature differences between day and night are significant, and summer storms, fueled by the heat, can be impressively violent.

The ultra distance of 165 kilometers demands rigorous management of time, nutrition, and sleep. Runners cross two nights, and the nocturnal sections, through oak and pine forests, fragrant garrigue scrubland, and deserted plateaus, are moments of intense solitude. Mental management of fatigue, isolation, and changing conditions is decisive.

The Provencal welcome is warm and generous. Aid stations offer local specialties: olive oil, tapenade, Banon cheese, lavender honey, and Provence rose wine. Volunteers and villagers along the way encourage runners with that southern conviviality that warms the heart. The Trail de Haute Provence is an odyssey through one of France's most beautiful territories, a race that combines the demands of ultra distance with the luminous beauty of mountain Provence.

Trail de Haute Provence is a 165 km trail race with 8,000 m of elevation gain, located in Forcalquier, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. The next edition is scheduled for 14 June 2026.

Find all official information on the race website.