Trail du Littoral Charentais

The Trail du Littoral Charentais is a 42-kilometer race with 400 meters of elevation gain held in La Rochelle, in the Charente-Maritime department, along the Atlantic coast. Although the elevation gain is modest, this event compensates with the spectacular beauty of its coastal course and the specific challenges of seaside trail running. La Rochelle, a thousand-year-old maritime city famous for its medieval towers guarding the entrance to the Old Port, its arcaded architecture, and its Protestant history, provides a prestigious starting point for this coastal adventure.

The Trail du Littoral Charentais course follows the Atlantic seaboard of the Charente-Maritime, a coastline of remarkable diversity alternating between fine sandy beaches, rocky foreshores, salt marshes, limestone cliffs, and oyster-farming ports. Runners tread coastal paths with views stretching to the Île de Ré and its famous bridge, the Île d'Aix, and the imposing silhouette of Fort Boyard sitting on the ocean. Passages through the marshes — wetlands of major ecological importance for migratory birds — offer end-of-the-world atmospheres where sky and water merge.

With 400 meters of elevation gain over 42 kilometers, the profile looks flat on paper but the terrain reality is more complex. The coastal ground constantly varies between soft sand that weighs down the legs, slippery algae-covered rocks, unstable dune paths, earthen marsh tracks, and cemented seawall sections. The Atlantic wind, ever-present on the Charente coast, can be a formidable adversary that turns every exposed section into a test of strength. Tides also rhythm the course, with certain portions accessible only at low tide, adding a unique strategic dimension to this race.

The Charente-Maritime is a department of exceptional heritage and gastronomic richness. The trail crosses or skirts remarkable sites: Vauban's fortifications, oyster-farming villages with colorful shacks, centuries-old fish traps carved into the rock, and carrelets — those fishing huts on stilts equipped with square nets that punctuate the Charente coastline. Maritime heritage is omnipresent, from the lighthouses that mark the coast to the marinas and fishing ports where trawlers sit alongside sailboats.

The Trail du Littoral Charentais is a truly unique running experience, where iodine-rich air, the sound of waves, and the cries of seagulls accompany every stride. Its 42 kilometers along the Atlantic offer an accessible marathon-trail format that will appeal to experienced runners and aspiring trail runners alike, drawn by the magic of the coastline. Aid stations pay tribute to the treasures of sea and marsh: Marennes-Oléron oysters, Pineau des Charentes, Charentes-Poitou churned butter, Charentais galettes, and fleur de sel harvested from the nearby salt marshes. This race is a reminder that trail running is not solely a mountain affair: the Charente coastline, with its infinite marine horizons and ever-changing light, offers a playground as exhilarating as the highest peaks.

Trail du Littoral Charentais is a 42 km trail race with 400 m of elevation gain, located in La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime. The next edition is scheduled for 24 May 2026.

Find all official information on the race website.