Trail du Comminges

The Trail du Comminges is a 38-kilometre race with 1,600 metres of positive elevation gain covering the hills and foothills of the Comminges, a historic territory situated between the Garonne plain and the first foothills of the Pyrenees. Starting from Saint-Gaudens, a sub-prefecture of Haute-Garonne perched on a promontory overlooking the Garonne valley, this event offers an accessible yet demanding trail through a medium-mountain landscape combining the gentleness of Gascon hillsides with the nascent verticality of the Pyrenees. The Comminges, a former historic country whose capital Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges was the Roman city of Lugdunum Convenarum, is a territory of exceptional heritage richness that the course allows runners to discover on foot.

The 38-kilometre course winds through a transitional landscape between plain and mountain, offering remarkable variety in terrain and atmosphere. The first kilometres cross hillsides covered with oaks, ash trees, and hedgerow meadows typical of the Pyrenean foothills, before climbing toward the first wooded reliefs from which striking panoramas of the nearby Pyrenean chain emerge. On clear days, the view encompasses the entire Franco-Spanish border, from the Pic du Midi de Bigorre to the Maladeta massif, including the Luchon massif with its summits exceeding 3,000 metres. The trails used, often former transhumance paths connecting the plain to the summer pastures, pass through stone hamlets with slate roofs and isolated farms where agricultural activity continues in the Gascon tradition.

The 1,600 metres of positive elevation gain are distributed across a rolling and accessible profile, characteristic of foothill races. The climbs are progressive and regular, rarely steep, allowing runners to maintain a sustained running pace. The terrain alternates between forest tracks on soft ground, woodland singletracks, small country roads, and grassy ridge trails offering open views. This is a course that rewards consistent runners and good endurance athletes, while offering sufficient elevation gain to constitute a genuine challenge over the 38-kilometre distance. The Pyrenean foothill weather conditions are generally clement, with generous sunshine and moderate temperatures making this race an ideal early or late season rendezvous.

Saint-Gaudens is a dynamic town offering a strategic starting point between Toulouse and the great Pyrenean valleys. The town, named after a young shepherd martyred in the 3rd century, overlooks the Garonne from its hilltop and offers unobstructed views of the central Pyrenees. A few kilometres away, Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, classified among the most beautiful villages in France, houses a Romanesque and Gothic cathedral of striking beauty, built upon the ruins of the ancient Roman city. The Barbazan thermal baths, the Château de Montespan, and the basilica of Saint-Just-de-Valcabrère compose a dense historical heritage testifying to the importance of this crossroads between Gaul and Spain since antiquity.

For international runners, the Trail du Comminges offers a Pyrenean foothill trail experience in an exceptional historical and natural setting. Access is easy from Toulouse (1h15 via the A64 motorway) or from Spain via the Vielha tunnel. The Saint-Gaudens SNCF station is served by direct trains from Toulouse. Accommodation in Gascon bed-and-breakfasts or town hotels allows discovery of Comminges gastronomy, influenced by Gascony and the Pyrenees: foie gras, duck breast, poule au pot, mountain cheeses, Saint-Mont wines and Armagnac. The race can be combined with a day trip to Luchon (30 minutes), the "Queen of the Pyrenees," to enjoy its thermal baths and high-mountain trails, or with a visit to the Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges cathedral and the summer music festival that brings it to life each year.

Trail du Comminges is a 38 km trail race with 1,600 m of elevation gain, located in Saint-Gaudens, Haute-Garonne. The next edition is scheduled for 19 April 2026.

Find all official information on the race website.