Trail de l'Oisans

The Trail de l'Oisans is an 80-kilometer ultra trail race with 5,000 meters of elevation gain, taking place in the Oisans massif in Isere. The start and finish are in Bourg-d'Oisans, a small mountain town at 720 meters altitude, at the foot of the legendary Alpe d'Huez climb. The Oisans is the birthplace of French alpinism, a high-mountain territory where summits regularly exceed 3,500 meters and glaciers have sculpted the landscape for millennia.

Bourg-d'Oisans occupies a strategic position at the crossroads of deep valleys penetrating the heart of the Ecrins and Grandes Rousses massifs. The Trail de l'Oisans exploits this exceptional geography to offer a course of striking verticality and beauty. Runners climb from the floor of the Romanche valley toward passes and ridges dominating some of the most grandiose landscapes in the French Alps.

The 5,000 meters of elevation gain over 80 kilometers translate to one of the highest elevation-to-distance ratios in French trail running. Climbs are long, steep, and sustained, with passages above 2,500 meters where effort occurs in thinner air. Certain ascents, like the climb toward the lakes and passes of the Grandes Rousses massif, are feats of endurance requiring excellent physical condition and precise effort management.

The course crosses landscapes of unmatched alpine grandeur. Runners move at the foot of iconic summits like the Meije (3,983 meters), one of the last great alpine peaks to be climbed, and the Grandes Rousses with their gleaming glaciers. Hanging valleys, waterfalls cascading down rock walls, flower-filled alpine pastures ringed by rock faces, and mirror-like altitude lakes compose a high-mountain setting of remarkable purity.

The terrain is demanding and varied. Trails alternate between forest paths through the valley's spruce forests, technical single tracks on stony slopes, crossings of unstable scree and moraine, and exposed ridge trails offering vertiginous panoramas. Descents, often on steep and technical slopes, test the knees and ankles of even the most experienced runners.

The Oisans is a territory steeped in alpine history. It was here that French alpinism was born in the 19th century, with the first ascents of the Meije and the massif's great peaks. This mountain tradition permeates the race atmosphere, carried by volunteers and residents deeply attached to their mountains. Mountain refuges, alpine chalets, and stone villages are living testimonies to this high-mountain culture.

Aid stations offer Oisans specialties: ravioles, crozets gratins, mountain cheeses, and genepi herbal liqueur. The hospitality is mountainous and warm. The Trail de l'Oisans is a benchmark event for trail runners seeking total alpine commitment, extreme verticality, and the raw beauty of high mountains. It is a race that makes no concessions, true to the wild and grandiose territory it crosses.

Trail de l'Oisans is a 80 km trail race with 5,000 m of elevation gain, located in Bourg-d'Oisans, Isère. The next edition is scheduled for 9 August 2026.

Find all official information on the race website.