Tarn Valley Trail

The Tarn Valley Trail is an ultra trail adventure covering 100 kilometres with 4,590 metres of elevation gain, set in the heart of the Tarn Gorges in the Lozère department of southern France. Starting from Ispagnac, a charming village located at the confluence of the Tarn and Tarnon rivers, this magnificent race takes runners through one of the most spectacular landscapes in France, where limestone cliffs plunge dramatically towards the turquoise waters of the River Tarn.

The course winds through the Tarn Gorges, classified as a Grand Site de France, a canyon carved over millennia between the Causse Méjean to the north and the Causse de Sauveterre to the south. Runners discover breathtaking panoramas from the ridges overlooking the gorges before descending towards the honey-coloured stone hamlets nestled at the bottom of the valley. The trails follow ancient mule tracks that once connected the isolated villages of the causses, passing through holm oak forests clinging to rock faces and along natural viewpoints offering plunging views over the meanders of the Tarn.

Lozère, the least populated department in France, offers an exceptional playground for trail running. The course traverses remarkably diverse landscapes: the arid plateaux of the causses, covered with dry grasslands and junipers, contrast sharply with the Mediterranean vegetation found in the depths of the gorges. The passages through the Cirque de Saint-Chély-du-Tarn and the Cirque de Pougnadoires are among the race's highlights, with their waterfalls cascading from the cliffs and troglodytic villages bearing witness to thousands of years of human habitation.

With 4,590 metres of elevation gain spread over 100 kilometres, the Tarn Valley Trail demands sustained and technical effort. The steep climbs from the gorge floor to the causse plateaux push bodies to their limits, while the descents on limestone trails require constant vigilance. The sawtooth profile, with continuous alternations between valley floor and ridgeline, makes this race a major challenge for experienced ultra-trail runners.

The natural environment of the Tarn Valley Trail boasts exceptional ecological richness. The Tarn Gorges harbour remarkable wildlife, including griffon and monk vultures that were successfully reintroduced to the causses, which runners may observe soaring above the cliffs. The course also passes through the Cévennes National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, where biodiversity is preserved in a wild and unspoiled setting. This race is a total immersion in the nature of Lozère, far from urban bustle, where the silence of the causses is broken only by birdsong and the murmur of the river far below.

Tarn Valley Trail is a 100 km trail race with 4,590 m of elevation gain, located in Ispagnac, Lozère. The next edition is scheduled for 14 June 2026.

Find all official information on the race website.