Trail des Deux Caps

The Trail des Deux Caps is a 28-kilometer trail race with 600 meters of elevation gain between Cap Gris-Nez and Cap Blanc-Nez, in Pas-de-Calais, starting from Wissant. This coastal event takes runners along the northernmost coastline of France, where the English coast is visible to the naked eye on clear days, in a landscape of cliffs, dunes, and wind-battered meadows along the strait.

The Deux Caps site is classified as a Grand Site de France, a distinction that rewards the beauty and preservation of this exceptional coastline. Cap Blanc-Nez, with its white chalk cliffs peaking at 134 meters, is the most spectacular point on the course. In clear weather, the view extends to the cliffs of Dover, barely 34 kilometers away, and the maritime traffic of the Strait of Dover, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, offers a permanent spectacle of container ships and ferries.

Cap Gris-Nez, more modest in altitude but equally wild, is the closest point on the European continent to England. It is from this headland that swimmers attempt the Channel crossing, and runners on the Trail des Deux Caps can see the English coast with striking clarity. The Cap Gris-Nez lighthouse, World War II blockhouses, and the remains of the Todt Battery recall the strategic importance of this coastline throughout history.

The course connects the two capes following the coastal path, crossing the village of Wissant, a popular resort for sand yachting and kitesurfing enthusiasts. Runners move along cliff paths, sand dunes, coastal meadows, and cultivated fields bordering the coast. The terrain is varied but never very technical, with grassy trail sections, sandy passages, and regular climbs to the cliff tops.

With 600 meters of elevation gain over 28 kilometers, the profile is accessible to a wide range of runners. The main difficulty lies in wind exposure, which can blow with considerable force through this natural corridor between the English Channel and the North Sea. Weather conditions are changeable and often spectacular, with dramatic skies that delight photographers.

History is omnipresent on the course. The Deux Caps coastline was a major front during both World Wars, and bunkers, trenches, and memorials punctuate the route. The Dover Patrol monument, atop Cap Blanc-Nez, pays tribute to the sailors who patrolled the strait during World War I.

The Trail des Deux Caps is an ideal race for discovering this often-overlooked northern coastline, of austere and powerful beauty. The proximity to England, visible like a mirage across the strait, adds a fascinating geographic dimension to the experience. It is a race that leaves its mark through its landscapes, its history, and its unique atmosphere, where two seas and two countries face each other.