Trail des Monts du Lyonnais

The Trail des Monts du Lyonnais is a 32-kilometer race with 1,300 meters of elevation gain, starting from Yzeron, a village perched in the hills overlooking the western edge of the Lyon metropolitan area. The Monts du Lyonnais, a chain of crystalline hills connecting the Massif Central to the Rhône valley, peak modestly around 900 meters but offer rugged, rolling terrain that makes them a prime trail running ground for runners from the Lyon metropolis.

The course crosses the bucolic landscapes of this peri-urban medium mountain, where conifer and deciduous forests, grazing meadows, cherry orchards, and small golden-stone hamlets coexist. The trails follow the deep valleys carved by tributaries of the Brévenne and the Yzeron, two rivers that flow down toward the Saône and the Rhône. Runners move through a pastoral and preserved landscape where traditional farms with Roman tile roofs and dry stone walls bear witness to an agricultural activity that remains vibrant. The contrast between wooded slopes and clearings opening onto distant panoramas pleasantly punctuates the progression.

The 1,300 meters of elevation gain are distributed in a succession of climbs and descents that progressively exhaust the legs. The Monts du Lyonnais relief is characterized by short but deep valleys, imposing abrupt climbs of 100 to 200 meters each time. The terrain is varied: forest paths carpeted with humus and leaves, muddy single tracks in the undergrowth, stony farm tracks, and passages along grassy ridges offering open views. In winter and spring, waterlogged soils transform certain passages into veritable mud rinks, demanding shoes with aggressive tread.

Yzeron is a character village perched at 700 meters altitude, just twenty-five kilometers from the center of Lyon. This proximity to France's third-largest city makes it an ideal starting point for trail races that attract a broad audience of urban runners seeking nature. The Monts du Lyonnais are Lyon's garden, a breathing space where people come to hike, run, pick cherries in spring, and gather chestnuts in autumn. The local heritage — Romanesque chapels, wash houses, mills — tells the story of a rural territory that has preserved its identity despite urbanization pressure.

For international runners, the Trail des Monts du Lyonnais is an ideal opportunity to combine a trail race with the discovery of Lyon, the world capital of gastronomy. The city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its Renaissance historic center, is famous for its bouchons — traditional restaurants serving quenelles, andouillette, and cervelle de canut — its Halles Paul Bocuse, and its avant-garde culinary scene. From Lyon, the Monts du Lyonnais are accessible in under thirty minutes, offering a complete natural escape on the city's doorstep.