Festival des Templiers

Where the history of trail running began

In 1995, Gilles Bertrand and Odile Baudrier, inspired by mythical American races — the Leadville Trail in Colorado and the Western States in California — created the Grande Course des Templiers in Sainte-Eulalie-de-Cernon, on the Larzac plateau. Nearly 500 runners participated in this first edition, which laid the foundations for trail running in France. Thirty years later, the Festival des Templiers has become the world's premier trail running event, attracting thousands of enthusiasts to Millau every October.

Over twenty races for all levels

The festival offers an exceptionally rich program of races, from ultra-trails to children's races:

• Endurance Trail (99.5 km, 4,304 m D+): the premier event, a demanding ultra-trail crossing the four Grands Causses.
• Grand Trail des Templiers (80.7 km, 3,443 m D+): the historic race, a legendary course through the Causse Noir and the Dourbie gorges.
• Intégrale des Causses (62 km, 2,695 m D+): an endurance trail between causses and valleys.
• Rock'Voizine (48.3 km, 1,800 m D+): crossing the Causse Noir.
• Boffi Fifty (47.3 km, 2,208 m D+): a technical and challenging course.
• Marathons and medium-distance trails (23 to 34 km): several formats for intermediate runners.
• Short trails (7.7 to 17.2 km): accessible courses including the Junior Trail and the Kids Trail.
• Kinder Trail (1.5 to 3 km): races for the youngest.
• La Belle de Millau: a solidarity walk open to all.

The Trail Expo

Alongside the races, the festival hosts the Trail Expo, the second largest nature running expo in France. Exhibitors, equipment brands, conferences, film screenings, and meetings with athletes animate this trail village located by the Tarn river, creating a festive and friendly atmosphere that is the hallmark of the Templiers.

The Grands Causses, a natural playground

The trails of the Festival des Templiers cross breathtaking landscapes: Causse Noir, Causse du Larzac, Tarn gorges and Dourbie gorges, chaos of Montpellier-le-Vieux. This karstic terrain, with its limestone cliffs, sinkholes, and pine forests, offers technical and varied routes that have forged the legend of the Templiers among trail runners worldwide.