Festival des Templiers
Grand Trail des Templiers
Millau (Millau Plage) → Millau
Race guide
Updated 19 July 2026
The Grand Trail des Templiers, the flagship race of the Festival des Templiers, is one of France's most iconic trail running events. Starting and finishing in Millau — the gateway to the Grands Causses — the 81 km route threads through some of the most dramatic gorge and plateau scenery in southern France. With 3,279 m of cumulative ascent and a high point of 899 m, the race is not defined by extreme altitude but by relentless, technical undulation: steep gorge walls, exposed causses plateaux, and rolling woodland trails that punish any lapse in concentration. Run on a Sunday in late October, the Grand Trail des Templiers draws a competitive international field alongside thousands of recreational runners. The point-to-point-loop format returns runners to Millau after a wide arc through the Gorges du Tarn and Gorges de la Dourbie, making it a genuine journey as much as a race. The hard cut-off at the finish is 19:10, giving runners just over 12 hours from the start — demanding but achievable for well-prepared athletes who respect the terrain from the opening kilometres.
Course & Terrain Overview
The race departs from Millau Plage at 360 m elevation and immediately sets the tone: the first 15 km to Peyreleau (833 m) involve a sustained climb of roughly 470 m, dragging runners up from the Tarn valley onto the rim of the gorges. From Peyreleau the course rolls across the Causse Noir and Causse du Larzac plateaux — open, windswept limestone terrain where footing varies from smooth dirt tracks to rocky, rooted singletrack. The checkpoint at Saint-André-de-Vézines (36.3 km, 868 m) marks the high reaches of the course before a long descent toward the Dourbie valley. Below La Roque Sainte-Marguerite (45 km, 724 m) the trail dips back into gorge country, with tighter, more technical path work. The final third from La Salvage (55.8 km) through Mas de Bru/Massebiau (70 km, 376 m) to Ferme du Cade (75 km, 819 m) delivers the cruellest sting: a sharp climb of more than 440 m in the closing 5 km before the finish descent back into Millau at 394 m.
Decisive Climbs & Descents — Where the Race Is Won or Lost
Three sections define outcomes. First, the opening climb to Peyreleau at 15 km: going too hard here — easy to do on fresh legs — creates an oxygen debt that haunts the causse crossings. Save something. Second, the descent from the Saint-André-de-Vézines area into the Dourbie gorge is steep and technical; a slip or twisted ankle on the rocky trail ends your race, so maintain control even if you feel strong. Third, and most decisive, is the late climb to Ferme du Cade at 75 km: arriving at Mas de Bru/Massebiau (70 km, 376 m) you must climb back to 819 m over just 5 km with only 5.7 km remaining to the finish. Runners who have burned through glycogen reserves or neglected hydration in the warm middle section will blow up here. Those who arrive at Mas de Bru with legs and fuel intact can run the final descent into Millau strongly; those who don't will be reduced to a death march against the 19:10 cut-off.
Pacing Strategy
The elevation profile demands a negative-effort approach to the opening half. Hike the steeper pitches to Peyreleau and manage heart rate on the causse climbs; the flat-to-rolling plateau sections between 15 km and 36 km are your opportunity to run freely and bank time against the cut-offs. The Saint-André-de-Vézines cut-off at 12:00 requires you to reach 36.3 km by early afternoon — straightforward for most runners if the opening gorge climb is respected. The La Salvage cut-off at 16:30 (55.8 km) is more discriminating: factor in technical terrain and cumulative fatigue when projecting your split. Leave La Salvage with at least 2.5–3 hours banked against the finish cut-off. Then protect the legs through Mas de Bru/Massebiau — do not race the descent into the valley — because you will need every available joule for the Ferme du Cade climb that follows immediately.
Fuelling & Hydration
Water-only points at La Roque Sainte-Marguerite (45 km) and Mas de Bru/Massebiau (70 km) are critical resupply stops; the gaps between full checkpoints can exceed 15–19 km on varied terrain, so carry at least 500–750 ml capacity at all times. The October racing day in the Grands Causses can be deceptively warm on south-facing causse slopes during midday, increasing sweat loss even as temperatures drop sharply in the gorges and on exposed plateaux. Aim for 60–80 g of carbohydrate per hour from around 90 minutes in. The crew point is at the Millau finish only, so self-sufficiency between checkpoints is non-negotiable. Use the full checkpoint stops at Saint-André-de-Vézines and La Salvage to top up calories and reassess kit — particularly layering — before committing to the next section.
Conditions to Expect
Late October in the Aveyron means genuine autumn weather: start temperatures in Millau often sit between 5–10 °C, rising to 14–18 °C on sunny causse plateaux, then dropping again in the gorges and after sunset. Rain is common and can render the rocky limestone trails and the clay-rich causse soils slippery and technical; trail shoes with aggressive lugs are strongly recommended. Wind is a serious factor on the open Causse Noir and Causse du Larzac sections — temperatures feel much colder than the thermometer suggests. Plan for low light: with the finish cut-off at 19:10 and October daylight fading fast, any runner targeting a finish beyond approximately 17:30–18:00 should carry a headtorch. Pack a mid-layer or wind shell that can be accessed quickly without stopping; the temperature differential between gorge floor and plateau top can exceed 8–10 °C within a single climb.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-05) · official source
0 km · 360 m · Sun 05:10
8.2 km · 821 m · —
23.4 km · 407 m · Sun 09:35
36.7 km · 864 m · Sun 12:05
48.2 km · 410 m · —
50.7 km · 689 m · —
55.8 km · 727 m · Sun 16:35
64.4 km · 733 m · Sun 18:20
69.8 km · 391 m · Sun 19:30
73 km · 830 m · —
74.8 km · 815 m · Sun 20:40
77.6 km · 723 m · —
80.4 km · 413 m · Sun 23:05
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