GOOD PRACTICES ON THE TRAILS
Runners, supporters, spectators: everyone has a part to play. The places we love, we protect. The people who bring them to life, we respect. A responsibility we all share. Here are the actions that come with it.
LITTER
Trail running is about respecting nature. Not leaving it unwanted gifts.
A gel wrapper, a tissue, a bottle, a piece of food waste, even biodegradable: what leaves our pocket doesn't leave the landscape. Organic waste takes one to six months to break down, plastic twenty to five hundred years. And in the meantime, it's a hazard for animals. As it breaks down, it also releases substances that pollute soil and water for the long term.
Nature calls leave traces too. Toilet paper left behind a rock, like gel wrappers, is among the litter most often collected along our courses.
Please note: the rules prohibit littering, including leaving toilet paper behind, and penalties may apply.
Good gestures
- ✓ Carry your waste to the next collection point, however small.
- ✓ A waste bag is handed to you at bib collection: keep it within reach.
- ✓ Whenever possible, use the toilets provided by the organisation at aid stations.
- ✓ If you're caught short in the wild, move away from trails and water points, don't stop behind a shelter, hut or refuge, and take your paper with you.
- ✓ At aid stations, use the sorting bins provided.
STAYING ON THE TRAILS
Trail running is about finding your way. Not leaving the trail.
Cutting a corner saves a few seconds and leaves a mark that stays. Every shortcut weakens the ground, contributes to erosion, damages young shoots and ends up widening the trail well beyond its original line.
Staying on the path also keeps our passage to a narrow strip, rather than spreading it across the whole natural space.
Please note: cutting the course and moving off-trail, particularly in nature reserves and protected areas, are penalised under the rules.
Good gestures
- ✓ Stay on the marked line, even when a shortcut looks obvious.
- ✓ On descents, avoid skidding off the trail.
- ✓ When crossing paths, slow down rather than step off the trail.
- ✓ If the trail is muddy, go through it rather than around: going around is what widens it.
FARMLAND AND PASTURES
Trail running is about enjoyment. Not at the expense of someone else's work.
A natural space is not a backdrop. In the mountains as on the coast, in forests as in vineyards, these landscapes are the workplace of the people who bring them to life: mountain herders, farmers, foresters, winegrowers, fishers, shellfish farmers, salt workers. Their seasons, their herds and their harvests don't stop for a race.
Livestock guardian dogs are simply doing their job: watching over the flock. Their reaction is normal; it's our behaviour that needs to adapt.
Good gestures
- ✓ Slow down, or even stop, as you approach a flock or herd.
- ✓ Give it a wide berth whenever possible.
- ✓ Always close fences and gates behind you.
- ✓ Faced with a guardian dog, stop and give it time to identify you and settle, then walk calmly around it. Don't shout, and don't raise your arms or poles. A helpful tip: take off your sunglasses and cap so it can recognise you more easily.
- ✓ Don't pet the animals or the dogs.
- ✓ Keep your distance from alpine chalets, which are private living spaces.
SHARING THE TRAILS
Trail running is about sharing. Not taking over.
Hikers, families, mountain bikers, trail runners: nature is open to everyone and the trails welcome all. No one has priority. Appearing out of nowhere or brushing past at full speed can frighten, and even endanger, other users.
Good gestures
- ✓ Make yourself known before overtaking, gently.
- ✓ Slow down when passing others and give them space.
- ✓ Say hello and thank you: the simplest and most effective gesture there is.
- ✓ In a group, run in single file rather than side by side.
PRIVATE PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
Trail running is about pushing your limits. Not those of your neighbours.
A trough is not a fountain: it's the herd's water point. A shepherd's hut is not a public shelter: it's a home. A pipe, a basin, a water tank belong to someone and have a primary purpose, which isn’t to keep you hydrated.
The same goes for the gardens, terraces, yards and properties that line the courses. These are homes, not places to pass through or take a break.
Good gestures
- ✓ Don't bathe in or rinse anything in the troughs.
- ✓ Don't use private water points, pipes or installations.
- ✓ Don't settle right next to huts and cabins.
- ✓ Locate the public water points along your route in advance.
WILDLIFE AND PLANT LIFE
Trail running is about going wild. Not disturbing wildlife.
Chamois, ibex, marmots, birds: we're passing through their territory. Staying on the trail concentrates our presence in an area that animals already recognize as being used by people, rather than extending the disturbance across their entire habitat.
Plant life, meanwhile, can take years to establish and seconds to vanish underfoot.
Good gestures
- ✓ Keep noise down, especially early morning and evening.
- ✓ Stay on the trails, even for a photo.
- ✓ Watch from a distance, without trying to get closer.
- ✓ Don't feed any animal.
- ✓ Don't pick anything.
PROTECTED AREAS
Trail running is about discovering natural spaces. Not putting them at risk.
Nature reserves, national and regional parks, Natura 2000 sites, protected areas, and protected coastal areas: our routes pass through places where specific regulations apply, and these vary from one area to another.
Certain activities may be regulated or prohibited, such as flying drones, lighting fires, or bivouacking. Whether running, hiking, or simply walking, checking the local regulations before visiting and paying attention to signage once on site is a good habit to adopt year-round, not just on race days.
Good gestures
- ✓ Check which protected areas your route passes through and review their regulations before setting out.
- ✓ Follow the regulations specific to each area.
- ✓ No drone without authorisation.
- ✓ On site, read and follow the signage in place.
LOCAL LIFE AND RHYTHMS
Trail running is about finding your place. Not parking in someone else's.
A vehicle parked in front of a garage exit, across a service access or in a field means a resident stuck at home.
For several days, the villages welcome thousands of visitors. The organisation puts extensive measures in place to manage these flows: shuttles, traffic plans and designated parking areas. Everyone can help through their travel choices.
Good gestures
- ✓ Choose the organisation's shuttles and public transport, widely available during the event.
- ✓ Park only in authorised spaces.
- ✓ Never block an access, a property entrance or a service lane.
- ✓ No wild camping or bivouac outside designated areas.
- ✓ Plan ahead: check the transport guide and road closures.
NOISE
Trail running is about raising your voice. Not overdoing it.
Cheering is part of the adventure, and the atmosphere at key points will stay one of the runners' finest memories. But the event lasts several days, sometimes day and night, in places where residents are sleeping and on trails where wildlife is resting.
It's not the cheering that's the problem, it's what amplifies it: sound systems, horns, instruments, and the hours they come out. The same goes for smoke flares, which disruption long after they're lit.
Good gestures
- ✓ Cheer with your voice: the most effective and the most appreciated.
- ✓ Leave the sound systems and amplified instruments at home.
- ✓ No smoke flares.
- ✓ At night and early morning, keep it down, especially when passing through a village.
- ✓ In the wild and near herds, stay discreet.
RESPECT FOR PEOPLE
Trail running is about cheering. Not losing your temper.
The stress of a supporter afraid of missing their runner is very real. But behind a barrier, a volunteer is applying safety instructions they didn't decide on. Behind a refusal, there’s an event plan, operational constraints, and sometimes a road closed for good reason.
Volunteers, residents and staff bring this event to life. They deserve the same kindness we give the runners.
Good gestures
- ✓ Listen to and respect the instructions of volunteers and organisation staff.
- ✓ Plan your movements in advance using our mobility plan and transport guide.
- ✓ If you disagree, stay calm: no individual person is responsible for the measures in place.
- ✓ A thank-you goes a long way, for teams often on duty day and night.
REFERENCE TABLE
Your reflexes at a glance
| Situation | Key guideline |
|---|---|
| You have some litter | It goes with you, to the next sorting bin |
| You spot a shortcut | Stay on the marked line |
| A herd is on the trail | Slow down, give a wide berth, don't shout |
| A guardian dog approaches | Stop, stay calm, walk around it |
| You come to a fence | Close it behind you |
| You cross paths with hikers | Make yourself known, slow down, say hello |
| You're thirsty near a pasture | Don't use livestock troughs or private facilities |
| Wildlife is in view | Watch from a distance, don't approach |
| You enter a protected area | Follow the signage and rules in force |
| You're looking for a parking spot | Authorised spaces only, or shuttle |
| You want to cheer | With your voice, no sound system or amplified instrument |
| A volunteer refuses you passage | They're applying a safety instruction, respect it |
Spread the word!
This campaign only makes sense if it’s shared. The simplest gesture: share our posts with those around you, before and during the event. The more of us who follow and share these guidelines, the more naturally they’ll become part of everyone’s habits.
