Trail Nocturne de l'Ecoparc Catalan

The Trail of the Ecoparc Catalan 🌳 is the new gathering trail to start in December, in Occitanie 🗺️, in the Pyrénées-Orientales ! ⛰ For this all-new event, come experience an unusual experience : night running 🌛 in a vast wind turbine park and in its 4 neighboring towns. 5 routes of night trail in 7 km, 11 km, 22 km (solo or relay up to 2), 33 km (solo or relay up to 3) and 44 km (solo or relay up to 4) are offered: a community event open to all! The 7 km and 11 km are also available in hike format 😁.

For its first edition, the Trail Nocturne de l'Écoparc Catalan 🌞 (in its official name) has gone all out by creating an event that blends sport, discovery and conviviality. The residents of the 4 small towns of the Ecoparc will be there to cheer you on along your race 📣. You will be able to enjoy the illuminated heritage 💡 of the villages of Pézilla-la-Rivière, Villeneuve-la-Rivière, Baixas and Calce. You’ll also see cellière, the Rabailly gate (old fortified city gate), the canals, the moulin, the Château des Pins, the chapelle Sainte-Catherine, the Mas de la Fonts… So many iconic monuments steeped in the history of the Pyrénées-Orientales! Running at night 🏃, you will skim with the tip of your headlamp the beauty and authenticity of this heritage ✨. Don’t panic if you didn’t see much 🤓, you’ll have the whole Sunday to enjoy the Ecoparc Catalan (we’re offering lots of activities a bit further down 😉).

But by the way, what is the Ecoparc Catalan (also known as “Ensemble Éolien Catalan”) ? Well, precisely, it is one of the first wind farms, the most powerful in France 🇨🇵. It was built in 2015 by the subsidiary EDF Renewables, in agreement with the elected officials of the concerned communities, the farmers 🚜, the associations and all the residents 🏘. 35 wind turbines are in service, powering about 110 000 inhabitants 😲. The creation of sporting events inside the park brings together seasoned runners, amateur trail runners or curious onlookers to enjoy an innovative experience and discover the territory and the local heritage. The race aims to showcase the territory of Perpignan Méditerranée Métropole (PMM), while combining the theme of renewable energy with outdoor activities 🌲. This park is an ideal playground for the practice of trail and hiking, through vineyards 🍇, pine forests and garrigue! "On dirait le suuud..." 🎵

Now that you know more about the event, we’ll tell you a bit more about the courses themselves. Starting at 19h, this will be the starting pistol for the trail runners! 🏁 Your headlamp will light up the night and the clock will start ⌚. All courses are open to everyone and will begin with the same route as the 7 km, from Pézilla-la-Rivière to Villeneuve-la-Rivière. The 11 km will loop back to Pézilla 🔄. The circuit of the 22km will continue to the town of Baixas and you’ll have to run to the village of Calce to finish the 33 km. For the 30 km team, relays will take place at Baixas for the duos and at Villeneuve-la-Rivière then Baixas for the trios. All courses feature a very low elevation for trail: from 32 mD+ for the smallest distance to 385 mD+ for the longest! Finally, you’ll also have a distance of 44km, also accessible in a 4-person relay 🤩. This event is thus designed so you can share the race with your friends or your family (we all know someone who hates running). And if they really don’t want to run, the two 7 km and 11 km hikes are unbeatable arguments to convince them to take part 😜. Additionally, each town is hosting a small 1 km kids' edition for ages 7 to 12. The metropolis has thought of everyone and has a big heart 🩷. For each registration, €1 is donated to the association SOA 66, which supports cancer care 💪.

Plus, the region won’t miss out on weekend activities to enjoy the fresh air in the French-Catalan foothills! To make exploring the park even more fun, a free scavenger-hunt app has been created: four routes with three difficulty levels 🧭 are offered to go treasure hunting in the Ecoparc 🪙. To explore the surroundings, consider taking the train rouge ! 🚝 It will take you between Rivesaltes to Axat. And good news: on December 10, you can hop aboard the first Christmas train! 🧑‍🎄 If you’re up for taking the car 🚗 a little farther away, you’ll find the TaTa museum of Tautavel, a must-see experience blending heritage and nature.

What would a trip be without talking about gastronomy ? Yes, we did mention food (we know you love it, little foodie 😋). But it’s only natural since gastronomy holds a central place in Catalan culture. And autumn 🍂 is a season of culinary delights. The local markets overflow with fresh produce: mushrooms 🍄, chestnuts 🌰 and truffles. Take advantage of the season to taste the traditional Catalan dishes, in one of the many village restaurants.

This new trail puts environmental and heritage values front and center, values you can also defend by wearing your bib. So, shall we see you at the start line? 😉