The Cheptain Trail by Night

Suffer together, finish together, and celebrate together at the **Cheptaintrail on Saturday, March 21, 2026**. This intimate and fiercely convivial trail event, staged from the school parking lot of Cheptainville in the heart of Essonne, places partnership at its very core. The flagship 22km Duo format demands that two runners remain inseparable from start to finish—every technical descent, every sandy grind through ancient quarries, every winding single-track through the forests of Lardy, Chamarande, Torfou, and Avrainville. With 700 metres of positive gain carved into 100% pure trail terrain, this is no casual jog in the Parisian countryside. It is a shared ordeal, rewarded with matching finisher medals, a mountain-style repas, and a well-earned bière for every duo who crosses the line together. Limited to just 150 teams, the 22KDUO sold out long ago—but the bourse aux dossards offers a glimmer of hope for latecomers.
Solo runners find their own battle on the 11km course, a distilled 300m D+ shot of everything that makes Cheptainville special: soft sand, jagged pierriers, forest aisles devoid of asphalt. Departing at 19:00 as the light drains from the sky, 300 soloists chase podium honours and the same post-race hospitality extended to their duo counterparts. The Cheptain'Kid kicks off the festivities at 14:00, 200 young runners storming a 1km loop with boundless enthusiasm and zero concern for elevation profiles. Every participant—from the youngest pieds nus to the gnarliest duo veterans—receives a gift, proof that this event values presence over performance. Registration for the children's race remains open, but the adult courses are sealed; only the official bib exchange can grant entry now.

What elevates Cheptaintrail above the crowded spring calendar is its unwavering commitment to the post-finish experience. The famed repas montagnard—hearty, generous, unpretentious—transforms the parking des écoles into an alpine refectory, steam rising from pots as runners compare route choices and close calls. Three classifications for the Duo (Femme, Mixte, Homme) ensure equitable recognition, while the solo podium celebrates the six fastest individuals regardless of age or affiliation. No inscriptions on place, no exceptions, no last-minute surprises—just pure, deliberately scaled trail running executed with precision by an organizing team that understands intimacy is worth more than growth. To find a bib now is to win a secondary lottery. To finish is to understand why Cheptainville, population 2,200, becomes the centre of the Essonne trail universe for one night each March.