Trail des Croix

About the race

The Trail des Croix is put on by residents of the village of Francheville near Stavelot and deliberately stays small and easygoing. The course runs entirely on forest and field tracks and passes the many wayside crosses that give the race its name. There are two formats. The Hard Way is a backyard: every hour a new loop of roughly 7.5 kilometres with some 300 metres of climbing sets off, and anyone who fails to complete the loop within the hour is out; this continues for up to six hours. Alongside it runs a relay for teams of three over a 4-kilometre loop, with a further runner joining each lap and the team covering the last one together. Showers, changing rooms and a barbecue are part of the deal.