The Pays-Haut Challenge Trail continues to broaden its horizons. During the closing evening of the 2024 edition, the organizers announced the integration of a Belgian race for 2025, with a view to an ambitious cross-border project.
During the closing evening of the Challenge Trail 2024, held at the Jean-Ferrat cultural space, many personalities were honored. More than 80 people were present to celebrate the event. Jennifer Galdini, treasurer and project coordinator, and Lahouari Bachir, president of the Longwy Trail Challenge, thanked the mayor, Hamdi Toudma, Pape M’Baye as well as the elected officials for the organization of the 2024 event in Longlaville.
“Without the organizers, partners, volunteers and runners, the Challenge Trail would not exist,” said Lahouari Bachir. The Pays-Haut Challenge Trail association was founded on April 4, 2018, bringing together the four trails in the region. Since its creation, the objective of the Challenge Trail has been to give meaning to the event by promoting essential values. The organizers wanted to establish a competition around running in the region by proposing a racing calendar extending from February to the end of November. The committee chose to diversify the routes, including trail, nature trail, urban trail and nocturnal trail, while remaining aware of the fragility of forest heritage and nature in general. All the routes were developed in collaboration with the ONF and Belgian forest guards.”
Lahouari Bachir recalled that runners and walkers were invited to respect the rules by adapting to the different routes. Sports tourism was also highlighted, encouraging everyone to discover the surrounding nature, in particular the forests, the ramparts, the remains and the cross-border paths which mark the routes of the Challenge Trail.
In 2025, he emphasizes, the Challenge Trail du Pays-Haut will have nine trails, with the inclusion of the Belgians from the Virton Urban Trail. The organizers wanted to thank Bernard Rongvaux and Céline Berkes for their decision to join this adventure. They also hope that, in the near future, Luxembourgers will be part of the Challenge Trail. A first cross-border event (France, Belgium and Luxembourg) which would be a first in Europe. The call is therefore launched.
Since 2018, the Pays-Haut Challenge Trail has undergone notable development. The first event brought together four trails, for a total of 1,522 participants and 89 classified.
The first 2025 challenge will take place in Villerupt.
In 2024, seven trails were planned, but only six took place: the Daniel-Feite Trail had to be canceled due to the elections.
5K, 10K and 20K races, as well as walks and kids’ runs, attracted more than 3,800 participants and 103 ranked athletes.
