FACT OF THE DAY See the city in a different light with the Nîmes Urban Trail

The 10th edition of the NUT will take place on Sunday February 16, 2025. 12,000 participants from all over France are expected, a record participation rate. It must be said that the NUT has taken up its winter quarters in the cultural and sporting landscape of the city of Antonin. Apart from the coolness which often makes the coldest of runners shiver, the atmosphere and the offerings are warm and qualitative.

For Nicolas Rainville, deputy delegate for sports, comments: “ Ten years, happy birthday! The NUT, unlike us, is improving and has not aged a bit. We share the same values ​​of work, solidarity, passion, questioning and resilience. We don't run the NUT, we do the NUT! »

This year, 2,400 people will participate in the 10km hike, 3,200 in the 10km run, 3,500 in the 16km race, 2,100 in the 24km and, finally, more than 850 are already registered for the new distance, the 42km .

The sports official resumed: “ As soon as the adventure is over, because it is an adventure, we are already making an appointment for the following year! We hope to have our precious sesame to discover exceptional sites. This beautiful story continues beyond the first 1,500 participants of the first edition. The City and its services are very involved. »

It must be said that the figures are incredible. On the starting line, there are 51% women and a turnover of 70% from one year to the next. In 2025, hold on, we will have 42 different nationalities and 25,000 spectators!

Among the runners, there are 55% from Gardois, but in total 92 French departments are represented with, for example, nearly 400 Lyonnais and more than 300 Parisians.. Idem for the works councils which will involve 1,500 employees, enough to satisfy Xavier Douais, deputy delegate for tourism: “ There are 12,100 registered for February 16, which is very interesting, especially in this season. This event matters to us, but I look even more at the 75% of participants who are not from Nîmes but who will be accompanied by our ambassadors so that they can discover the city and want to come back. »

Benoît Goiset, associate director of YesWeRun, present during the first edition, remembers the time gone by and what this race has become ten years later. “ Thanks to the Nîmes Trail Attitude association, the group of friends who organized the event! Then, we met another driving force in the person of Nicolas Carbo to bring this project to life thanks to the support of the City. »

For 2025 and its anniversary, the NUT is entitled to a facelift while reaching a milestone. With more than 300 urban trails in France each year, you have to stand out. If Lyon was the first city to play the game, it is today in Nîmes and Rennes that success is achieved.

For what ? Because the NUT offers, with sport as a pretext, another vision of heritage tourism, culture, social bonds by crossing three accommodation establishments for dependent elderly people or even winter festivities. “ Organizing a race in an urban environment is not easy! The association of friends, Denim Running, is very involved but on the big day there will be 900 of us working behind the scenes… We are experiencing beautiful things, people are taking a step towards each other, they are getting wet to ensure the success of the NUT. »

Nîmes is therefore on the way to becoming the leading urban trail destination in France. Realize the success… The 2025 registrations, opened in October, only took three weeks to be filled and there are already more than 10,000 pre-registered for 2026!

With so many people in the city running and trudging, you have to know how to avoid congestion to manage the flow. The organization knows how to do it. She gets better every year. The average age of those registered is 41 years old. They will be able to run in 39 sites (compared to 30 in 2024) emblematic of Nîmes. The minimum economic impact of the event is estimated at 700,000 euros.

« We are creating, for the tenth anniversary of the NUT, a new distance, the queen distance in marathon version. It will make it possible to offer a sort of best of ten years. We will also organize a 500 meter race for children aged 3 to 11 around and in the arenas in complete safety. », concludes Benoît Goiset before revealing the new 2025 products.

Eight new sites! The Vacquerolles golf course, the Carémeau University Hospital, the Margaret-Chouleur hotel, the Franciscaines, the Jean-Bouin stadium, the Montaury IME, Le Prolé and the Clos de la Fontaine. The great classics will also be there with the Impe, the Legion, the Musée de la Romanité, Vauban and the Carré d'art.

Pre-registrations 2026. Registrations on February 16, 2025.