Another feather in the cap for Trail Morocco! 💪 After organizing 24 trail events through the Trail Amizmiz, Trail Aurocher Oukaimeden, Trail or Bike Takerkoust, and Trail or Bike Marrakech, we are thrilled to announce a brand new competition 🆕: the Trail Chefchaouen Talassemtane! Another surefire hit (no doubt about it 😌) by the organizing team, dedicated to offering events as exotic as they are top-quality 💗, thanks in part to world-class logistics 👍. Yes, you heard right, you won't have to worry about a thing, just about having a great time, at this event happening in June in Chefchaouen, the beautiful blue city located in Northern Morocco 🇲🇦. The program is incredible: 2 or 3 days of getaway in the lush nature of Talassemtane Park with a stunning stage race that promises unforgettable memories 🥰. Curious? 😏 Good! Let’s dive into what you’ll discover 👇.
The most important thing to note ➡️: everyone can participate! Indeed, the cut-off times are set for walkers (21h), giving plenty of leeway! 🚶♂️ Trail runners and hikers can share in this flexible challenge, allowing athletes of all levels to experience the region's beauty 👸. Depending on your level and availability, you can opt for 2 stages or 3 stages ✌️. If you’re in for a long weekend with the "3 Stages", prepare for a total of 84 km and 4,650 m of elevation gain (😳); whereas the "2 Stages" will cover 46 km and 2,450 m of elevation gain. Indeed, this is a real multi-day journey, with wonderful surprises at the end of each day 🎁. The first stage 👆, spanning 38 km with 2,200 m of elevation gain, leads you to Akchour Hotel (more or less quickly depending on whether you're walking or running 😉), where you'll meet the participants of the "2 Stages". The second stage, 26 km with 1,600 m of elevation gain, takes you from Akchour to Talassemtane Park, where you'll spend a night under the stars ⛺️🌌. The third and final stage, a challenging 20 km with 850 m of elevation gain , leads you back to Chefchaouen.
But let's set the scene... 🖼️ Imagine yourself, after a day as fabulous as it is exhausting, relaxing by a campfire 🔥, with your fellow runners nearby, a plate of Moroccan dish on your lap, enjoying the retrospective unfolding before your eyes 👀🎥. This is precisely what awaits if you decide to join this unique experience 🤌. We're talking about an experience, not just a race, because although there’s definitely a competitive aspect (yes, there’s a ranking), that’s not the end goal of Trail Chefchaouen 🙅. Rather, the aim is simple: to showcase, through an eco-tourism sports trail ♻️, the richness of the most humid, preserved, and wild region of Morocco 🦋. In this pristine environment, on natural trails, you will discover stunning landscapes, challenging ascents 📈, canyons, oak and juniper forests 🌳, Berber villages, waterfalls 💦, and caves 😍. And it's all included in the package! 😜
Here’s the deal: you won’t have to worry about anything! This race is not an independence challenge at all. Quite the opposite, you'll be fully supported, so all you have to do is enjoy the experience 🙌. Thanks to the organizing team of 77 people and a logistics team of 30 people, you won't need to think about a thing 😇. International participants are even looked after on Sunday evening (it’s included in the price 👌), while locals can head home. This allows you to catch a flight the next day ✈️, without rushing right after the trail finishes. Overall, you're set for 4 nights of full board, with airport pickups included! 😸 The setup of the camping area in Talassemtane Park will also be fully managed by the organization. A "LiveTrail" will allow your loved ones to follow your progress remotely via an app 📱. The routes will always be opened and closed by two people, ensuring to guide and clean up after the runners 👏. Site visits will take place at checkpoints, where you'll also find quality refreshments 😋. Each evening, an awards ceremony will take place to present a medal for each new stage completed 🥇, with a big medal waiting at the final evening 🏆. A top-notch medical team 🚑 of 25 people (including podiatrists and physiotherapists 💆♂️) will be on hand. Each of these evenings will also feature numerous entertainments, shows, and speeches, making Trail Chefchaouen as friendly as possible 🫶.
The retrospectives are bound to warm your heart ❤️🔥. You'll get to see footage of the many natural spaces you visited earlier. But that's not all! Visits to Chefchaouen are also on the agenda 😁. This city, located in the North-East of the country, at 600 m elevation, at the foot of the Kelaa and Meggou mountains ⛰️, boasts remarkable picturesque beauty akin to a Greek town 🇬🇷. Why? Well, with its blue and white buildings, large stairway passages, and sunny climate 🌞, it almost feels like Santorini (minus the Mediterranean Sea 😂)! The surrounding area, particularly the Talassemtane National Park of nearly 59,000 hectares, is home to 100 bird species and 700 plant species, including many endemics 🪽🌱, and is on the UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list 🌎. All that and more! Through this stage race, you'll have the opportunity to witness as diverse landscapes as Morocco can offer. An opportunity not to be missed! 🤝 You'll pass by several waterfalls, caves, and also 18 springs, ponds, and natural pools offering a welcome refreshment in June 🥵. But indeed, it's Morocco you're visiting! 👉 A country with immense cultural, artistic, gastronomic, and architectural wealth, deeply connected to us 🔗. By joining this trail, you're also directly investing in infrastructure, since 30% of the proceeds will go towards refurbishing rural schools. The last bonus: the event is part of the UTMB and awards 50K and 20K points. What more could you ask for?
Well, we’ll leave you to book your flight tickets now? Sorry, we’ve got to go. Suddenly, we’re craving a tagine 🙄.
For the "3 Stages" resident offer: 6,700 MAD
For the "2 Stages" resident offer: 4,500 MAD
For the "3 Stages" non-resident offer: 950€
For the "2 Stages" non-resident offer: 650€
You can pick up your bib:
on Thursday, June 27, 2024, from 10 am to 6 pm at the Parador hotel in Chefchaouen for the "3 Stages"
on Friday, June 28, 2024, from 10 am to 6 pm at the Akchour hotel in Akchour for the "2 Stages"
on Friday, June 28, 2024, at 7 am: start of the 1st stage of 38 km from Chefchaouen to Akchour
on Saturday, June 29, 2024, at 8 am: start of the 2nd stage of 26 km from Akchour to Talassemtane Park
on Sunday, June 30, 2024, at 8 am: start of the 3rd stage of 20 km from Talassemtane Park to Chefchaouen
Also, note that two briefing sessions will be held the day before the starts of the "3 Stages" and "2 Stages":
on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at 7 pm at the Parador hotel in Chefchaouen for the "3 Stages"
on Friday, June 28, 2024, at 7 pm at the Akchour hotel for the "2 Stages"
Here is the list of mandatory equipment to participate:
Personal cup
Water reserve of at least 1.5 L
Headlamp
Food reserve of at least 800 kcal
Cap or bandana
Waterproof jacket
Whistle
Identification document
Mobile phone
At least 1000 MAD (100€) in cash
Emergency blanket
Yes, a medical certificate is required to start the Trail Chefchaouen Talassemtane. It must be dated less than one year and must indicate that there is no contraindication to practicing competitive sports, competitive Athletics, or competitive running. However, the medical certificate can be replaced by a valid license accepted by the organization.
You must also bring your passport or identity card.
Yes, there are plenty of facilities on-site! The organizers have really put together a top-notch race:
A radio network covering the entire courses
Ambulance, medical staff, and first aid team
Volunteers trained in the specifics of the event
Mountain guides specialized in supervision, with a perfect knowledge of the region
Discover the rest by clicking on this link. You'll see that the packages vary, depending on whether you're a resident or non-resident and whether you choose the "2 Stages" or "3 Stages" option.
For the first stage: 4 refreshment posts + a meal at the finish
For the second stage: 3 refreshment posts + a meal at the finish
For the third stage: 2 refreshment posts + a meal at the finish
A prize-giving ceremony will take place at the end of each event. It will award all the finishers of the stage and the top 3 in the overall men's and women's rankings:
on Friday, June 28, 2024, at 8:30 pm
on Saturday, June 29, 2024, at 8:30 pm
on Sunday, June 30, 2024, at 2 pm
Yes, you will receive a medal at the end of each stage and a larger one at the end of the event.
Have more questions? You can contact the organizers:
by mail: Trail Maroc Association, 166 Qi Sidi Ghanem, 40000, Marrakech
by email: direction@trailmaroc.com
by phone: +212 659-573465 (Anys Ghandoura) and +212 656-583853 (Nihad Oueld Benazzouz)
Want to lend a hand? You can fill out a form by clicking on this link.
The time limit for each stage is set at 12 hours, to allow both walkers and runners to participate!
Yes, every evening, at the end of your stage, you will return to your camp where you'll find your tent and a good meal waiting for you:
on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at the Parador hotel in Chefchaouen (for "3 Stages" runners only)
on Friday, June 28, 2024, at your camp in Akchour
on Saturday, June 29, 2024, at your camp in Talassemtane Park
on Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Chefchaouen for non-residents who will leave on Monday, July 1, 2024
You can find the event's program by clicking here.
If you're the organizer of this race and want to enhance your page's content, claim it here.
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