La Veni Vici 2025

Hey there, brave gladiator! 🤺 Did you know that all roads lead to the Gard? No, we're not losing our marbles: every November, a cohort of centurions, legionnaires, and other emperors invade the region for the Veni Vici. Those Finishers are crazy! 🤪

In the heart of the off-season, the empire of Uzès hosts the fourth edition of the Veni Vici 💪, a race that guarantees a change of scenery. In the Occitan lands, you'll travel back 2,000 years in history, following the footsteps of brilliant ancestors, heading towards Nîmes 🏛️. Known in ancient times as Nemausus, or the "French Rome" as it’s called today, Nîmes has preserved numerous traces of its rich Roman heritage. Notably, the arena where your fight awaits: the aqueduct of Nîmes. This remarkable Roman monument houses another masterpiece, the Pont du Gard, which you'll get to admire as you make your strides 😍. A charismatic two-millennia-old structure, a protected area, and pleasant temperatures—there you go, the scene is set. This very scene has attracted over 700 participants from 36 different countries. So, do you still have an excuse not to say you came, you saw, you conquered? 🤔

If you have a taste for well-crafted events, you'll quickly notice that this event is certainly not hewn from the same stone as others 😏. With the Pont du Gard as a common denominator across all routes, you'll traverse the axis that fills the locals with pride: Uzès - Pont du Gard - Nîmes. There's something for every gladiator ⚔️ among the six formats designed in this ancient setting: an 82 km trail (2,200 mD+), a 45 km trail, a 27 km track (700 mD+) which can be done as a race or as Nordic walking, a 14 km trail (330 mD+) for running, and finally, a 13 km hike (320 mD+) 👏. Whatever distance you choose, you'll be grateful for life, sing to life, dance to life, as your race will take place in a monumental setting! 🤩

The empire our ancestors bequeathed us in the heart of the Gard is unimaginably rich, and you'll quickly realize this as you make your strides 🏃‍♂️. Get ready for a race with a thousand faces 🎭, where city, nature, villages, and Roman remains coexist harmoniously, forming an unforgettable picture. Fully immersed in the garrigue 🌿, the variety of landscapes will leave you in awe: dirt roads, streams, rocky paths 🪨 (watch your ankles), and pine forests will complete this beautiful scene 🤤. You'll stretch your strides amidst lush Mediterranean vegetation, full of contrasts. You'll be running (or walking) through an environment of oak forests 🌲, the emblematic tree of the region, and wild, fragrant plants like thyme and honeysuckle 🌞. Don't forget the vineyards 🍇 and olive groves 🫒, which will transport you to the South 🏖️. You'll discover an extremely rich historical and cultural heritage, especially if you opt for the longest distance. By running the entire length of the Nîmes aqueduct (yes, you read that correctly!), the Vallée d’Eure will reveal its typical and welcoming stone-built villages 🏘️, such as Saint-Maximin, Argilliers, and Vers-Pont du Gard (let's not spoil everything). Passing by the stone quarries of Vers, you'll see where the stones used to build the Pont du Gard were extracted, the very one you’re eagerly waiting for ⏳. Standing proudly with its 49 meters and three superimposed rows of arches, it boasts its 2,000 years of existence. And as if that wasn't enough, your journey back in history ends in the heart of Roman Nîmes. Nemausus will offer you a grand finale, with Les Jardins de la Fontaine, which you'll descend, the Tour Magne, the Maison Carrée (listed just last year as a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and its famous Arena 🏛️, where your journey will end 🌳. But don’t get too used to the order in which you'll discover all these architectural wonders; the course changes direction every year! Each edition brings new surprises and new routes 🎁.

Alright, the race might be over, but nothing’s stopping you from sticking around and soaking in the Roman era a bit longer 🏺. You get it, there's no need to travel far when you're in Nîmes to immerse yourself in Roman ruins, especially numerous in this city 😉. The arenas of Nîmes are a must-see and will certainly make you feel like you’re in Italy. It's impossible to leave without marveling at the Maison Carrée whose preservation is astounding. And for the feast promised to our gladiators of the day, we recommend the typical brandade de morue with a drizzle of olive oil and a slice of Pélardon cheese 🧀.

So grab your finest toga and a small pouch of sesterces, and come shout your loudest Veni Vidi Vici at the foot of the Pont du Gard! 🚩