Roc Trail.
The Roc Trail 25 km is the Sunday run of the biggest mountain-bike festival in the Benelux: 25.6 kilometres and around 440 metres of climbing on the forest tracks and trails around Houffalize, with a loop out to Achouffe. Only 18 percent of the course is flat – the rest undulates continuously between 328 and 461 metres.
Roc Trail 2027: Course, Elevation & Route Profile
The start is on the Place de l'Église in the centre of Houffalize, the town the festival fills for the whole weekend. The opening kilometres climb out of the Ourthe valley; the first classified ascent comes at kilometre 2.1, 830 metres at five percent with pitches to 9.3.
The course then follows the ridges north-west of the town. The organizer places its feed points at Alhoument, Taverneux, Mont and Achouffe – and all four sit on this route, while the 10-kilometre loop reaches only the first. The loop out to Achouffe, home of the brewery that lends the festival its name, is what distinguishes the long distance.
Underfoot it is Ardennes forest: forestry tracks, singletrail and meadow paths, often still damp on a May weekend. With 43 percent uphill and 36 percent downhill but only 1.4 percent in the steep-uphill band, the profile describes a course with no real climbing test and no recovery either – an unbroken sequence of short undulations. The finish is at Cour-de-l'Abbaye, in the middle of the festival site.
| Start | Length | Ø | Max. | Gain | Cat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km 2.1 | 0.8 km | 5 % | 9.3 % | +41 m | — |
| km 5.9 | 1 km | 4.7 % | 7.6 % | +49 m | — |
| km 9 | 1.3 km | 3.1 % | 5 % | +39 m | — |
| km 13.3 | 0.4 km | 4.8 % | 6.8 % | +17 m | — |
| km 14.9 | 0.8 km | 5.3 % | 7.9 % | +41 m | — |
| km 18.7 | 0.9 km | 7.3 % | 10.8 % | +65 m | — |
| km 22.4 | 0.3 km | 5.5 % | 7.6 % | +18 m | — |
| km 24.2 | 0.4 km | 5.1 % | 6.3 % | +19 m | — |
Climb categories follow the road-cycling convention and rate the terrain itself (length and gradient) regardless of sport: Cat. 4 marks the easiest rated climbs, Cat. 1 the hardest, and HC (hors catégorie, “beyond categorization”) is reserved for the most brutal ascents. Short climbs below the Cat. 4 threshold stay unrated.
How to pace Roc Trail.
Start under control
This course has no climb on which the race is decided, and that is exactly its difficulty: with 18 percent flat you never get a passage on which to recover. Run on effort rather than on split times – on undulating forest ground the splits swing by a minute per kilometre without your effort changing at all.
Hold your rhythm
The trap is at the start. The first climb at kilometre 2.1 arrives before you are warm, and the field is dense in the narrow town centre. Push it at race pace and you will pay in the second half.
Spend what is left
The run is decided between kilometres 9 and 14, where the course is furthest from Houffalize and the undulations come closest together, and on the trails out to Achouffe. In the wet, footing decides more there than form does. Take something at all four feed points – 25 kilometres off-road burns more than the distance suggests.
Training plan for Roc Trail: 12-week build
Build the base
Reckon on two to three and a half hours. The effort is a continuous trail run in the upper endurance range with constant small intensity spikes – every undulation costs a few seconds above threshold, and there are a great many of them over 25 kilometres.
Train race pace
What decides it is the ability to run economically on uneven ground. Four hundred and forty metres of climbing is modest for a trail; what fatigues you is the constant change of stride length and surface, plus the eccentric load of 36 percent downhill.
Rehearse the course
So the emphasis is long runs off-road rather than on tarmac: two to three hours on forest tracks and trails, with descents run deliberately quickly. Add short uphill intervals of one to two minutes and ankle and core stability work – on technical ground that is the limiter, not endurance.
Arrive fresh
Early May in the Ardennes brings ten to eighteen degrees and frequent rain; the forest floor stays greasy for days afterwards. Run deliberately in the wet on similar ground, choose shoes with real lugs and test them under pace beforehand – and plan your fuelling, because a trail of this length takes two to three and a half hours depending on the weather.
Courses
Download the Roc Trail course as a GPX file for your watch or bike computer.
Let YOUB adapt your plan for Roc Trail dynamically
Ben connects your goal, the course, current load, recovery, and calendar. Your plan stays pointed at race day even when real life is not perfectly plannable.
Everything about Roc Trail.
How long is Roc Trail?
Roc Trail is 25 km long. That distance shapes how much aerobic endurance, pace durability, and race-specific work belong in the training plan.
How much elevation gain does Roc Trail have?
Roc Trail has around 444 m of elevation gain over 25 km. That affects pacing, muscular load, and preparation for late-race sections.
What is the route profile of Roc Trail?
Roc Trail is classified as Rolling, averaging 17.3 vertical metres per kilometre. 18% of the route is flat, 43% climbs moderately (2 to 6%) and 1% is steeper than 6%.
What climbs does Roc Trail have?
The hardest climb of Roc Trail starts at kilometre 18.7, runs for 0.9 km at an average of 7.3% and gains 65 metres. 8 climbs are mapped in total.
Is Roc Trail a loop course?
Yes, Roc Trail is laid out as a loop: start and finish are in the same place.
Is there a GPX file for the Roc Trail course?
Yes. The Roc Trail course is on this page as a free GPX download — ready to import into Garmin, Wahoo, Komoot, Strava or any other app that reads GPX.
How should I prepare for Roc Trail?
Preparation for Roc Trail should account for 25 km, 444 m of elevation gain, current training load, and available training time. An adaptive plan helps place key sessions without ignoring recovery and real life.
What pacing strategy works for Roc Trail?
The pacing strategy for Roc Trail should reflect 25 km, 444 m of elevation gain, and your current fitness. Start controlled and keep margin for sections where the profile or fatigue makes target pace harder.
When does Roc Trail take place?
Roc Trail takes place on May 2, 2027.
Where does Roc Trail take place?
Roc Trail takes place in Houffalize, Belgium.
Which distances does Roc Trail offer?
Roc Trail offers 2 distances — Roc Trail 25 km: 25 km; Roc Trail 10 km: 10 km.
How do I register for Roc Trail?
Registration runs through the organiser: rocdardenne.be. YOUB shows you the course, elevation profile and training plan for your preparation.
