Trail des Fantômes.
The 75 km is the longest course at the Trail des Fantômes and the only one that climbs out of the Ourthe valley onto the plateau above Samrée. Around 2,550 metres of ascent are spread over eight serious climbs, and more than 95 percent of the route is off tarmac. You are not planning a run here, you are planning a full summer day in the forest.
Trail des Fantômes 2027: Course, Elevation & Route Profile
Start and finish are on the Domaine Le Hérou at Nisramont, a few minutes' walk above the Ourthe dam. The first twenty kilometres run past Engreux through the forests of the river meanders and look harmless on paper: not one major climb, but barely twelve percent of genuinely flat ground either. The profile saws between 250 and 400 metres the whole way, and over this distance that sawing costs more than a single mountain would.
The course shows its face from kilometre 22. Three climbs in six kilometres, the last of them 1.27 kilometres at 10.7 percent with ramps over 30 percent, take you to halfway. Then comes the drop to Maboge and the decisive block: almost two kilometres at 7.3 percent from kilometre 40.6, another 1.7 kilometres at 9.2 percent from kilometre 45.5, and at the top sits the highest point of the whole weekend at around 545 metres. You stay on that plateau between kilometres 47 and 55 before the route falls back into the valley by Bérismenil.
The last quarter is what really defines this race. At kilometre 66.6 a 900-metre climb at 12.2 percent throws in a 33-percent pitch, and from kilometre 72.3 another 1.5 kilometres of climbing lead back up to the finish at Le Hérou. Underfoot it is roots, loose rock and narrow forest trail almost throughout, plus two unbridged stream crossings. The organiser has run this race since 2010 and points you afterwards to the ghost show at the medieval castle of La Roche, where Berthe appears, the ghost the trail is named after.
| Start | Length | Ø | Max. | Gain | Cat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km 22.3 | 1.4 km | 8 % | 26 % | +112 m | Cat. 4 |
| km 25.6 | 1.6 km | 6.9 % | 17.4 % | +112 m | Cat. 4 |
| km 28.6 | 1.3 km | 10.7 % | 30.1 % | +136 m | Cat. 4 |
| km 40.6 | 2 km | 7.3 % | 22.3 % | +142 m | Cat. 4 |
| km 45.5 | 1.7 km | 9.2 % | 26.2 % | +156 m | Cat. 4 |
| km 59.6 | 1.3 km | 7.8 % | 17.7 % | +98 m | Cat. 4 |
| km 66.6 | 0.9 km | 12.2 % | 33 % | +110 m | Cat. 4 |
| km 72.3 | 1.6 km | 6.6 % | 29.3 % | +102 m | Cat. 4 |
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 Trail des Fantômes.
Start under control
The first twenty kilometres are this course's biggest trap because they feel fast. They are not: 16.7 percent of steep uphill and 16.6 percent of steep downhill are already packed into that section, just in short pieces. Walk the small ramps deliberately once they steepen past ten percent, and treat the first pass through the start and finish area as a stage marker rather than a split.
Hold your rhythm
The race is decided between kilometres 40 and 55, the only section this distance runs alone. That is where the two longest climbs sit back to back, where the highest ground of the weekend is, and where you are furthest from the finish. Eat and drink to a plan there, because feed stations thin out through that stretch and the plateau offers far less shade than the valley.
Spend what is left
The second mistake is assuming that Bérismenil means it is over. After kilometre 63 there are still around 200 metres of climbing in two efforts, including a 33-percent pitch at kilometre 66.6 and the final climb from kilometre 72.3. Run the descents before them sloppily, on locked quads, and you will not be running that finish, only walking it.
Training plan for Trail des Fantômes: 12-week build
Build the base
For most age-group runners this is a day of nine to thirteen hours, eight to nine for a fast field. That is no longer a threshold question but one of aerobic base and of being able to keep eating for hours. The demand is not steady either: the course is roughly forty short strength efforts and descents with only twelve percent of flat ground between them.
Train race pace
The central piece of preparation is long runs with the climbing loaded late. Copy the race's structure by putting the climbs into the final hours of your long sessions rather than the first. Hiking the steep sections belongs in that training explicitly, not as a fallback but as technique: between kilometres 22 and 30, and again from kilometre 40, you will spend hours alternating between running and fast walking.
Rehearse the course
The second focus is downhill. More than 27 percent descending ground and almost 17 percent steep descent on roots and loose rock demand eccentric durability, or the muscles fail before the cardiovascular system does. Build in descent repeats under fatigue, and run them on technical ground rather than on gravel roads.
Arrive fresh
Then the conditions: early August, forest floor, two stream crossings and a plateau with no shade. Train in heat, test your shoes wet, and practise navigating from the GPX on your watch. The organiser marks the course carefully but says itself that markings are regularly removed on purpose.
Courses
Download the Trail des Fantômes course as a GPX file for your watch or bike computer.
Let YOUB adapt your plan for Trail des Fantômes 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 Trail des Fantômes.
How long is Trail des Fantômes?
Trail des Fantômes is 75 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 Trail des Fantômes have?
Trail des Fantômes has around 2,547 m of elevation gain over 75 km. That affects pacing, muscular load, and preparation for late-race sections.
What is the route profile of Trail des Fantômes?
Trail des Fantômes is classified as Mountainous, averaging 34.5 vertical metres per kilometre. 12% of the route is flat, 28% climbs moderately (2 to 6%) and 17% is steeper than 6%.
What climbs does Trail des Fantômes have?
The hardest climb of Trail des Fantômes starts at kilometre 45.5, runs for 1.7 km at an average of 9.2% and gains 156 metres. Cycling-convention rating: Cat. 4. 8 climbs are mapped in total.
Is Trail des Fantômes a loop course?
Yes, Trail des Fantômes is laid out as a loop: start and finish are in the same place.
Is there a GPX file for the Trail des Fantômes course?
Yes. The Trail des Fantômes 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 Trail des Fantômes?
Preparation for Trail des Fantômes should account for 75 km, 2,547 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 Trail des Fantômes?
The pacing strategy for Trail des Fantômes should reflect 75 km, 2,547 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 Trail des Fantômes take place?
Trail des Fantômes takes place on August 7, 2027.
Where does Trail des Fantômes take place?
Trail des Fantômes takes place in La Roche-en-Ardenne, Belgium.
Which distances does Trail des Fantômes offer?
Trail des Fantômes offers 7 distances — 75 km: 75 km; 55 km: 55 km; 20 km: 20 km; 10 km: 10 km; 35 km: 35 km; 25 km: 25 km and 1 more.
How do I register for Trail des Fantômes?
Registration runs through the organiser: trailrun.be. YOUB shows you the course, elevation profile and training plan for your preparation.
