A Christmas-morning 35 km through private Vendée bocage opened for one day
La Surprise du Père Noël is the 35 km trail of the Les Courses du Père Noël weekend in Les Herbiers, run on the Sunday morning after the overnight HOT ultra. It starts and finishes at the Parc Expo and loops through the hedgerow farmland of the Vendée bocage, using paths on private land that the owners open only for the race. The climbing comes in short, steep pitches rather than long hills, and December rain often turns the paths to mud, so the course runs harder than its modest gain suggests. Two aid stations serve the route, and the festive atmosphere draws a field of around 400 runners.
Suitable for first-timers
Les Herbiers, Vendée, FranceDecember 20, 2026
La Surprise du Père Noël is a loop trail race in Les Herbiers, Vendée, France, held on December 20, 2026. The course covers 35 km and climbs 898 m.
| Location | km | Elevation | Cutoff | Crew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Start Start | 0.0 | 116 m | — | |
Golf des Alouettes Aid Station | 8.6 | 228 m | — | Crew |
Le Mont des Alouettes Landmark | 12.1 | 228 m | — | |
La Samilière Aid Station | 25.1 | 161 m | — | Crew |
Finish Finish | 35.0 | 116 m | — |
Cutoffs and access rules come from the race’s published information and can change. Check the official race site before planning around them.
Sign in for race-day weather at every station, points of interest, segment-by-segment analysis, pacing, and to save this race to your calendar.
Late-December morning in western France — near-freezing starts are possible
Winter rain often makes the bocage paths muddy and slippery
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