Lalique Moder Trail

The Lalique Moder Trail starts in Wingen-sur-Moder, a village in northern Alsace tucked into the Moder valley, in the heart of the Northern Vosges Regional Nature Park. The race was launched in 2026 by the running section of the CECIAS association. Its name is a nod to the village's glassmaking identity: René Lalique set up his glassworks here in 1921, and the museum devoted to him has made Wingen a well-known stop for art lovers. For its first edition, held in mid-March, several hundred runners lined up across the two courses, instantly making it one of the more popular spring fixtures in the Bas-Rhin.

The long course, billed as 25 km, actually measures 24.6 km with about 700 m of elevation gain, and is scheduled to start at 9:00. It follows the forest trails of the Northern Vosges, a sandstone range covered in beech and pine woods, alternating between valley floors and higher ground. With a little under 30 m of climbing per kilometre, the profile is rolling rather than mountainous, and it rewards runners who can pick up the pace again after every rise. The fastest finish in just over an hour and a half, and the bulk of the field comes home between two hours and three hours ten.

The shorter course, listed as 14 km and measured at 14.6 km, has around 400 m of climbing and sets off half an hour after the long race, at about 9:30. It covers the same woodland in a more compact loop and suits road runners keen to try trail as well as trail runners getting back into racing after the winter.

In the afternoon, the village also hosts timed cross-country races, from a 2.4 km race for young runners to an 8.9 km race for adults, with 3.4 km and 4.8 km options in between. The 2.4 km and 3.4 km races mainly attract under-14 and under-16 runners, while the two longer distances bring together youngsters and veterans alike. Families can easily make a day of it, and Wingen-sur-Moder has plenty to see: the Lalique museum and its gardens, and the glassmakers' trail, a loop waymarked by the Club Vosgien that starts at the museum and tells the story of the valley's glassmaking past.

On the practical side, the organisers share all their information, including registration, on their Facebook page; there is no dedicated website for now. The village has a regional train station, so it can be reached without a car. In mid-March the Northern Vosges forest can be cold, damp and muddy, so shoes with good grip and a warm layer for after the race are a good idea. Results are published by a local Alsace timing company as soon as the races are over.