Trail de Dinant: from an idea between two friends to an unmissable event
It all started in 2020, during a rather peculiar period. The Covid crisis turned habits upside down, sports events came to a standstill, and opportunities to get together became rare.
It was in this context that two friends, passionate about sports and their region, had a fairly simple idea: to create a trail run in Dinant.
No large organization or ambition, at that point, to create an event gathering thousands of people. The goal was above all to offer a different, friendly, and authentic sporting adventure, while helping people discover the exceptional landscapes of Dinant and its surroundings.
A first edition with 200 participants
The first edition was thus launched with around 200 participants.
Compared to today's events, the number might seem modest. But that is precisely where the story of the Trail de Dinant begins.
You have to picture the beginnings: a small setup, a lot of energy, routes to scout and mark, permits to obtain, volunteers to recruit, and a multitude of details to sort out.
But above all, there was a conviction: Dinant has an exceptional playground for trail running.
Challenging climbs, technical descents, forest paths, panoramas over the Meuse valley, and an instantly recognizable heritage. All the ingredients were there to create a race with a true identity.
Then word of mouth did its work
After this first experience, the event was eager to grow.
Edition after edition, new participants discovered the routes. Some came back the following year. They talked about it to their friends, their club, or their training partners.
200 participants became several hundred. Then the Trail de Dinant took another step forward.
But this growth did not change the original idea: to offer much more than a simple timed race.
The Trail de Dinant aims to offer a true experience.
Running in Dinant means discovering the town from a different perspective. It means leaving the streets behind to gain elevation, entering the woods, tackling successive challenges, and taking in a spectacular view of the valley a few kilometers later.
It is this combination of sport, nature, heritage, and local discovery that gradually became the signature of the event.
From a few hundred to several thousand participants
As the years go by, the Trail de Dinant continues to grow.
The routes evolve, several distances are introduced, and the organization becomes more professional. At the same time, the community around the event grows larger and larger.
In 2026, over 2,400 trail runners took part in the event. An impressive growth when thinking back to the roughly 200 participants at the start.
The event now offers various formats, allowing both runners wishing to discover trail running and experienced athletes to take on their own challenge.
But behind these numbers, it remains above all a human adventure.
An adventure that became collective
Because an event like the Trail de Dinant never grows thanks to just two people.
Over the editions, the story has been built with the volunteers, partners, landowners, municipal services, local actors, and participants who make the organization possible.
Every edition represents months of preparation for a few hours of racing. Behind every kilometer lie course scouting, discussions, permits, route marking, logistics, and plenty of unforeseen issues to solve.
It is also this collective energy that allows the Trail de Dinant to continue evolving today.
And the story is far from over
When the two friends launched their first edition in 2020 in front of about 200 participants, it was hard to imagine the journey that lay ahead.
A few years later, the Trail de Dinant brings together thousands of enthusiasts and introduces the region to runners coming to take on a athletic challenge in an exceptional setting.
Yet the principle remains exactly the same as on day one: to create an event that we ourselves would want to experience.
One idea. Two friends. 200 participants.
Then one edition.
Then another.
And another one.
And above all, still the same desire to keep growing without losing the spirit of the early days.
The story of the Trail de Dinant is now written together with thousands.
And it is only just beginning.
Max & Francois