Archives: Trails

The Dodo Trail XTREME starts at the foot of Le Morne Brabant mountain. The finish line is at Riverland Mauritius in Tamarin. Le Morne peninsula is known for Le Morne Brabant, the majestic mountain classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site based on its historical and cultural importance.  

At this time of year, the race starts in the dark. Runners will need headlamps. The first kilometres are on a sandy flat 4×4 road to warm up before reaching the slopes of the majestic Le Morne Brabant mountain — the first ascent of the race. The 4×4 road leads to 250 m of altitude before running down the mountain, towards the north, on a single-track trail.  

The participants will then enter a vast deer hunting ground, the first of several private properties they will cross in the southwest. This part of the race is done on hilly 4×4 trails as the west coast panorama starts to be illuminated by the rising sun.  

Participants will then enter a second private property, Le Petit Morne, for their second ascent of 250 m of positive elevation, before reaching the first refreshment point (RP 1) after 10 km of effort. From there, participants will enjoy a fantastic view over île aux Bénitiers and the crystal-clear lagoon that surrounds it. 

Runners will then need to deal with a technical and uneven single track, before reaching a 4×4 trail, entering the private estate of Ebony Forest, a sanctuary for the native fauna and flora. 

Afterwards, the track climbs steeply up to Piton Canot. At 550 m high, this peak offers a fantastic panorama over the region. The trail then follows steep and uneven terrain down to Chamarel and the second water station, located at the 17 km mark and at an altitude of 250 m. The next stage of the race is a long, steep ascent towards le Piton de la Rivière Noire, Mauritius’ highest peak at 828 m. From the top of le Piton de la Rivière Noire, runners will enjoy breathtaking views of the island’s luxuriant vegetation, its lagoon, and the ocean beyond.  

A single track then follows the mountain’s edge, which can be very muddy at times, towards Grand Piton, some 700 m further along. It then winds its way to the Black River Gorges before reaching the forest and the third water table (RP 3) at 24 km.  

A 4×4 track then climbs continuously over the next 5 km to an elevation of 600 m, through Plateau Remousse and Camphrier. Trail runners will then run on a mostly flat section, before entering Mare aux Joncs track, a rustic muddy and rocky path. After 500km on the 4×4 trail, trail runners will then reach the flat Macchabée section of the race and will keep left towards Macchabée Kiosk and the 34 km mark, where a fourth water station will be located (RP 4).  

From this vantage point, the entire west coast of the island is visible. Trail runners will need to stay focused as they reach the Zepol track, which descends at an incline of over 30%. The trail then slopes back down to the Black River Gorges. After 200 m, trail runners will Filwil track, then will follow a rocky and technical path down to a river where runners will climb a stile and enter the Matala hunting ground.  

Next, participants will follow a 4×4 track for 4 km. This section is dry, with yellowish grass and stocky, drought-resistant trees typical of the Tamarin region. The track leads to a stream, then to a fence where a property known as Matala awaits, alongside the fifth water station at the 43 km mark.  

The trail crosses the private estate known as St. Martin up to the race’s final peak: la Tourelle de Tamarin at 548 m of altitude. From the top, the view and scenery are amazing: Black River Bay, Tamarin Bay, le Morne Brabant on one side, and Yemen and the High Grounds on the other! The track down to the finish line is highly technical. It involves a descent of the entire mountain face, through several steep, dusty, and rocky sections.  

Once trail runners have reached the foot of the mountain once more, they will follow the track through a wooded area, head towards the Tamarin River, and then run along the Tamarin Bridge before crossing the finish line at Riverland Mauritius.

Shuttles are provided to reach the starting points of each relay section. Please refer to the Schedule for more details.

The Dodo Trail SQUAD 50 KM is a 4-stage relay race on the track of the XTREME 50 KM, from Emba Filao, Le Morne to Riverland Mauritius.

First stage: from Emba Filao, Le Morne to Kiosk Chamarel, 17 km, 1,150 m of elevation gain

The first stage starts at the foot of Le Morne Brabant, the majestic mountain classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site based on its historical and cultural importance.

At this time of year, the race starts in the dark. Runners will need headlamps. The first kilometres are on a sandy flat 4×4 road to warm up before reaching the slopes of the majestic Le Morne Brabant mountain — the first ascent of the race. The 4×4 road leads to 250 m of altitude before running down the mountain, towards the north, on a single-track trail.

The participants will then enter a vast deer hunting ground, the first of several private properties they will cross in the southwest. This part of the race is done on hilly 4×4 trails as the west coast panorama starts to be illuminated by the rising sun.

Participants will then enter a second private property, Le Petit Morne, for their second ascent of 250 m of positive elevation, before reaching the first refreshment point (RP 1) after 10 km of effort. From there, participants will enjoy a fantastic view over île aux Bénitiers and the crystal-clear lagoon that surrounds it.

Runners will then need to deal with a technical and uneven single track, before reaching a 4×4 trail, entering the private estate of Ebony Forest, a sanctuary for the native fauna and flora.

Afterwards, the track climbs steeply up to Piton Canot. At 550 m high, this peak offers a fantastic panorama over the region. The trail then follows steep and uneven terrain down to Chamarel and the second water station, located at the 17 km mark and at an altitude of 250 m.

Second stage: from Kiosk Chamarel to Black River Gorges, 7 km, 600 m of elevation gain

The next stage of the race is a long, steep ascent towards le Piton de la Rivière Noire, Mauritius’ highest peak at 828 m. From the top of le Piton de la Rivière Noire, runners will enjoy breathtaking views of the island’s luxuriant vegetation, its lagoon, and the ocean beyond.

A single track then follows the mountain’s edge, which can be very muddy at times, towards Grand Piton, some 700 m further along. It then winds its way to the Black River Gorges before reaching the forest and the third water table (RP 3) at 24 km.

Third stage: from Black River Gorges to Matala, 19 km, 1,100 m of elevation gain

A 4×4 track then climbs continuously over the next 5 km to an elevation of 600 m, through Plateau Remousse and Camphrier. Trail runners will then run on a mostly flat section, before entering Mare aux Joncs track, a rustic muddy and rocky path. After 500km on the 4×4 trail, trail runners will then reach the flat Macchabée section of the race and will keep left towards Macchabée Kiosk and the 34 km mark, where a fourth water station will be located (RP 4).

From this vantage point, the entire west coast of the island is visible. Trail runners will need to stay focused as they reach the Zepol track, which descends at an incline of over 30%. The trail then slopes back down to the Black River Gorges. After 200 m, trail runners will Filwil track, then will follow a rocky and technical path down to a river where runners will climb a stile and enter the Matala hunting ground.

Next, participants will follow a 4×4 track for 4 km. This section is dry, with yellowish grass and stocky, drought-resistant trees typical of the Tamarin region. The track leads to a stream, then to a fence where a property known as Matala awaits, alongside the fifth water station at the 43 km mark.

Fourth stage: from Matala to Riverland Mauritius, 8 km, 650 m of elevation gain

The trail crosses the private estate known as St. Martin up to the race’s final peak: la Tourelle de Tamarin at 548 m of altitude. From the top, the view and scenery are amazing: Black River Bay, Tamarin Bay, le Morne Brabant on one side, and Yemen and the High Grounds on the other! The track down to the finish line is highly technical. It involves a descent of the entire mountain face, through several steep, dusty, and rocky sections.

Once trail runners have reached the foot of the mountain once more, they will follow the track through a wooded area, head towards the Tamarin River, and then run along the Tamarin Bridge before crossing the finish line at Riverland Mauritius.

The Dodo Trail TROOPER starts in the lower parking lot of the National Park, Black River. It merges with the Dodo Trail XTREME 50 km track about 800 m from the starting line, until the finish line at Riverland Mauritius in Tamarin.  

Trailer runners will run towards an apron and will then follow a 4×4 track that climbs continuously over 5 km to an elevation of 650 m, through Plateau Remousse and Camphrier. Once they reach a flat section of trail at Macchabée, participants will keep their left towards the Macchabée Kiosk and onwards to the 7.2 km mark and the first water station at RP 1. During this segment of the race, participants will have an opportunity to admire panoramic views over Mauritius’ western region.  

Runners should stay focused when descending the track at Zepol, as the trail reaches an incline of over 30%. The trail then follows a short section of the 4×4 track before continuing downhill on a steep gradient. An even 4×4 track leads back to the Black River Gorges parking area.  

After 200 m, runners will reach the Filwil track, then follow a rocky and technical path down to a river where runners will climb a stile and enter the Matala hunting ground.  

Next, the participants will follow a 4×4 track over 4 km. This section is dry, with yellowish grass and stocky, drought-resistant trees typical of the Tamarin region. The track leads to a stream, then to a fence where a property known as Matala awaits, alongside the second water station (RP 2).  

The trail then climbs for 1,000 m and turns left through a third private property known as St. Martin. Thereafter, it will take the runners onto the race’s final peak, la Tourelle de Tamarin, at 548 m of altitude, via a steep, rocky and wild single track. A last water station will be available at the 20 km mark (RP 3).  

The track down to the finish line is highly technical. It involves a descent of the entire mountain face, through a number of steep, dusty and rocky sections. 

After almost 400 m of downhill, the trail merges with a 4×4 track that runners will follow back down to the foot of the mountain. The trail remains relatively flat and then makes its way through the forest towards the banks of the Tamarin River. 

The final section of the race is shady and cool. It follows a path between the Paul & Virginie School and the river bank, straight down to Riverland Mauritius and the finish line. 

The Dodo Trail VENTURE trail starts at Walinzi, Yemen Maingard and follows a dirt path towards Matala. The track, designed for 4×4 vehicles, leads to a single track that rises to an elevation of 200 m. The view over the western coast is breathtaking: participants can admire Black River Bay, the crystal clear lagoon of île aux Bénitiers and the majestic Morne Brabant mountain in the background. On the opposite side of the ridge is the beautiful Vallée of Yemen. 

The trail follows another 4×4 track through the property of the Maingard family, which boasts an incredibly well-preserved native forest and a large variety of indigenous flora. The trail crosses the entire eastern flank of the mountain about halfway up the slope, with some fantastic sights, including Tamarin Bay, Montagne du Rempart and Montagne des Trois Mamelles.  

The runners will then go down a brutal single track to the foot of the mountain before following a 4×4 track for another few hundred meters and entering a forest conversation zone on the way to the Tamarin River bank. This amazing trail ends at Riverland Mauritius, along the river. 

The Dodo Trail ROOKIE 5km starts at Yemen and finishes at Riverland Mauritius in Tamarin. Runners will go through a private nature reserve where they might observe deers and wild boars along the tracks. The trail is mostly flat, with no significant uphill or technical downhill. Participants will run in an absolutely natural environment! A savannah-like property, at the foot of La Tourelle mountain and on the banks of the Tamarin river before crossing it to reach the finish line at Riverland Mauritius.