Archives: Trails

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

At this time of year, the first hour of the race will take place in the dark. Runners will need to make use of their headlamps. The first 7 km of the race are reasonably flat. The race follows a route along the sea, then through the village of Le Morne – the only section of the race on tarred road – before reaching the private property of Baie du Cap.

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 trail climbs gradually along a 4×4 track with a 10 to 15% incline

Participants will then climb a stile to cross into the second private property, Mont sur Mont. A single track at an altitude of 260 m will lead the participants to the race’s first peak, the Piton de La Prairie, which is 550 m high. The runners will be able to admire the view over the Vallée de Chamarel on one side of the peak and the majestic Morne Brabant on the other.

Runners will need to negotiate a technical and uneven single track, covered in roots, slippery grass and stones, on the route up to another two peaks: the 600 m high Piton du Fouge and the 550 m high Montagne la Porte. From there, participants will have a fabulous view of île aux Bénitiers and the crystal-clear lagoon that surrounds it.

Beyond this single-track section, the trail follows a wider dirt road before arriving at the first water station at the 12 km mark. Heading west, the track follows easy, even ground, leaving behind Mont sur Mont and crossing into a private property owned by Owen Griffiths. This part of the trail is in the shade, so participants can alternate between running and walking.

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 16 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 breath-taking 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 at 25 km and an altitude of 100 m.

Trailers will follow the track right up to the third water station at Radier, at the 25 km mark (PK 3 on the trail map). A 4×4 track then climbs continuously over the next 5 km to an elevation of 650 m, through Plateau Remousse and Camphrier. Trailers will then reach the flat Macchabée section of the race and will keep left towards Macchabée Kiosk and the 32 km mark, where a fourth water station will be located (PK 4).

From this vantage point, the entire west coast of the island is visible. Trailers 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, trailers 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 the 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 40 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 a number of steep, dusty and rocky sections.

Once trailers have reached the foot of the mountain once more, they will follow the track through a wooded area, heading towards the Tamarin River, then run along the Tamarin Bridge before crossing the finish line at the Riverland Sports Centre.

The Dodo Trail TROOPER starts in the Black River Gorges. It merges with the Dodo Trail XTREME 50 km track about 800 m from the starting line, until the Riverland Sports Centre in Tamarin.

Trailers will run straight to the Radier, 1,200 m ahead (PK 3 on the trail map). They 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, trailers will keep their left towards the Macchabée Kiosk and onwards to the 7.2 km mark and the first water station at PK 4. During this segment of the race, participants will have an opportunity to admire panoramic views over Mauritius’ western region.

Runners should stay focused when negotiating the track at Zepol, as the trail reaches an incline of over 30%.

The trail then follows a short section of 4×4 track before continuing downhill on a steep gradient. An even 4×4 track will lead trailers back to the Black River Gorges parking area.

After 200 m, trailers 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, the participants will follow a 4×4 track over 4 km. This section is dry, with the 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.

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 water station will be available at the 20 km mark (PK 6).

The track back 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 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 the Riverland Sports Centre and the finish line.

The Dodo Trail Venture 10 km trail starts at Yémen, and follows a dirt path towards Matala. The track, designed for 4×4 vehicles, leads to a single path that rises to an elevation of 200 m.The view over the Western coast is breath-taking: 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 de Yemen. 

The track 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 4×4 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 trail then takes runners on a descent down a brutal single track to the foot of the mountain. Participants will then follow a 4×4 track for another few hundred meters and enter a forest conservancy zone on the way to the Tamarin River bank. This amazing trail ends at the Riverland Sports Centre, along the river.

 

The Dodo Trail Rookie 5km starts at Yémen and finishes at the Riverland Sports Club at Tamarin. You will start in a private nature reserve where you can possibly see some deers and wild boars along the tracks. The trail is mostly flat, with no significant uphill or technical downhill. You will run in various environments, starting in a savanna-like property, a short section on tar road just at the foot of La Tourelle mountain, and will run along the Tamarin river, before crossing it to reach the finish line at the Riverland Sports Club.