The Trail du Vulcain is undeniably one of the must-do events in the French trail calendar. To run its trails is to discover the Auvergne volcanoes, their craters, forests and panoramas. The four distances of the event allow you to explore the northern part of the Puys chain. The main race, the Ultra-Volcanic, takes runners to the top of the famous Puy de Dôme, an icon of the region. Its course is fairly easy, with 80 kilometres (50 mi) and 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) of elevation gain. It winds through the volcanoes, drawing loops between Volvic and the puy de Dôme. I used these loops to divide the route into three courses, one of 23 kilometres (14 mi) and the other two of 28 kilometres (17 mi).

The first loop discovers the town of Volvic and its surroundings. You pass by its pretty centre, the Tournoël castle and the statue of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde. You approach the Nugère and Bannière puys, though the route refrains from climbing them. The second loop is a series of volcanoes along the flanks and craters of the Louchadière, Gouttes and Jume puys. Finally, the third loop features the volcano that’s the symbol of the race, the puy de Dôme. You run around it first, before finally taking on the tough ascent to the top.

Plotting the race route in linear stages turned out to be too complicated because of the lack of accommodation in the southern part. Much simpler is to use the three loops in this Collection. Each is accessible by public transport: the first two by train from Clermont-Ferrand and the third by a shuttle bus from Clermont-Ferrand to the lower station of the Panoramique des Dômes. Clermont-Ferrand is therefore the best base camp. The train timetable is available here: panoramiquedesdomes.fr/page/horaires-du-train

It’s worth bearing in mind that the shuttle only runs from April to October. If you plan to drive, you can also run the Vulcan Trail in March and November. The official event takes place on the first weekend in March, often on snowy paths. For the most authentic experience, this is the best time to run the route. Volcanoes are also very pleasant to visit in spring. In any case, avoid December, January and February, as the snow cover may be too heavy.

As the loops are less than 30 kilometres long (19 mi), you don't need to carry lots of supplies. However, take enough water and food with you and, depending on the season, make sure you are well covered. Between the town of Volvic and the top of the puys, the temperature can vary markedly.

In ancient times, pilgrims coming from Clermont-Ferrand to worship Mercury on top of the puy de Dôme also had to face the harshness of the volcanoes. This time it’s up to you to face them, not in honour of Mercury, but of Vulcan!