© Chantal Cassagne / Trail de Nébian
The Slip Race in Nébian: a quirky, one-of-a-kind run
26/11/2025 15:42Some races are quirkier than others. As the Christmas “corridas” approach and runners don their most outlandish costumes, one event about forty kilometres from Montpellier manages to outdo them all, shining a spotlight each year on a small village in the south of France. Now an autumn tradition, Nébian’s Slip Race draws around a thousand participants across several distances ranging from 8 to 100 kilometres — but its fame comes above all from one very… lightweight event.
Every year at the end of November, the quiet rural village of Nébian — home to 1,573 residents and set just a short distance from the stunning Lac du Salagou — comes alive for a festive weekend. This picturesque corner of Hérault is loved for its charm, mild climate and peaceful atmosphere, but also for its annual running celebration. For the past eight years, the Nébian Trail has brought together around 1,000 runners across its various race formats.
The most competitive event, Les Miquelets, is a 13.5 km trail with 550 m of elevation gain that attracts nearly 400 enthusiasts. La Nébianaise offers a more accessible option, at 8 km with 300 m of elevation gain. For the most seasoned runners, the UTNB — the Ultra-Trail de Nébian, a playful nod to the UTMB — features a 100 km course with 4,400 m of elevation gain on a 12.5 km loop. With a Saturday start, long-distance runners spend both day and night traversing the rocky paths.
| A wild, off-the-wall race
While the event offers several race formats, the one that steals the show first appeared in 2019: the Slip Race. Hundreds of runners take over the streets of this small countryside hamlet wearing only a pink or brown leopard-print brief — the signature outfit of the spectacle that made the race famous. The cheering crowds pack the narrow lanes, smoke flares fill the air, and hyper-energized announcers crank up the atmosphere. Participants, each more eccentric than the next, show up either ready to battle or simply to have fun. The electrifying mood wipes away the November chill and transforms the quiet village into the stage of a wonderfully absurd, high-energy spectacle.
“A crazy idea,” says organiser Adrien Igoun, his southern accent unmistakable. The organising team — all handball players — took inspiration from the Australian Budgy Smuggler trend back in 2018. It didn’t take long before they added a brand-new, unconventional course to the programme. This quirky 3.2 km race with 110 metres of elevation gain serves as a warm-up before the main event, the 13.5 km trail — all while remaining “a real race, run with genuine competitive spirit.”
This year, more than 68 trail runners decided to pair this eccentric warm-up with the Miquelets trail. The route starts in the village, climbs up before dropping down along a single-track path, then loops back into the heart of Nébian amid loud cheers from the crowd.
| An unexpected craze
Prizes for the winners, official timing, a crowd going wild — nothing is left to chance. The Slip Race has become even more popular than the other events, even though its creators insist that it’s first and foremost “a silly idea that got bigger than expected,” and not, in their eyes, the most important race of the weekend.
Everyone can take part — with one condition: no nudity allowed. Women are permitted to run in shorts and a sports bra. The race went from 28 participants in 2019 to 100 after Covid, then to 200 runners — including 33 women — on 23 November this year. “The magic really worked, year after year.” The trend was amplified by a YouTube video from the channel Zinzin Reporter Productions. “From that moment on, we completely lost control of the media side of things,” laughs Adrien Igoun.
The latest addition is a fun, untimed one-kilometre warm-up held before the official start. It gives runners a chance to gather in a pack through the village streets, chat, and loosen up. After this festive crowd bath, competitors return to the start arch for the gun to go off. The goal: to be crowned the overall winner — wearing the now-iconic leopard-print brief. And behind all the craziness, the competition remains very real.
| The event’s world record
The absolute benchmark of 11:50 over 3.2 km still belongs to Asics athlete Valentin Benard, who has built an impressive résumé in the trail-running world. Winner of the Trail 100 Andorra by UTMB 2025 – Ultra 105K last June, and recently runner-up at the Bariloche Patagonia by UTMB 2025 – Bella Vista 55K just a week ago, the two-time Slip Race champion is a regular on international podiums. Local runners take this unusual race very seriously, like Abel Jorissen, who has made it his top goal of the year and ranks among the best.
Competition is fierce among athletes from the region. Téo Vaultier is both a trail runner and an adventure racer. Born in Clermont-l’Hérault and now living in the capital, he can proudly claim to have won the event three times. It is a point of pride for him, since he made the trip from Paris to Nébian specifically for the occasion, and came away with another victory. “It’s a funny story to be a three-time champion of the underwear race, much to the delight of my mother, who gets to keep the metal trophy at her place for another year, with my name engraved on it,” explains the Hérault native, who returns every year for the explosive atmosphere, the usually pleasant conditions, and the loop he describes as lively, fast, and playful.
“It feels funny and unusual to run in this outfit in November, with just a few degrees outside. It creates a kind of sporting fairness. Everyone is forced to run with limited gear, unlike in traditional trail races where the differences in equipment are huge.”
Téo Vaultier, three-time winner of the Slip Race
| A strong and fully embraced identity
A trophy crafted by the local metalworker, perfectly reflecting the identity of the event. It was molded in plaster from the backside of the creator’s former partner, with her consent. Each year, the names of the winners are engraved on it. The idea was inspired by the Brennus Shield, awarded to the French rugby champions since 1892.
Above all, accessibility is Adrien Igoun’s main concern. “We organize this weekend the way we wish every race we participate in would be,” he explains. Entry fees are deliberately kept very low. For just six euros, anyone curious can take part in this quirky event. One euro from each registration is donated to the French League Against Cancer, and every participant receives a beer at the finish line. “We don’t make any profit from this,” emphasizes the passionate organizer. Swim briefs are also available for purchase, giving participants the chance to snag both a racing outfit and a collector’s souvenir.
This philosophy extends to all the races, including the UTNB (Ultra-Trail de Nébian), which playfully parodies the UTMB. “We like to have fun with the UTMB’s parodic image, even though the event is now on track for official labeling and aims to join the circuit within the next two years,” explains the organizer.
Running has the power to transform both people and places. In Nébian, a wild idea sparked a level of enthusiasm even the organizers hadn’t anticipated. Straddling serious performance and playful self-parody, the Slip Race has carved out its place as a quirky highlight within a diverse trail-running program. This emblematic tradition draws an ever-growing crowd of curious participants each year.
Emma BERT
Journaliste
