Course Pied Anouk Forafo Croix Des Gardes

Running in Cannes

The courses of a heptathlete made in Cannes!

Are you a running fanatic? The Tourist Office is proud to present Anouk, a high level heptathlete from Cannes who will give you her advice, tips and recommendations for an exceptional running experience through breathtaking landscapes. Let’s hear from a professional!

By Anouk

As a former international heptathlete, I was selected 5 times for the French team, and I was on more than 30 national podiums. As Deputy Director of Sports-Youth for the Cannes Town Hall, I have set myself a new challenge: to test all the sports events we organise in Cannes!

Who is Anouk ?

After a high-level career in athletics, I started looking for new sporting adventures that I could reconcile with my new life as a busy Cannes executive and a busy mother.

Intrigued by its “Urban Trail” in 2018, I discovered through its “small” 8 km course, a new passion that has been driving me since then, every week: putting on my trainers to discover by running, the nuggets of Cannes, the capital of outdoor sports.

Courses accessible to all and for all levels, a mobile application to guide you, breathtaking views in the heart of the city, and events to share these sporting emotions with others… all spiced up with a touch of motivation: this is my recipe for putting on my trainers three times a week.

I had to do some sport, but without going far and long and especially at all hours.
Do you follow me?

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My 2 favourite courses

How can you choose a favourite route when some allow you to walk along the sea for kilometres, others to escape to the heart of the Croix des Gardes, the green lung of Cannes, or even to discover the Lérins islands, the jewels of the city of Cannes, with a plunging view.
The secret is to mix them!

Anouk Croix Des Gardes Course A Pied©anouk Forafo

1- The Croix des Gardes course

Every week, I do at least one loop in the Croix des Gardes nature park, where the steep paths alternating between flat, uphill and downhill sections allow me to get away from it all and not see the miles go by.

The Croix des Gardes

Course Pied Anouk Forafo Circuit Croix Des Gardes©michel Giroldo Mairie De Cannes

the not-to-be-missed diversions

In passing, I make a small diversions to go and see the majestic 2-metre high cross which gives its name to this unique natural site, which is adorned with gold during the flowering of the mimosa.

2- Favourite for California course

But my favourite is without hesitation the course in the Californie district, which offers dazzling panoramas of the bay of Cannes at every turn.

the not-to-be-missed diversions

The demanding Observatory trail (course 2), or the easier trail along the Canal de la Siagne (trail 4) offer a breathtaking view of the Lérins Islands, and I can’t help but take a sporty selfie at each session.

24 courses

for 24 different atmospheres

If you’ve never been bored by running, throw your first trainer at me.
Like many, I started my first jogging sessions on the seaside.
How can you not be amazed by the fine sand and the waves that rock you under a radiant sun?
Yes, but then what?

With no less than 24 detailed routes on the Cannes Sports application, your sports programme is all set.

Variety of routes and panoramas

Don’t worry, Cannes offers you the solution: dozens of jogging trails to discover a new breathtaking landscape at each outing.

Getting back into sport?

Track 1, classified as green (meaning “easy”, like the ski resorts) offers a flat course on the Boulevard du Midi.

100 kilometres of marked trails

with pretty blue “Cannes, capital of outdoor sports” markers to guide you around Cannes. And the Cannes Sports application lists them for you, detailing for each one its level of difficulty, its distance, its starting point, and the viewpoints you will find.

Do you want to discover the Croix des Gardes, the green lung of Cannes, by challenging yourself on a few steps?

Don’t hesitate, it’s track 10 that’s holding out its arms to you.

My tips for discovering

Cannes on the run

If you feel like discovering Cannes in trainers, here are some tips to help you in your sporting adventure.

1 - Set yourself a goal
Dare to write down (yes the written word remains) some goals to give you motivation to put on your trainers. Run to lose weight? Run for 20 then 30 minutes without stopping? Pass the 10 km mark? Adding a little bit of elevation gain along the way?
2 - Equip yourself
To take full advantage of your outings, don’t neglect your equipment and above all your trainers, in which you will feel good to run the Cannes routes with pleasure. A little tip for the telephone: I always carry a running belt where I slip it in with my keys and a little money, you never know!
3 - Dare to walk
Be patient, and don’t forget the benefits of walking. Walking around Cannes is already sporty! And if you want to alternate between jogging and running, don’t be shy. The main thing is to move.
4 - Be regular
The secret of high-level sportsmen is regularity. It is by walking or running regularly that you will progress, and discover the pleasure of walking the paths of Cannes. So prefer an easier route that you will do often, rather than an endless session that will discourage you very quickly.
5 - Share your pleasure
After a few beginnings in my discovery of running, it is finally the sharing of sessions with my colleagues, which allowed me to cross the threshold of regularity and pleasure of running for a long time. So don’t hesitate to share your sessions with friends, and especially to take some souvenir photos to share with the #Cannessports community on Instagram.
6 - Challenge yourself to a race
Finally, dare to register for a race organised in Cannes. There is no shortage of opportunities with the traditional Cannes Half Marathon, the Nice-Cannes Marathon or the Odyssea charity race. And if you want to discover exceptional courses, try the Cannes Urban Trail which will allow you to visit the most beautiful sites of Cannes, or even more original, the Cross des îles where you will walk along the Sainte-Marguerite island and its alleys of hundred-year-old pines and eucalyptus trees.
7 - Download the Cannes Sports application
Do you need ideas to find new courses adapted to your fitness level? The Cannes Sports application will be your best ally. It shows you different routes, and can even guide you with your GPS, warning you when you go off the route by mistake. And it even shows you nearby watering holes, viewpoints and car parks!
The free municipal application Cannes Sports is expanding its range of services and offering new functions. It now includes results and league tables for local sports teams, nutritional advice, the location of municipal sports facilities and direct registration for Circuit Training sessions organised each week by Cannes Town Council.
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