On 21 March 2025, CACE returned to the forested hills of southern Belgium for what is only our second Ardennes escape – but it already feels like tradition. After last year’s trail adventure in a different corner of the forest, this year’s mission took us to the Trail des Sangliers. A weekend filled with shared miles, home-cooked meals, well-earned podiums, spontaneous flute concerts, and, naturally, table dancing.
Friday Evening: A Star-Studded Kitchen
Friday night was all about the art of recovery – before the race even started. Our base camp (a perfectly picked chalet with just the right amount of room for chaos) was soon filled with delicious aromas. Miguel kicked things off with a round of Spanish tapas that had us temporarily forgetting we were here to run, not siesta. Then came the main event: pasta and risotto. Angelos’ risotto was the go-to for the vegetarians (and it did not disappoint). The pasta came in a meat version, and while some of us couldn’t judge it directly, judging by the glowing faces and empty plates, even Paul Bocuse himself would’ve been proud. And for dessert? Cakes galore – some lovingly homemade, others sourced from bakeries so fine they probably have their own Michelin bibs.
The result? A full-bellied, joy-fueled gathering that earned the club an unofficial three stars for culinary excellence.
Saturday Morning: Trails, Triumphs & Last-Minute Legends
Race day dawned – early for the 75k crew, who started while most of the forest was still asleep. The trails, though hilly and long, were not the muddy beasts of legend this year. Instead, we got smooth forest paths, rolling climbs, spectacular ridgelines, and sweeping views that made every uphill worth it. Add in the perfect running weather, and it was the kind of day trail runners dream of.
The following highlights give just a taste of the day’s many strong performances – there were plenty of others who delivered impressive efforts across all distances.
– In the ultra:
- Claire – comme d’habitude – stormed to another podium finish, casually keeping up her reputation as our trail queen.
- Paulina, who only arrived late Friday night, got up at an unholy hour, ran the 75k like it was a Sunday jog, finished fourth, and was back in Brussels by Sunday morning offering others a ride home. Her determination? Unmatched.
- Johan, registering just hours before the start, went full ultra with no hesitation. Wild boar energy.
– In the 26k:
- Angelo powered through to a top-10 finish and unofficial age-adjusted victory – true CACE spirit.
- Nathalie, in her first longer race post-injury, made a powerful comeback that reminded everyone what strength really looks like.
- Charlotte used the race as “training” for her next big adventure (or so she claimed – we’re not entirely convinced by the casual tone. Given the list of hardly-anymore-humanly-possible races she’s done or is about to do, we believe her anyway).
- Michelle, possibly the most Irish person on the start list – and was greeted with a warm “Sláinte!” at the finish line. From a distance, it looked like she took it with typical Irish grace: a smile, a nod, and a hint of “sure, why not?”
- Enrique, Nils, Niall, and Björn all finished solidly below 3 hours, showing what steady trail love looks like.
– In the 15k:
- Sam did what few non-pros manage to do – he won the whole race. First place overall! A massive, hard-earned achievement.
- Dominique, once loudly not a trail fan, may have been caught smiling on the course. Later, she was spotted in deep conversation with the ultra crew – just saying. Something’s brewing.
- Monika, channeling her inner Austrian ski champ, finished the race using borrowed poles (don’t ask), closing the race for the club with the style, grace, and determination of a pro.
Saturday Evening: Flute Solos, Free Limoncello & Tabletop Boogie
Back at the chalet, Maaria, ever the generous soul, greeted runners with “alcohol-free” beers… only for some to discover a few sips later that they were, in fact, sipping strong Belgian ale. Recovery, redefined.
Dinner that night, handpicked by Charlotte, came with hearty food, good wine, and free limoncello – in glasses so large they looked suspiciously like German Maß beer mugs.
Fortunately, there were a few bobs among us – a Belgian word some of us newly learned for designated drivers. Thanks to them, we made it safely back to the apartment, where the afterparty continued in full swing.
Enda brought out his mystical Irish flute (still unnamed, still unforgettable), and the room transformed. Music floated, voices joined in, and then – without warning – the table dancing began. Was it the limoncello? The endorphins? The runner’s high? All of the above.
Sunday Morning: Shake-Outs & Wisdom
Despite the dancing and the distance, Sunday morning saw a few brave souls up for a leg-loosening run led by Bert – our legendary all-star coach, who somehow always manages to get people moving, even when they insist they can’t feel their legs.
Later, back at the apartment as people packed and said their goodbyes, someone turned to our club president Niall and said, “Organising this must have been a lot of work.” He just smiled and said: “In the Ardennes, it’s hardly any effort. And anyway – where else would I rather be?”
Exactly that.
To everyone who ran, cooked, danced, played, and laughed – thank you. Until the next trail calls.
Sebastian