Getting to Rendeux: access, accommodation and ideas for the weekend

Rendeux is a municipality of four villages — Rendeux, Beffe, Hodister and Marcourt — spread along both banks of the Ourthe, in the province of Luxembourg (postcode 6987). The land rises from 190 m at the river to 550 m on the heights: exactly the terrain you will have underfoot on 14 November.

By car

The nearest motorway is the E25 (A26) Liège – Arlon. Take exit 50 Baraque de Fraiture then head for La Roche-en-Ardenne, or exit 49 Manhay. From Brussels and Namur, the usual route follows the N4 to Marche-en-Famenne.

Road distances to Rendeux, traffic aside:

• Hotton: 10 km, about 15 min
• La Roche-en-Ardenne: 11 km, about 15 min
• Marche-en-Famenne: 19 km, about 25 min
• Durbuy: 21 km, about 25 min
• Liège: 63 km, about 1 h
• Namur: 64 km, about 1 h
• Brussels: 125 km, about 1 h 40
• Luxembourg City: 125 km, about 1 h 40

The runners' car park is opposite the Delhaize in Rendeux. Bibs are collected at the start area, from 9:00.

By train and bus

The nearest station is Melreux-Hotton, on line 43 Liège – Marloie, 10 km away. From there, bus TEC 13 (La Roche – Melreux) reaches Rendeux-Bas and Rendeux-Haut in about 8 minutes. Be warned: services are sparse at weekends. Check the Saturday timetable on letec.be before you travel, or arrange a lift from the station.

Where to stay

The municipality has 4 campsites and around twenty holiday cottages; hotels are mostly in La Roche-en-Ardenne, a quarter of an hour away. A few addresses:

• Camping Le Floréal-Festival in Ronzon, on the banks of the Ourthe, open all year
• Camping Marcourt and Camping Le Passage, both at the Marcourt bridge, 200 m from the GR 57
• Le Relais de l'Ourthe in Jupille, a restored 17th-century farmhouse sleeping 16 to 20
• In La Roche-en-Ardenne: Les Arcades or Le Midi

What to do nearby, before or after the race

• The Saint-Thibaut hermitage and chapel, on a rocky spur 140 m above the Ourthe, facing Marcourt: the chapel dates from 1639 and hermits lived there until 1968. Allow 45 minutes on foot uphill from Marcourt. The visiting season ends in mid-November, so check the opening times on stthibaut.be.
• The Robert Lenoir arboretum in Rendeux: 4,300 trees and nearly 1,400 species, free access from sunrise to sunset.
• The viewpoints at Waharday, with its orientation table, and at La Journalle.
• 17 waymarked walks from 3.5 to 9.2 km starting in the villages of the municipality; the map is on sale at the Cœur de l'Ardenne tourist office.
• The GR 57, "Sentiers de l'Ourthe", crosses the municipality: the Hotton – La Roche stage passes through Marcourt.
• With the family, the Parc Chlorophylle is 13 km away, in Dochamps (municipality of Manhay).
• In season, you can paddle the Ourthe from La Roche-en-Ardenne down to Jupille, some 8 km. In mid-November it is more of a hot chocolate moment.

Weather and daylight

Mid-November in the valley means 8 °C in the afternoon and 4 °C in the morning, with roughly one damp day in three. On the heights of the municipality, take off 3 to 4 °C and add rain. On 14 November, the sun rises around 7:50 and sets around 16:53: the race is run in full daylight, but night falls early. Bring dry clothes for the finish, and a head torch if you plan to stay out on the trails.