The Ardennes Monster
The ultra that won’t be tamed.
It takes a fair dose of recklessness just to come looking for it.
From 200 to 1,050 km, the Monster runs through Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and France, stacking climbs and bad ideas, and never lets itself be broken in.
It takes nerve to start, humility to keep going, and something hard to put into words to see it through.
Nobody comes here to beat the Monster.
You come to tangle with it. And you never leave quite the same.
No616.07.2027Namur
Road ultra · Ardennes · No6 · 16 → 20.07.2027
Self-support // Climbing // Night // Character
The flat country doesn’t exist.
The big loop crosses four borders and climbs more than 20,000 m. The climbs of the Classics open the road. Forgotten lanes and the Ardennes’ best-kept secrets do the rest.
Along the routeMur de Huy · La Redoute · Stockeu · Eifel · Oesling · Semois · French Ardennes · Meuse · Citadel
Vertical
20,000 m+
Climbing · 1050K
More than twice Everest. The Mur de Huy, La Redoute, the Stockeu. Then roads nobody takes anymore, and slopes you have never heard of.
Self-support
0
support cars
Your bike, your bags, your calls. At the checkpoints, Resist & Riders who know exactly what you are going through.
Character
1 in 2
sees the Citadel
On the big loop, half the field never sees Namur again. Past 600 km, it is no longer a question of sport.
The Monster doesn’t reward hesitation.
No6 · start on Friday 16 July 2027 at 8 pm, Namur. Early Birds until 31 December.
The routes · No6
Choose your Monster.
Start and finish in Namur, up by the Citadel. The longer the loop, the deeper it digs into the Ardennes, and beyond.
Hover the profile to follow the route. Click a red dot for the details of a climb.
The climbs · 1050K King Ultra
122 climbs. Not one too many.
The famous ones are not the hardest: the worst hide on roads nobody rides. Difficulty ranking by the organisation, on the full loop.
The ten hardest
| Km | Rank | Climb | Country | Length | Avg. | Max |
|---|
Practical info · No6
Before you go.
A start village, checkpoints run by the crew, and everything else is on you. Here is what you need to know.
Schedule
| Route | Check-in | Start | Checkpoints |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1050KKing Ultra | Fri 16.07 · 1 pm | Fri 16.07 · 8 pm | 3 · Coo, La Roche, Gedinne |
| 500KQueen Stage | Fri 16.07 · 1 pm | Fri 16.07 · 8 pm | 1 · La Roche |
| 300KWild Boar | Sun 18.07 · 7 am | Sun 18.07 · 8 am | 1 · La Roche |
| 200KFuri · new | Sun 18.07 · 7 am | Sun 18.07 · 8 am | 1 |
Start village
École hôtelière de la Province de Namur
Avenue de l’Ermitage 7, 5000 Namur, up by the Citadel. Check-in, bike and kit check, race numbers and trackers handed out.
Event ends: Tuesday 20.07.2027.
Checkpoints · 2026 edition
- Coo · Le Coffee RideAvenue Pierre Clerdent 14, Stavelot · km 270 (1050K)Water, power, coffee, snacks.
- La Roche · Panache Bike & SleepRue de Beausaint 4 · km 531 (1050K), 240 (500K), 144 (300K)Camp beds under a marquee.
- Gedinne · Hall de la MorrieRue de la Morie 18 · km 783 (1050K)Indoor camp beds, showers.
Live tracking
Every rider carries a GPS tracker
Friends and family can follow along for the whole event. The tracker is handed out at check-in and returned at the finish, or when you scratch.
Registration calendar
In the pack
| 1050K | 500K | 300K | 200K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Ardennes Monster T-shirt | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Numbered cap | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Resist & Ride bag and bottle | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Finisher medal | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Staffed checkpoints | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| GPS tracker and live tracking | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Personal insurance | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Roadbook | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| La Redoutable beer pack | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Fulfil bar | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Media coverage | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
The rules, in short
Fully self-supported
No outside help, no support vehicle. Food, sleep, navigation and repairs are on you: shops, hotels, bivouacs and bike shops along the way are all fair game.
Drafting
Not allowed for solo riders. In pairs, only behind your teammate, never behind a vehicle.
Mandatory kit
- Helmet, front and rear lights, rain layer, reflective vest or belt.
- Survival blanket and first-aid kit.
- Tyres 25 mm minimum (28 mm recommended).
- GPS tracker supplied by the organisation, against a signed deposit pledge.
Open roads
The event runs on public roads: the Belgian Highway Code applies, day and night. Groups follow article 43bis.
Documents
Medical certificate and sworn statement (1050K and 500K), accident insurance for non-EU residents, at the latest 15 days before the start. Minimum age: 18 on the day of the start.
Scratching
Allowed at any time: tell the organisation and return the tracker before the village closes. Getting home is up to you.
The legend · 2022 → 2026
They wrote the story.
Five chapters, names that keep coming back, and dozens of unsung heroes who reached the Citadel at the end of the night. Or the third one.
The hardest, most physically and mentally demanding challenge I have taken on so far.
The event was first class. This was their first time organizing an event and it seemed like they had been doing this for years.
The question of The Ardennes Monster remains. I have experienced inner monsters at times: fears of what might happen.
In pictures · The Ardennes Monster
Dream or nightmare. You won’t get to choose.
Climbs by headlamp, cows by the roadside, faces at first light. No5, through the lenses of Rémy Murez and Tanguy Sterckx.
Riding with the Monster
No6 · Namur
16.07.2027, 8 pm. The Monster is waiting.
A night start, four countries, a hundred and twenty-two climbs. Early Bird rate until 31 December.