On 12 September, Ferney will once again come alive for the 19th edition of the CIEL FERNEY Trail, one of the oldest and most iconic trail races on the island, built as much on community spirit and camaraderie as on competition. This year, Percy Driver, a seasoned ultra trail runner joins the team as Race Director. 

Can you tell us about your journey in trail running?

I took up running sixteen years ago now. I started modestly, with 5km and 10km races, before gradually working my way up to longer distances: 25km, 50km, then 80km. I soon realised that longer distances suited me best, and that naturally led me into ultra trail running, with 100km and 120km races here in Mauritius. In 2023, I finally ticked off a long held dream by finishing the Tor des Géants in Italy, an extraordinary race covering 350 kilometres and 24,000 metres of elevation gain. And, I’ll be racing for the fifth time this year the Diagonale des Fous in Reunion Island.

What is your history with the CIEL FERNEY Trail?

I've known this trail by reputation for as long as I can remember, and I've had the chance to run its longer formats in the past. Ferney holds a special place for me: every time I get to walk or run there, it's a pleasure. There's always been something different about this race and this place, something that is hard to define yet so real. Taking it on as Race Director has made it even more special to me.

What made you want to take on the role of Race Director?

Since last October, I've been going through a career change. After 21 years in IT, I started my own business, offering race direction, coaching and children's activity services. I started reaching out to organisations running sporting events across Mauritius, and things gradually fell into place from there. Joining the CIEL FERNEY Trail team for this 2026 edition is an honour for me.

What do you think makes the CIEL FERNEY Trail unique?

It's one of the oldest trail events on the island, a real pioneer of the sport in Mauritius. To me, it feels like a celebration of sport, nature and community. Welcoming 4,500 people says a lot about the place it holds in Mauritians' calendars. It's a day when anyone can come and discover Ferney for themselves. I will say it again but taking on this legacy is an absolute honour.

The course runs through forests and a valley shaped by remarkable conservation work. What does that mean to you?

Nature is in fact what got me into running in the first place, long before competition ever came into it. Even now, I'll still lace up my trainers just to head into the forest and clear my head. The role as Race Director lets me bring together two very different groups: competitive runners chasing their best time, for whom flawless trail marking is essential, and everyone else escaping for the day with family or friends on the shorter routes. The beautiful setting of Ferney is quite unlike anywhere else.

Is there a particular moment on the course you would like trailers to remember, beyond crossing the finish line?

Every part of the course has its own particular charm, but if there's one thing I would want people to take away, it's this: when you reach a peak after a tough climb, take a moment to lift your head and look around.

The trail will be physically demanding, but what really matters is taking in that extraordinary landscape. The front runners, focusing on performance, will probably find it hard to look up, but for everyone else, stopping for even for a few minutes to take in the view is well worth it.

What does a Race Director do on the race day that runners never see?

It's mostly an enormous amount of logistical coordination going on behind the scenes. Early in the morning, I brief the teams so everyone knows exactly where they need to be and what they're responsible for, before briefing participants ahead of the race. Once the races are under way, I run operations from the Race Village.

All the information about what happens on each race reaches me directly, and I relay it to the right team straight away. Once the races are finished, I work closely with the timekeeping team, checking our data carefully to make sure everyone who started has either finished or been officially recorded as withdrawn. With 4,500 runners, that's a huge responsibility.

What's the biggest logistical challenge on this edition?

Making all the different routes work together. With four formats on offer, 5km, 10km, 18km and 35km, the courses cross and overlap in several places, with gates that need to be opened or closed at very specific times. It's a genuine logistical puzzle. As this is my first year, I'm still learning the ropes, but with the guidance of Xavier de Baritault from CIEL’s Property cluster, I feel confident about it. I've got all the GPS traces, and I'll be spending plenty of time out on the ground, running the routes myself and scouting them once more.

Do you have a favourite track of the trail from when you used to race it yourself?

Back then, the longest format was 50km rather than 35km. There was one unforgettable climb on Lion Mountain, the true high point of the race. Every time I reached the top, I would stop for five minutes, sit down and just soak up the moment before tackling the final descent. It was tough, but there was something magical about it.

Any advice for someone taking on the 35 km this year?

Don't set off too fast. Pacing yourself properly, from the very first kilometre to the last, makes all the difference. Plan your fuelling too and eat regularly along the way. And above all, don't forget to look up every so often and appreciate just how lucky you are to be running on trails like these.

What will success look like for you once this edition is over?

From a race direction point of view, success starts with knowing that everyone made it back safely and that the timing ran without a hitch. But real success, for me, is seeing smiles on people's faces at the finish line: knowing people had a good time and enjoyed themselves, and seeing everyone gathered under the marquee afterwards, chatting, laughing, swapping stories about their race. That, I think, is when you know an event has truly succeeded.

In one sentence, why should someone run the CIEL FERNEY Trail this year?

Come and join this trail running celebration in the heart of Ferney, in a landscape like no other that every person should experience at least once.