When is Natureman 2027?

The 2027 date is not published yet. The race is held in late September: in 2026 the long race was on Saturday 26 September and the Natur’M on Sunday 27.

Where is Natureman held?

At Les Salles-sur-Verdon (Var), starting from the watersports centre on the shore of Lac de Sainte-Croix. The organisers advise staying in nearby villages, as Les Salles-sur-Verdon fills up quickly.

Are wetsuits allowed?

Yes between 16 and 24.5 °C, compulsory below 16 °C, banned above 24.5 °C. The water is usually between 19 and 21 °C at that time of year, according to the organisers.

NatureMan: how many weeks of preparation?

For an athlete at intermediate level, Endu builds a 21-week preparation. If your race is closer, the plan compresses phases while keeping the taper; if it's further away, it lengthens the preparation, and when the gap is large the preparation starts right away, gently and at your current volume, before building up.

How many sessions per week?

This example has 6 sessions per week. You choose 5 to 7 training days and the exact days (e.g. Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun): the plan sticks to them.

I'm a beginner, is this plan for me?

The plan adapts to your declared level (beginner to semi-pro): starting volume, progression and intensity change. Endu also offers a "Discovery" mode without a race to build a base first.

Can I follow sessions on my watch?

Yes, on Garmin and COROS. On Garmin, the Endu app (Connect IQ Store) shows today’s session and starts it as a guided workout. On COROS, link your account from your profile: your running, trail and cycling sessions land in the watch calendar. Other brands are not supported yet.

How much does it cost?

14-day free trial, then €7.99/month with no commitment or €59.88/year (€4.99/month). Unlimited objectives and sports.

NatureMan 2027: date, course and training plan

113.5 km · swim 2 · bike 92 · run 19.5Les Salles-sur-Verdon2027 edition: date not announced yet

Natureman Var takes place in late September at Les Salles-sur-Verdon, on the shore of Lac de Sainte-Croix, in the Verdon regional nature park. The long-distance race is a 2 km swim, a 92 km bike with 1,450 m of climbing and a 19.5 km run, almost entirely on trails. The 13th edition took place on 26 September 2026; the 2027 date has not been announced yet.

Your plan for NatureMan

A plan set to your level and free days, which adapts to your feedback after each session.

Your level?

14-day trial, cancel anytime.

NatureMan at a glance

Date: 2027 edition: date not announced yet2026 edition: 26 September 2026
Formats: Natureman Var (longue distance)Plan below — 2 km swim in one loop, 92 km bike (1,450 m of climbing) in two loops of 26 and 66 km, 19.5 km run (250 m of climbing) in two loops, 95% on trails. On Saturday: women and paratriathletes start at 8:55 am, men and relays at 9:15 am. 2026 cut-offs: out of transition by 10:25 am, back at transition by 3 pm, finish by 5:45 pm. Individual or relay.
Natur'M — 1.2 km swim, 52 km bike (880 m of climbing) in two 26 km loops, 10 km run in one loop. On Sunday, starts at 9:30 and 9:40 am. Individual or relay.
Natur'Kids et biathlon MMV — Children’s race on Sunday and a run-and-shoot biathlon on Saturday evening.
Registration: Online from the official website; 2027 prices are not published yet as of 10 October 2026. In 2026, the long race cost from €170 (November 2025) to €220 (final tier, after 31 August) for individuals, and €195 to €260 for relays. A triathlon licence, or the health information form for non-licensed athletes. No refund or deferral without the cancellation insurance offered at registration.
Official website: natureman-var.fr

The 2026 course

Swim: one 2 km loop in Lac de Sainte-Croix, starting from the watersports centre at Les Salles-sur-Verdon. Bike: 92 km on open roads, a first 26 km loop back to Les Salles, then a 66 km loop; aid stations at L’Enfer du Sud (km 43) and Bauduen campsite (km 75). The last 800 m are narrow and overtaking is banned. Run: 19.5 km in two loops along Lac de Sainte-Croix, 95% on trails, with an aid station every 2.5 km.

What the race asks of your training

A hilly ride on open roads

92 km and 1,450 m of climbing around Lac de Sainte-Croix, on roads open to traffic: the highway code applies and drafting is banned. Long rides on rolling terrain, with steady threshold climbs, prepare you for this profile better than flat riding.

A trail run

The 19.5 km is run 95% on trails, along the lake, with 250 m of climbing. Running regularly on trails, including off the bike, gets your ankles and stride used to this terrain.

Aid stations and a mandatory cup

Two aid stations on the bike (km 43 and km 75) and one every 2.5 km on the run, but no cups are provided: you need your own reusable one. Litter dropped outside the eco-zones means disqualification. Train with the drinks and gels you plan to use, and practise drinking from your cup while running.

The plan below prepares the Natureman Var (longue distance) format, for an athlete at intermediate level with 6 days available per week. Until the official date is out, the example is set for September 2027. Aiming for another format? Enter its distance when you create your plan, which will be calibrated on your level, your available days and your feedback after every session.

weeks: 21
sessions: 124
sessions / week: 6
peak week: 10.3 h

Plan structure

Periodised in phases: build the base, move to race-specific work, then taper before the race.

General preparation
Weeks 1–2 · 2 wk
Base
Weeks 3–8 · 6 wk
Build
Weeks 9–13 · 5 wk
Specific
Weeks 14–18 · 5 wk
Taper
Weeks 19–20 · 2 wk
Race week
Weeks 21–21 · 1 wk

Volume progression

Week by week: lighter recovery weeks are built in to absorb the load.

Wk	Phase	Hours	km
1	General preparation	6.3 h	21
2	General preparation	6.6 h	22
3	Baserecovery	5.6 h	19
4	Base	7.2 h	23
5	Base	7.5 h	24
6	Base	7.7 h	25
7	Baserecovery	6.1 h	20
8	Base	8.1 h	25
9	Build	8.5 h	28
10	Build	8.7 h	28
11	Buildrecovery	6.7 h	24
12	Build	9 h	29
13	Build	9.2 h	30
14	Specific	9.5 h	30
15	Specificrecovery	7.2 h	24
16	Specific	9.6 h	30
17	Specific	10 h	32
18	Specific	10.3 h	33
19	Taper	7 h	22
20	Taper	5.7 h	18
21	Race week	2.9 h	7

Sample week — week 12 (Build)

Real sessions from the plan with their targets. Each session is detailed step by step, and can be sent to a Garmin or COROS watch.

MondaySwimmingEasy
59 min continuous swim
59 min · 2.7 km
TuesdayRunningVery hard
3 × 1.2 km at MAS
2 min 30 s jog recovery
48 min · 8.8 km
ThursdayBrickHard
1 h 30 bike + 17 min run
including 3 × 10 min at threshold on the bike · run at marathon pace
1 h 55
FridaySwimmingHard
10 × 200 m at threshold
20 s recovery
59 min · 2.8 km
SaturdayCyclingEasy
2 h 45 at endurance pace
2 h 45
SundayRunningEasy
Long run 1 h 33
1 h 33 · 15 km

Example generated for a intermediate-level profile (MAS 15 km/h, 6 days available per week). Your plan will depend on your level, availability and feedback.

This plan’s check-up

Pass

A 21-week build (recommended minimum: 12); a longest run never more than 6% above the previous month’s; volume rising at most 13% from one week to the next; 82% of the time at easy effort; the longest session 3 weeks before the race; a taper cutting volume by 72% in race week.

2 worth knowing · 22 checks passed

Remarks

Strength training — No strength session.
Fueling — Long sessions (up to 195 min in this plan) are where race fueling is rehearsed.

The 22 checks passed, in detail

Length of the build — 21 weeks: enough for this race (recommended minimum: 12).
Sessions per week — 6 sessions a week: the minimum for this race is met.
Volume progression — Running volume rises at most 13% from one week to the next (a signal appears beyond 20%).
Long run increase — Each week, the longest run is at most 6% longer than the longest of the previous month (benchmark: 10%).
Lighter weeks — A lighter week comes back regularly (weeks 3, 7, 11, 15, 19).
Intensity distribution — About 82% of the time at easy effort: the most common distribution among trained endurance athletes.
Demanding sessions — No more than 3 demanding session(s) a week: suited to the level.
Hard days back to back — Demanding sessions are separated by easy days.
Rest days — At least one rest day a week.
Timing of the longest session — The longest session falls 3 weeks before the race: the right time.
Bike-run bricks — 10 bike-run bricks over the last 12 weeks.
Taper — Volume drops 72% in race week.
Intensity during the taper — Short race-pace efforts remain in the last two weeks.
Frequency during the taper — The number of sessions stays close to usual (83%).
Swim / bike / run balance — Swim 22%, bike 48%, run 30%: within coaches’ benchmarks.
Frequency per discipline — Each discipline comes back at least 2 times a week.
Sessions per week — 6 sessions a week: enough for a long format.
Open water — 5 open-water session(s) before the race.
Longest ride — The longest ride lasts 195 min (benchmark: 180 to 270 min).
Longest run — The longest run lasts 110 min (benchmark: 90 to 135 min).
Swim distance — The longest swim covers 174% of the race distance.
Long ride increase — The long ride grows in small steps.

Endu runs its own plans through the plan check open to everyone: same public rules, same thresholds, same sources. The rules and their sources, and a check of your own plan.

Why this plan works

Science-based periodisation

Base → build → specific → taper, with a recovery week every 3 to 4 weeks. Load goes up, but never two hard weeks in a row without a breather.

Paces, not vague feelings

Every session has target zones (pace, HR) computed from your MAS or a reference performance. A MAS test is built into the plan if you don't know yours.

Three disciplines, one load

Swim, bike and run are planned together: brick sessions, key sessions spread out, and a coherent total load week after week.

A plan that listens

After each session you rate how it felt (RPE). Too hard? The plan eases what follows. Skipped a session? It reschedules or absorbs it.

On your watch

On Garmin with the Endu app, on COROS by direct sync: the guided workout shows up on your wrist, step by step.

Reviews

What our users say.

4.8/5

“For triathlon, having all three sports in the same schedule really makes my life easier. I spend less time organising my training and I still enjoy following it just as much.”
Maxime · Triathlon
“At first I just wanted to try it. Now checking the next day’s session has become my little evening ritual 😊”
Sarah · Triathlon
“I used to spend more time looking for a plan than following one. Now I have my sessions, I know what to do and I stick to it. Really glad I tried it.”
Thomas · Running
“Training for my first half marathon and honestly, I’m getting into it! I even look at my next sessions ahead of time, when before I was mostly looking for an excuse not to go out 😂”
Camille · Running
“Simple to follow and really handy with the watch. I start my session and off I go.”
Julien · Running
“I took Endu to prepare a trail race with friends. I really like having my week already organised: it motivates me and I enjoy my runs more.”
Émilie · Trail
“What I like is no longer asking myself a thousand questions before going for a run. I follow the plan and I enjoy training.”
Nicolas · Trail
“With work and the kids, I thought I’d struggle to follow a plan. In the end, having a structure helps me a lot. Running has found a real place in my week again, and it feels good!”
Julie · Trail
“A good find to prepare my swimrun! It’s nice to find a plan for this sport. I’ve recommended it to my teammate.”
Antoine · Swimrun
“I run more regularly and, above all, with more desire. For that alone, I’m delighted.”
Laura · Swimrun

Your plan, not a template athlete's

This plan is generated for an athlete at intermediate level with 6 days available per week. Yours will be calibrated on your MAS, your available days and your feedback after every session. 3 minutes. 14-day trial, cancel anytime.

Create my plan for NatureMan