It’s sunny… but it’s hot. Thirty minutes before the start, places in the shade are rare on the Quai de la Georgette, the starting point of the race. But the atmosphere is one of rejoicing.
All ages, all conditions… but only girls!
Roselyne and Nathalie have been running together for almost 30 years. They know the course very well and are delighted to find their basketball after two years of cancellation due to covid. But no question of losing shape: “To train, we ran at least once a week.” Today, they will only do one loop. “We are no longer 20, so 5 km is already good. And it’s too hot to do more…“explains Roselyn.
– Sophie PODEVIN
In the crowd, all ages and all motivations mix: there are the groups of sports clubs, the regulars of the sarabande, the costumed ones and those who are there mainly to party. In all, nearly 37 departments are represented. 84% of the participants come from New Aquitaine, 70% from Charente-Maritime and finally: 20% from La Rochelle.
– Sophie PODEVIN
The exclusively feminine side delights more than one. Morgane and Souhani, in their twenties, are two sports friends: “It’s very feminist, and it feels good. There is less competition than with the boys”. Souhani approves: “It’s healthier. I talked about it around me and a man answered me “If I had been there I would have beaten you all“… bah we are happy to be between us suddenly !“.
Fewer participants than before
This year, they are 2,980 registered. This is far from the 3,635 runners in 2019 (the record) but the organizers are not worried. They pledge to pull out all the stops for the race’s 20th anniversary next year.
– Sophie PODEVIN