The Spirit of les Courants de la Liberté
"Imagine an immense open-air stadium, the biggest outdoor playground that exists. You are in Normandy where it is possible to carry out all kinds of physical and sports activities in an exceptional setting less than 2 hours from Paris: sailing, surfing, riding, golf, paragliding, canoeing, MTB, running, etc.
Imagine a unique marathon where the beauty of the maritime and rural scenery blends with incredible history. You are in Calvados, on the D-Day Landing beaches, in Pegasus Bridge, the landmarks of History and now of the mythical courses of les Courants de la Liberté.
Imagine an unspoilt city, which will surprise and appeal to you beyond all appearances. You are in Caen, the cradle of les Courants de la Liberté and the wonderful setting for La Rochambelle, the event which now symbolizes the city.
Nothing is left to chance. At the beginning there were people, an idea, a concept and a different approach to the history of Normandy: "combining sport and history for the duration of a weekend". After this a succession of men and women followed, and each of them has made les Courants de la Liberté an event that has been established in the national sports tradition.
The event has evolved and to highlight the transformation that took place four years ago, a new name was created : Les Courants de la Liberté, the 1st Festival of Races for Everyone. As the organisers were conscious of the event’s potential, they wanted to make it accessible for the biggest number of people by bringing together competition and leisure activities. The creation of le 10km de la Liberté and the opening of La Rochambelle to walkers were very concrete examples of the desire to reach a large population and make les Courants de la Liberté an event that is above all festive and popular.
In 5 years, the number of participants has gone from 9, 500 to 25, 000 !
And because an event is only worthwhile if it takes advantage of its symbolic potential, les Courants de la Liberté has also established itself as an ecologically responsible manifestation. We invite you to discover the entire sustainable development approach undertaken 4 years ago and the concrete results already obtained.
Have a great festival.”
