Marathon de La Rochelle

Marathon de La Rochelle

The double start exists so the first 600 metres flow for 10,000 runners. Quai Maubec takes seniors, Master 0–1 and handisport; Quai Louis Durand takes Master 2–10, the Duo and the company relay. Each start has four pens by target time and age, and target times could be changed until 15 October. Runners reach their pens from the streets beside the starts; a start-area document follows in early November.

Aid stations are at km 4.5, 9.5, 14.5, 19, 25, 30.5, 35, 40.5 and the finish; the one at 40.5 is water only, the others add sports drink, banana, orange and gingerbread. The time limit is 5 hours 30 minutes. Pacers carry colour-coded flags: black 2:45, red 3:00, purple 3:15, blue 3:30, yellow 3:45, green 4:00, grey 4:15 and pink 4:30. Bibs are collected at the Espace Encan on Friday 15:00–20:00 or Saturday 9:00–20:00, never on Sunday morning.

The finish is on the Saint-Jean-d’Acre car park, via the Tour de la Chaîne, with 500 free grandstand seats. With the runner’s Livebib link family see the position on the course line, the distance and an estimated finish that is recalculated as the pace changes — marked as estimated, never as measured. They know when to head for the stand or for their column on Rue de La Monnaie.