Celebrate D-Day Landings and the Battle of Normandy
Run for Freedom
The D-Day Landings Marathon, known in France as Le Marathon de la Liberté or Marathon of Freedom, is more than a race, it’s a journey through history.
D-Day Landings Marathon pays tribute to the events of the D-Day by taking runners through the key sites of the D-Day landings in June 1944 and the Battle of Normandy that ensued. We ran this marathon on June 2, 2024, celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy.
The race starts at Courseulles-sur-Mer, between Gold Beach and Juno Beach. For the first 11 miles, the course runs along the shore in a combination of bike paths, village roads and boardwalks. Runners pass Sword Beach, Ouisterham, and Pegasus Bridge, sites of intense fighting on June 6, 1944. It’s a wonderful feeling to pass through villages decorated with flags of France, United States, Great Britain, and Canada.
Past Ouisterham, the race follows the path of the canal Caen-a-la-Mer toward Caen for four miles. Then, it makes a detour through several small picturesque villages including Blainville-sur-Orne, Bieville-Beuville, Mathieu, and Cambes-en-Plaine before reaching the outskirts of Caen. This is the same path that the British Second Army followed on the way to liberate Caen. As we cover mile after mile, we remember that it took the Allies six weeks to cover the same distance through fierce fighting with a heavy toll on both the combatants and the civilian population.
The last couple of miles of the race are in the city of Caen. It’s an impressive feeling to run through the streets festooned with flags of all nationalities and lined with cheering crowds all the way to the entrance of Stade Helitas, the local sports complex where the race ends. The hard work is done — now it’s time to collect the finisher’s medal and then enjoy Norman delicacies in the hospitality area.
Visit the organizers website if you are interested to participate in this race.
Our Media Gallery
See below a few videos and pictures from our participation in the D-Day Landings Marathon, June 2, 2024.
