Par
Baptiste Hue
Published on
Nov 10, 2024 at 1:56 p.m.
See my news
Follow La Presse de la Manche
The 42e edition of Foulées de La Presse de la Manche takes place this Monday November 11, 2024 in Cherbourg.
With more than 7,500 people registeredthe record has already been broken!
Is this a record?
OUI
HAS La Presse de la Manchethere was never any question of course au record for the Strides, the smooth running of the teststhe complicity of the weather et the atmosphere being more important to us than simple numbers.
However, it is impossible to deny our pleasure this Saturday, November 9 when the bar of 7,268 registered participants was crossed, a threshold synonymous with a new record. When the race headquarters closed, precisely 7,554 bibs had been registered by our little volunteer hands.
Unless we witness a gigantic gastro epidemic in Cherbourg by Monday, platoons of unprecedented dimensions will therefore sweep into the streets, particularly on the Populaire, the emblematic race of the event.
There were 3,600 of us last year. This year, there will be more than 5,000 of us at the Pop'!
Are there enough chips?
NON
Since the record of 2019the Foulées had found their cruising speed with around 6,500 participants in the last editions.
The organizers thus considered themselves to be “broad” this year by planning 7,200 electronic chips to hang on bibs. It was without counting on the enthusiasm of the Cotentinois who rushed on registrations these last few days.
Result: not everyone will have the opportunity to be officially registered in the listings des participants. “We are victims of our success! », apologizes Laurence Ballot, sorry not to be able to satisfy everyone.
We are going to plan more chips next year.
Can we still register?
OUI
Even if there are no more chips, there will still be a few bibs to distribute Monday morning under the marquee. Delaville Avenue.
It will just be a symbolic bib, “a souvenir bib” as Laurence Ballot calls it. “Those who register now will not be able to see their name appear in the newspaper,” warns the organizer, reassured by the first returns.
Those affected seem to not care about not having a chip. What they want to do is just run and have fun. Some may even show up at the start without a bib.
Difficult, therefore, to communicate on Monday evening on the exact participation.
But, at the risk of repeating myself, the figure doesn't matter: it's not the size of the peloton that matters, but the taste of celebration !
“No chip?” Never mind ! »
The volunteers installed at the Foulées PC were afraid of causing disappointment by announcing to last-minute registrants that they would have to run with an unchipped bib, without having the possibility of seeing their name in the newspaper. The fear quickly dissipated: no one expressed their dissatisfaction, everyone sympathetically understanding the exceptional nature of the situation. “No chip on the bib? Never mind ! The main thing is to participate, to enjoy the atmosphere. We don't care if our name is in the newspaper. In any case, we are not aiming for the first places! », smiled Marie Huby on Saturday, an Octeville resident who runs every year as a family, with her husband Philippe and her daughter Priscillia, who came specially from Rennes.
Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon Actu.
