The Bay of Mont Saint-Michel in the background, and the mountain of Mont Saint-Michel on the horizon. At this exceptional World Heritage Site, one of the year's most keenly awaited marathons takes place. Every year at the end of May, 5,000 runners from all over France and the world gather to take part in the race. They are accompanied by a crowd of spectators who flock there in large numbers to cheer on the athletes.
The Bay of Mont Saint-Michel Marathon has one particularity: as the site is totally flat, even at the start line you can see the finish line at the Couesnon dam, 42,195 km away. The marathon starts from Cancale and goes through several villages such as Vivier-sur-Mer and Cherrueix before ending at the foot of Mont Saint-Michel, a monumental granite islet with a 10th-century abbey standing atop it.
As well as the main race, four other routes are available: the Marathon des Loustics for schools, La Malouine for women only (5 km), the Saint-Malo 10 km for beginners and the Duo-Marathon, a relay race for teams of two that follows the same route as the main race. During the entire event, a village is set up at the start line with many stalls.