It is one of the most spectacular running races in the west of France. More than 1,300 runners took part this Sunday morning in the fifth edition of the Foulées du Pont de Saint-Nazaire. The event, open even to non-affiliates, is considered difficult despite a moderate distance (9.9 km). It leads the athletes on either side of the Loire, from Saint-Nazaire to Saint-Nazaire via a U-turn at Saint-Brévin-les-pins. The highlight was obviously the double crossing of the longest bridge in France (3.35 km long). Wind swept, the structure rises 61 m above the Loire estuary.
Usually very heavy traffic
The Saint-Nazaire bridge was exceptionally closed to road traffic this Sunday. This is not without consequences for the inhabitants since the closest Loire bridge is in Nantes. Some 30,000 vehicles use the Nazaire crossing every day.
At the finish line, it was Aziz Boukebal who won for the men and Aurélie Petay for the women.