Paris-Colmar is an annual racewalking competition covering about 445 kilometers for men, and 300 kilometers for women and for men who participate for the first time. The competition began in 1926 as race from Strasbourg to Paris. The contest for women has been held since 1988.
The race presently starts in Neuilly-sur-Marne (Seine-Saint-Denis) for the men and in Châlons-en-Champagne (Marne) for the women. They arrive in Colmar after more than 50 hours of racewalking. Special breaks are included to exchange food and clothing. In 2007, the prize for the winner in the men's contest 8,000 euros and 5,000 euros for women. The current participants are largely from Eastern Europe. A prospective contestant must qualify for the Paris-Colmar competition by walking a certain distance in 24 hours.
Hervé Delarras and Roger Quemener, are respectively director and vice director of the event and of the Cercle des sports de France club.
The competition was stopped :
- From 1938 to 1948,
- From 1960 to 1969,
- in 2004 and 2010.
In 2015 the final destination will switch to Ribaeauville, a few miles North of Colmar. All races in the history of the event have been between Paris and the Alsace region bordering Germany.
