The Poppy Marathon, Somme Valley, France

The Poppy Marathon, Somme Valley, France (Backgound information)

As president of the ‘Poppy Marathon in the Somme Valley, France I would like to invite your club to take part in what is a unique event in France, that is to say ‘a charity race’. Many people will have travelled across the Channel, or indeed the world, to witness a series of very touching ceremonies to mark this event.
Our Marathon will begin in the town of Albert and runners will be able to choose between three different races.

· The full marathon

· The half Marathon

· The five Kms family race

The full and half marathon will take participants over the hallowed ground of the WWI battlefields. It will surely be a moving experience to tread where soldiers marched and fought in such difficult conditions between 1914 and 1918. They will run past the Lochnagar Crater, the Thiepval Monument and the Newfoundland Memorial Park, all in a bid to raise money for Charity.

We hope that you will support the event either as a runner, sponsor or spectator.

(Le Marathon du Pays du Coquelicot) will take place for the 2nd time this year on July 2nd (the day after the 90th anniversary of The Battle of The Somme) and will continue to be a yearly event.

Runners will follow a route around what is known as The Remembrance Circuit and tread where so much bloodshed occurred in WW1. (The ceremonies here that mark the anniversary of The Battle of The Somme are on July 1st and the race will always be run as near to that date as possible).

What is unusual about this marathon is that it is the very first of its kind IN FRANCE, to raise money for charity. Normally marathons in France are run for sporting reasons alone. Two members of the organising committee are British (myself included) and are trying to change the mindset of the French and encourage them to deal with the necessary paperwork etc. and get their sponsor forms filled in.

As this is only our second marathon in the Somme we are focussing on a small number of charities and our runners will promise their monies to one of these. So far we have

The French Red Cross

Amis de Secouristes sans Frontières ( this charity moves in after major catastrophes to provide vital aid)
Save the Children

Autisme Picardie – a local charity in the Somme.

Landmine Action

And we have just added the Casa do Menor Orphanage in Sao Paolo, Brasil together with SightFirst and PolioPlus.

We need publicity for this race as we want British runners to take part. We know that the history we, as Britons, share with The Somme could easily motivate people into running the race, collecting sponsor money or supporting us in any number of ways. We need fundraising awareness, marketing opportunities and, as I said, lots of publicity.

I encourage you to look at our website www.somme-marathon.com and read the various pages. Should you have any questions you can contact the two British people involved in organising the race:

Paul CHAPLIN (PRESIDENT)
TEL: 0033 3 22 76 54 40
MOBILE: 0033 6 77 28 04 83
Email: paulchaplin@wanadoo.fr

Paula KESTELOOT (Website Author and Translator for the Marathon and also The Somme Trench Museum)
TEL/FAX/ANSW.: 0033 3 22 75 64 17 Mobile: 0033 6 30 13 49 64
Email: kesteloot.flanagan.paula@wanadoo.fr or paulaboom66@hotmail.com

We look forward to hearing from you……

Restored from the club's earlier website, belgraveharriers.com, and published here as originally written.