The 2nd edition of Valras Swimrun, organised by Envol Swimrun, saw a double amount of participants on the start line compared to last year! More than 400 excited swimrunners had found their way to the coastal town of Valras – Plage.
The race consisted of three courses, 7, 14 and 21 km. We were absolutely delighted to see so many people taking their first steps into the world of swimrun by taking on the challenge of the 7 km course.
The more seasoned athletes and experienced swimrunners were found in the 14 and 21 km courses, with top names like Sabina Rapelli, Alexis Charrier, Thomas Deffains, David Pesquet and Sonia Bracegirdle inspiring with a solid performance.
Before the race
Lucile Woodward was on site with her group of ladies that had been introduced to swimrun only a few months earlier on a training camp Envol Swimrun arranged together with Lucile. After leading a short swimrun initiation on the beach in the morning Lucile also made sure all participants were properly warmed up before the race.
Music and aperitif
After the race the commune of Valras-Plage offered all participants an aperitif. Local wine and artisan beer was served and the band B.R.B.B played their first gig on their summer tour. “Neo Soul” tunes, with influences of jazz, funk, hip-hop and house music.
The smiles on the faces of the new swimrunners and the southern sun made June 1st a very warm day! Swimrun Valras is more than just a race, it’s a swimrun party where everybody is welcome!
“Next year it will be even bigger and better” promises Nicolas Remires, Race director and head of Envol Swimrun.
