Paris-Colmar 2006 du 31 mai au 3 juin

Commentaires et résultats du Paris Colmar 2006

The greatest and oldest walk in the world PARIS-STRASBOURG, STRASBOURG-PARIS and PARIS-COLMAR remains certainly for the passioned of sport an exceptional race.

Walking night and day from STRASBOURG the new capital of Alsace to PARIS , capital of France , that was the wish of Emile ANTHOINE who created PARIS-STRASBOURG in 1926.

The Swiss Jean LINDER was the first prize winner and the competition had so much success that it was reorganized each year until 1937 before the years of war prevented of doing it.

In 1950 and 1951 this walk was organised again before reversing the direction to go from STRASBOURG to PARIS in 1952. New interruption between 1960 and 1969.

In 1970 thanks to the support of Felix LEVITAN, director of newspaper "le parisien libéré" and under the insistence of Francis JENEVEIN, President of the Circle of the Sports in France, a French Samy ZAUGG adds a new line to the prize list of this competition which (except in 1976) directs the best walkers in the world from STRASBOURG to PARIS.

In 1981 the town of STRASBOURG is disengaged of any sport for support football and spontaneously the town of COLMAR welcomes the arrival of the great legendary walk which became PARIS-COLMAR.

The Belgian Roger PIETQUIN who had already won in 1980 carries out the 513 kilometers in 65h 10’.

Each year at the end of May or at the beginning of June, the kings of the bitumen give each other appointment on the road, and allow French QUEMENER (with 7 recoveries), Jean-Claude GOUVENAUX, Adrien PHEULPIN, or Noël DUFAY to register their name in the prize list before a polish domination. Another French Gilles LETESSIER did not win but arrived 19 times .

Since 1988, various routes made it possible to women to walk 360 km.

In April 2004, the world of walk was amazed to hear about a cancellation of the race one month before departure. A real collective was organized to support Herve DELARRAS the director of the race and to sensitize the media, the partners, the federation as well as the cities and areas crossed.

COLMAR is then reorganized in 2005 with a race which leads the walkers of NEUILLY-SUR-MARNE (93) to MIRECOURT (88) with only 2hours of rest at the 250 th kilometer. Two races (women and promotion) take the same route with a departure from CHALON/ CHAMPAGNE .

ON Saturday , all the participants who arrived in the deadlines in MIRECOURT can take part in the last section CORCIEUX, the Collar of the BONHOMME , KAYSERSBERG to arrive to COLMAR.

In 2005, URBANOWSKI registered for the 8th time his name in the man classification in 55h00 for 440 km. He became so the holder of the greatest number of victories.

The French woman Anne-Marie MESMOUDI won in the women classification in 35h20 for 291,500 km and the French Alain COSTILS in 35h01 went up on the highest part of the podium of promotion.

2006 will be the year of the 80 ème birthday and the 25th edition of PARIS-COLMAR.