Sedan-Charleville covers 23.6 kilometers from Avenue Philippoteaux in Sedan to Place Ducale in Charleville-Mézières, using the D764 through the Ardennes. Held since 1906, it is Europe’s oldest city-to-city road race, with the main event focused on a point-to-point journey instead of laps within a single town.
The course requires patience: it features gradual climbs, sections where runners must increase their pace, and flatter parts where maintaining a good rhythm is key. The broader schedule includes Les Semelles de Vent, a 10 km race consisting of two 5 km loops in Mézières, partly on the Voie Verte, and Les Foulées Roses, a 5.5 km non-competitive run open to all that benefits breast cancer awareness. Large crowds and several hundred volunteers support the event, with personnel handling organization, reception, security, and entertainment.