Corrida des Peres Noel

There are two timed races, a 10 km and a 5 km, plus a 5 km non-timed walk. Children can enter short non-timed races: 800 m for those born between 2018 and 2020, 1300 m for those born in 2016 or 2017, and 1900 m for those born in 2014 or 2015.

Yes. The programme includes three short children's races grouped by birth year, from 800 m for the youngest up to 1900 m for the oldest group. All three are non-timed, and the year of birth decides which race a child enters.

The Corrida des Pères Noël is held in Fontenay-le-Comte, in the Vendée department of the Pays de la Loire region in western France. The exact start and finish points and the course layout are published by the organiser on their own page.

The race is a Christmas corrida held on the Sunday before Christmas, and Father Christmas costumes are a familiar sight at this kind of French town race. Nothing on the listing makes fancy dress compulsory, so normal running kit plus a festive touch is a safe approach.

Because the races run through the streets of a town centre, friends and family can usually watch from several points along the way without travelling far. Confirm the exact course and any spectator restrictions with the organiser closer to the date.