The Course du Soleil, a 21.09 km half-marathon between Nice and Monaco, is an exceptional race offering magnificent views of the city of Nice right from the start and passing in front of majestic villas until reaching Monaco.
It is THE ideal race to explore the Riviera between Nice and Monaco. We won’t go so far as to call it a bucolic stroll along the water given the rather steep gradient, but this race still takes place in an idyllic setting as it allows you to discover some of the most beautiful spots on the Côte d’Azur such as Villefranche sur Mer, Le Cap Ferrat,…
For the record:
It is through some archives and accounts that we learn that the first editions of this event were run before the 1914/1918 war.
It was during this time that Jean Bouin won five times. (1907, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912).
We must therefore go back to the early 20th century and imagine the race following the 18 km tramway tracks that connected the two cities. The conditions were entirely different, the road was much more winding, and the surface was of poor quality. The start was at Place Masséna and the finish was judged at Quai des États-Unis or Place Ste Dévote.
Abandoned during the war, this event resurfaced in 1926, but in the Monaco/Nice direction. It started at Place du Canton and ended at Casino Jetée Promenade, or at Lycée Masséna, concluding in the 1940s at Place du XVème Corps via Boulevard Carnot, Riquier, and Sola.
The pack comprised only about sixty athletes, all licensed, with no women participating.
Some of the winners included the Algerian Beddari, Rebol from Clermont Ferrand, Beck, Morier, Jotteaux from Marseille, and the Italian Carlo Speroni, all great champions.
Interrupted again by the Second World War, it resurfaced, being organized by L’AS.Monaco and the ASPTT Nice from 1987 to 1989.
Now called “La Course du Soleil,” since its revival in 1998 and organized by the Association la Course du Soleil, it will be celebrating its 16th anniversary this February 2013 under this name.
16 years is the age of adolescence, but in reality, this event, born on March 12, 1905, is a centenarian.
