Les rives du doubs - Besançon 2027

Les Rives du Doubs is a March road race in the Velotte neighborhood of Besançon, starting from the Maison de Quartier de Velotte. Its main event is a certified 10 km that qualifies runners for the French Championships, with separate starts for popular runners and sub-45-minute runners but one combined overall ranking for men and women. The setup is unusually practical for a fast 10 km: pacers cover targets from one hour down to 45 minutes in the popular race, and from 44 minutes all the way down to 30 minutes in the elite race. The 10 km uses two very flat loops between the Velotte and Mazagran bridges, which is why the organizers openly pitch it as a course for records. There is also a timed 5 km, kids' races over 1 km and 2 km, and a 5 km Marche bleue supporting the League Against Cancer. The field ranges from club runners and elites to former winners, families, spectators, and volunteers; recent editions have drawn from nearly 500 finishers to about 1,500 participants. Prize money goes five deep overall, category prizes cover youth through masters groups, and there is a bonus for breaking the 10 km record.