Marche nordique compétition - La Chapelle-sur-Erdre 2026

La Chapelle-sur-Erdre hosts a 12.4 km Nordic walking race at the Buisson de la Grolle sports complex, located by the Erdre river near Nantes. Held in December, it is part of the Fédération Française d’Athlétisme’s Marche Nordique Tour, carrying a National label and qualifying status for the French championships. L’Athlétic Club Chapelain Athlétisme organizes the event with backing from the French athletics federation, the Pays de la Loire league, and the departmental athletics committee. The event targets competitive Nordic walkers, adhering to race-walking rules and employing timed poles over a mid-distance course. The La Chapelle-sur-Erdre site has previously staged the French Nordic Walking Championships, occasionally coinciding with the Cross National de l’Erdre/Presse Océan. Fields typically number around 350 participants, and the area has produced accomplished masters athletes, such as Jacques Boulet, a French champion in the Masters 7 category.