Five University of Portsmouth athletes travelled to our twin city, Caen, to take part in the famous D-Day Landings Marathon - blending sport, history, and international friendship in an unforgettable race weekend.
A team of five Team UOP members had the amazing opportunity to travel to Portsmouth’s twin city, Caen, to take part in the renowned Caen Marathon. Caen is one of the many cities with which Portsmouth is twinned. The twinship with Caen has existed since 1987, originally to support the opening of the International Ferry Port, and has grown over the years to support the connection of our communities and organisations. Hence, this opportunity. The marathon, officially called Marathon de la Liberté, directly translates to the Freedom Marathon. While the overall event comprises several races, our students took part in the main event - the D-Day Landings Marathon, on Sunday 15 June. During this race, the personal challenge is coupled with experiencing some of the sites of the D-Day Landings and the Battle of Normandy (Juno and Sword beaches, Ouistreham Casino, Pegasus Bridge, etc). This elevated the event, making this intense moment of sport a real tribute to history, reflecting on the Liberation of 1944 that so deeply connects our cities.
One of the participants, Luke, documented his journey from the weeks of preparation and the excitement of travel to the unforgettable experience of race day. Here’s his story of what it was like to represent the University of Portsmouth on the international stage.
"After weeks of preparation, loads of track sessions, strength and conditioning meetings with Veli Bulbul, and regular check-ins with my nutritionist, race week was finally here.
I spent my Friday carb-loading, packing my kit and supplements, and repeatedly checking that my passport hadn’t magically disappeared in the last ten minutes. Then, I headed to bed for an early night, because the biggest weekend of the season was just around the corner.
I met my team at 7.00am at the ferry terminal to catch our Brittany Ferry, which Portsmouth City Council had kindly arranged for us. After a six-hour crossing of the English Channel, we were taken to our Airbnb by a chauffeur, organised by the fantastic team in Caen, to drop off our stuff and get ready for a Pasta Party at the enchanting Hôtel de Ville. Our twin city hosts went all out - three full courses and some delicious French food. Portsmouth’s representative, Andrew Starr (chair of the committee for Portsmouth's Twin Cities of Caen and also a Teaching Fellow at UoP), and the Deputy Mayor of Caen spoke to us about the event’s roots and the special bond between our two cities. We were given our race numbers and took some photos before returning to our Airbnb to get a good rest before the big day.
It was great to have some of the University’s students present at Le Marathon de la Liberté in June 2025. They were a breath of fresh air, and if the University students want to know more about Portsmouth’s international links, they can have a look at our website.
The race day started early as we got to the start line an hour before the gun, so we had plenty of time for a warm-up and to soak in the atmosphere. We talked about our strategy, stretched and got ready for what was ahead.
Before we knew it, we were off, running through the beautiful coastline and fields of Caen. The route was breathtaking, and the hours of running gave us space to take in the history of Caen and Normandy - how the towns have evolved, and the stories that shaped them.
After three to five hours of running, we crossed the finish line, just minutes from the Hôtel de Ville where we attended the Pasta Party the night before. We were welcomed with snacks and drinks at the finish line event, and medals and t-shirts were handed to us, which felt like a massive achievement.
After completing our victory lap of photos and videos, we headed back to the Airbnb, sharing our personal highlights and favourite parts of the town. One standout moment was definitely the stretch along the beach, with all the European flags flying. It was a really powerful reminder of what this event stands for. We were completely shattered, so our plans to explore Caen’s wine scene quickly turned into an early bedtime instead.
On our last day, we squeezed in some sightseeing and soaked up a bit more of the local history before hopping back on the ferry to Portsmouth. We docked around 10.00pm, said our goodbyes, and all left feeling beyond grateful.
It was such an incredible opportunity to represent the university on an international level. Massive thanks to Annie, Lilou, and the teams from both Portsmouth and Caen for making it all happen and giving us the chance to be part of something so special."
Luke
Caen Marathon
of
Team UOP team with their numbers
Team UOP team with their numbers
Team UOP team at the starting line
Normandy coast
Langrune-sur-Mer
Normandy coast
European flags
Hôtel de Ville
What a unique experience this was for our students, and one I truly hope they hold on to for a long time to come. It’s something I would’ve loved to have had the chance to do at University, and it would be amazing to see if we can facilitate similar experiences like this for future students. None of this would have been possible without the support from PCC and Brittany Ferries, to whom we are very grateful. Seeing the pictures and hearing their stories really made me proud to have been able to support the coordination of this incredible weekend. Well done team!
Annie Couchman
Sports Development Coordinator
Luke’s reflections capture the spirit of the weekend, a blend of athletic achievement, cultural exchange, and lasting memories. The Caen Marathon was more than just a race - it was a celebration of teamwork, international friendship, and personal triumph. An enormous thank you goes to everyone who helped make the trip possible and supported the team along the way. In particular, we’re grateful to Portsmouth City Council for offering and funding the opportunity, to their partners in France for expertly handling all the logistics and making the experience seamless from getting off the ferry on the Saturday to boarding it again on the Monday, and to Brittany Ferries for kindly providing the ferry transport for our students. We are incredibly proud of our Team UOP members for representing Portsmouth with such passion, and we hope this will be an experience you reflect fondly on for years to come. Looking ahead, we hope to have many more local and cross-Channel adventures in the future and to build on this partnership between Team UOP and Portsmouth City Council.