Le Tour du Roc à la Nage

Open water swimming race

See you in July for this famous open-water swimming race. Every year, extreme swimmers take part in a spectacular sporting event: Le Tour du Roc à la Nage! It’s a sporting, festive and convivial event that takes place every July in Granville.

For the 60th Tour du Roc à la nage – a French Cup competition – professional and amateur swimmers will set off from the outer harbour slipway towards the Pointe du Roc and Haute Ville, to complete a 5km whitewater race to the Plat Gousset. Created in 1963 by Max AVENEL and Jean FICHEPOIL, this competition is a true endurance event where the swimmer, alone in the sea, must face the elements. Nearly 150 swimmers of different nationalities (Germans, Americans, English, Belgians, French) take part in the race, which attracts some 2,500 spectators.

A unique show

This original event, organized by Espérance Vaillante Granville Natation, has been running for 60 years. ” There was no swimming pool in those days, and the playground for swimmers was of course the sea,” recalls one of the organizers. Comprising several events for both adults and younger swimmers, spectators flock to the Roc de Granville for a full lap. Competitors have to set off from the outer harbour into the open sea, round the entire Pointe du Roc and finish their five-kilometre journey at Plat Gousset. The race remains an atypical event on the Coupe de France circuit, with a race at sea and the only one in the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel, with its large tidal amplitudes and consequent currents. In fact, since 2001, the Tour du Roc has been a stage in the French Open Water Swimming Cup.

A human event that combines competition and self-improvement

While some swimmers are competing in the French Cup, others are coming for the pleasure of reaching the finish. ” All the swimmers present are preparing for the event with regular training, so the challenge remains a real test for everyone. The challenge remains a real test for all,” says one of the organizers. The all-time record for the 5 km event is 49 minutes and 54 seconds. It is held by Julien Coudevelle. Younger and amateur swimmers can look forward to the public events on Sunday (see program below). ” We’re expecting 130 swimmers for the flagship 5 km event and around 200 for the Sunday events. “say the organizers.

And a great atmosphere

Theatmosphere at this original event is particularly friendly. At the starting points, families, onlookers and members of swimming clubs cheer on the runners, clapping or singing along, depending on the announcer’s recommendations. And on the promenade du Plat Gousset, named after the beach near the Granville casino, numerous stands await water sports enthusiasts: swimsuits, caps, flippers and beachwear of all kinds, you’ll find everything you need to equip yourself for swimming or bathing. And don’t forget the food and drink out lets, where you can have a good time with the volunteers who keep things lively all weekend long.

Departures take place all day at Plat Gousset. Positioning yourself at Place de l'Isthme gives you a good overview of the races.

Tip from one of the organizers

The program

Saturday

July 13, 2024

This is the 60th edition of the Tour du Roc, a stage in the French Open Water Cup. 5km, starting from the slipway at Granville’s outer harbor at 11:30 am. Finish on Plat Gousset beach.

Competitors welcome: 9 a.m., at the Granville fish market.
Start: 11:30 am.
End of race 13h45.
Gates close at 4:20 pm.

200 places available.