PARIS TUBIZE – A walk not like the others …
During this weekend of Pentecôte, we had the opportunity to participate, like we use to, at the
famous walk of Paris Tubize. To understand and demystify this organization here are some words
of explanation...
By the way,
what is the origin of this walk ?
Some friends from tubizien, fond of walk,
had made the crazy bet to come back by foot from
Paris if Eddy Merckx won the “Tour de France” ...
This is how a small group made of one woman and
eight men have, in 1975 rallied Paris Tubize by foot.
Exhausted but satisfied of this experience, they decided
to reiterate this adventure with others.
2016 was thus the 42nd edition of this mythical walk.
How does it work?
The route evolved overtime in order to find small and beautiful ways. The departure is done in
Lagny sur Marne to arrive in Tubize after about 300 km. It takes place during the weekend of
Pentecôte, beginning on Friday to arrive on Monday in the afternoon.
We walk thus during four days with the following stops:
Day
Vendredi
Start
Lagny
s/Marne
Morning
After noon
KM day
KM total
Nanteuil
Pierrefonds
40,2
36,4
76,6
76,6
Samedi
Pierrefonds
Coucy Château
Ribemont
44,9
39,9
84,8
161,4
Dimanche Ribemont
Boué
Feignies
35,5
46,1
81,6
243
Lundi
Braine Comte
Tubize
49,1
11,5
60,6
303,6
Feignies
Stop noon
Arrived
Monday morning, we meet at Obourg after 28,5 km. After a rest, we then take the road towards
Braine le Comte.
How do we go to Paris ?
We go to Paris by bus. We meet on Thursday at 3 pm in Tubize to finalise the inscriptions (all of
the inscriptions have to obviously be made first for the good sake of our organization.) We leave
Tubize at 4 PM to gain Lagny sur Marne at around 8 PM after a stop on a rest area on the
highway.
Accommodation
We sleep in sport halls or in school classes at Pierrefonds. We sleep on air mattresses or camp
beds belonging to the participants.
Assistance
We are assisted by an important team.
The recognition of the way is realised by a couple who precedes us. The pace is free and you just
need to follow the arrows leading to the different steps. A pocket-sized lamp can help during
parts of the walk happening before the sunrise.
There are people every 5 or 6 km who provide you with refreshments and snacks. They take care
of your stomach and make sure you are in good mood and shape to overcome the difficulties
(lassitude, bulb or other.)
This team carries your small luggage that you can have access to once or twice a day.
Our dynamic cooking team will serve you a perfect suited meal at noon and in the evening.
We are assisted by a high performance medical team that will allow participants to reach the
arrival despite some little annoying injuries.
How does a typical journey look like?
We wake up at 2 am except on Friday (3 am). The Medical Team is available if necessary. You
start the day by preparing your little pakage (that can be handed back to you twice a day) and
enjoy a copious breakfast which is also the opportunity to exchange with the other participants
on your impressions and feelings. The departure is set at 4 am and we start behind a car of the
organization that shows the road for some hundreds meters. Everyone is there then going on its
own rhythm. Some prefer to stay in group and walk with people having the same rythm, others
prefer to go on their own pace to keep the distance.
We have regular food supplies and encouragmenents
along the way. We are mainly walking on small roads
with little traffic. We can then choose the best part
of the road to walk. There is a very friendly spirit
between the participants and the supply team and
most of all, there is a true solidarity amongst everyone.
After the morning stage, everybody gather to enjoy
a good meal and we then hit the road again.
The majority takes advantage of the available time between these two chunks in the day to relax
but also to take advantage of the cares (massage, cares of the feet of the muscles and so on)
lavished by the medical team. It is thus important to walk at a good pace to have a true cut at
noon.
If you walk to an average pace of 6km/hour, you can enjoy 2 hours of rest.
In the evening, most walkers reach the arrival between 7 and 8 pm. After a good healing shower,
good cares and a good meal, we go to sleep between 9 and 10 pm... and what about the best?
Well, the best walkers manage to walk at an average pace close to the 8km/hour ! It, it is true
sport for the love of sport !
The journey
Our travel to Paris by luxury bus but with
the stress most of the participants want
to get there asap. Our first night
at Lagny sur Marne
Lagny in France, is a fluvial city where walkers and yachten enjoy the Marne. We enjoy the
Briard landscape between fields and forest. We pass not far from the trails of the airport
Charles de Gaule and one can appreciate the airplanes landing. It is sometimes awesome …
We cross Saint Soupplets and reach Nanteuil le haudoin.
Nanteuil is half way between Paris and Soissons (50 km)
The church Saint Sulpice
at Saint Soupplets
The first night, we sleep in a school in Pierrefonds at
the foot of the famous castle.
The ramparts the Castle
of Coucy - meal of Saturday noon
The aeolian of Ribemont arrival on Saturday
Boué - departure Sunday afternoon
Who can do this walk?
Walkers who use to do marathons can without any doubt throw themselves in such an adventure.
One must accustom the body to walk two days in a row, and for the rest the body adapts itself.
The participants are in fact always astonished of the abilities of our organism to recover. You
must keep this distance in mind because of course it is above all a question of mindset…
Like any other walk, this is not about competition, the main challenge being to reach Tubize. It
allows you to do a real health check and judge yourself.
The satisfaction to join the family and the friends at the arrival is intense and it is without any
doubt, the best reward you can have.
A few statistics…
This year, we have celebrated the 42nd edition. During these 42 years, the total number of
participation was of 3.768 walkers amongst which 441 women (12%.). The average number of
participants is thus 90 persons; unfortunately, these last years the appeal of such a walk seems
less stronger and we are less than 60 to take the departure… This is a true pity as this walk is
very unique and thanks to a good support team, the walker can devote himself to his favourite
sport in the best conditions. The best evidence is our low rate of people who give up with a total
of 196 on the 42 editions, it represents a rate of 5%. The reputation of this walk goes far
behind our borders because 14 nationalities were represented.
Several walkers have done the walk several times. The total number of persons having
participated in one or several editions is of 1.246. Among these people, half of them (631) did it
once and among these 52 did not manage to reach the arrival. We can consider this as a very
good result and this proves the organization's efficiency.
Some walkers became really addicted, 3 of them realised it more than 30 times with, at the top,
the 2 Pascal, who became lately key in our organization with respectively 39 and 38 successful
participations ...
And now ….
True friendships were born during this walk, the effort bringing people together.
Then if you also feel attracted by this particular walk, do not hesitate, put a small training
program in place in order to be at the top of your shape and join us!
Walk friendship … Meet you at the next weekend of Pentecôte,
in 2017 – Yours faithfully - Bernard …
Walk friendship … Meet you at the next weekend of Pentecôte,
in 2017 – Yours faithfully - Bernard …