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The 31st Classic Marathon will feature the exciting mountain roads and glorious Alpine scenery of France and Spain taking in the Jura Mountains and the Ardeche, driving on roads made famous by the Monte Carlo Rally; then into the Massif Central of France, before the last 3 days takes us into the Pyrenees. This well-renowned classic car rally last ventured over these roads back in 2010; such is the quality of this area for rallying that it has also featured on other successful HERO-ERA events, the Alpine Trial, the Winter Challenge and London to Lisbon to name just a few and including the legendary Peking to Paris Motor Challenge.
Although the Marathon has evolved since the original event created by Philip Young back in 1988, it still holds endurance at its core – driving and navigating across some of Europe’s finest roads and mountain passes are the heart and soul of this motoring challenge. However, the event also allows for a good social side as it is essentially a daylight rally. Navigation, provided in Route Books issued 30 minutes before the start each day, will be in the form of easy-to-read Tulip instructions or descriptive information. These will be supplemented by daily overview maps. The event caters both for those wanting to venture out onto their first long distance European event as well as the old hands searching for their biennial Marathon fix.
The start with be in Divonne-le-Bains, allowing for easy access via Geneva airport for those flying in or a one day drive from the Channel ports. The finish will be on the Atlantic coast, at the elegant seaside town of Biarritz, with options to travel home via ferry from Santander or Bilbao, fly via the international airport at Biarritz or leisurely drive back through the Bordeaux region.
The Route
Event Schedule
Scrutineering & Documentation | 13 September 2025
Scrutineering and Documentation will take place at the start hotel location on Saturday afternoon, allowing crews to fly into Geneva that morning should they wish, before we all join together at the Welcome Dinner, to look forward to an unforgettable week of Marathon motoring.
Divonne-les-Bains to Valence | 14 September 2025
Leaving the flatlands of Lake Geneva behind, we quickly head into the Jura Mountains, an area known for its diverse landscapes ranging from dense forests and rolling meadows to dramatic limestone cliffs and pristine lakes. Snaking our way south we start taking in mighty “Cols”, which are a large feature in this year’s Classic Marathon, made famous from past Tour de France events. Having accomplished the Grand Colombier, we continue our journey south through some incredible mountain scenery through the Chartreuse region, home of the monks who produce the renowned Chartreuse liqueur.
After lunch we take in our first Test of the event, alongside more impressive limestone massifs through the Vercors and heading to the traditional Monte Carlo Rally watering hole of Valence.
Valence to Millau | 19 September 2025
Today’s action begins very quickly as the route leaps straight into the rallying heartlands of the Ardeche and Cévennes. The morning starts as we climb into the hills from St Lauren-du-Pape with some definitive “Monte” sections which are beautifully suited to these classic cars, as well as with some new routes also tucked into the Route Book. The mountains might not be as high as the previous day, however, thanks to the maze of roads and twists and turns, you will feel like challenges have ramped up a notch today.
The descent into the magnificent Tarn Gorge with a gentle cruise through quaint villages, such as La Malene, will be a welcome pause before the competing crews commence the final battle of the day high above the market town of Millau in the Grands Causses hills.
The impressive view from tonight’s hotel as the sun sets behind the modern Millau Viaduct will give time to reflect on the triumphs made and roads conquered in the heart of France today.
Millau to Carcassonne | 16 September 2025
Escaping the bustling streets with an early morning departure, climbing through the backroads of the Grands Causses National Park, deep in the Massif Central, the route delves into new Marathon territories this morning; we explores the intricacies of the roads and quaint villages of the Occitaine region, where we find ourselves winding around the edges of the Chasse de Caroux-Espinouse Nature Reserve and enjoying the panoramic views across the Col de Fontfroide.
A countryside halt at a traditional restaurant which promises bistronomic cuisine based on locally source produce will be a welcome rest and offer the cars a chance to cool off before we descend onto the Languedoc Plain and through the Corbières wine region, with some stunning winding roads which quite literally corkscrew their way through the mountainside before we loop back to the evenings rest halt within arm’s reach of the medieval citadel of Carcassonne, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Carcassone to Pyrenees | 17 September 2025
The wonderful thing about staying in a place such as Carcassonne is that not long after the view of the fortified Citadel drops out of the rear-view mirror, the appetising view of the foothills to the Pyrenees begin to take shape straight ahead. Today’s route will tackle little known Cols, offering panoramic views of the snowy Pyrenean peaks before dropping into the natural beauty of the Gorge De Galamus in this hidden region which gets overlooked by many, but offers the perfect escape for enthusiastic motorists.
The Cols begin to get higher and tougher during the afternoon as we climb through the ski resorts of Mijanès-Donezan and Ascou, before tackling the mouth-watering Col de Portet d'Aspet on our way to the overnight halt, nestled high in the mountains, close to the Spanish border.
Pyrenees to Pau | 18 September 2025
Today, the battle will be contained solely to the Pyrenees and as they say in cycling, it promises to be a “big day in the mountains”! The route includes the ultimate classics such as the ascent of the Col du Tourmalet, the intense landscapes of the Peyresourde and the undeniable beauty of the Col de l'Aubisque, all offering unique challenges of their own, but set to test the crews in equal measure.
Ears popping and adrenaline levels decreasing as we descend for the penultimate evening’s rest halt in Pau, home of the Pau Grand Prix, where time can be spent reminiscing about the day’s adventures and possibly a special award will be handed to the ‘King of the Hills’.
Pau to Biarritz | 19 September 2025
We spend the final morning of the Marathon conquering the final Cols that make up this mountainous region, followed by the maze of deserted roads in the hills close to the French-Spanish border. These challenging sections will provide a fitting finale to the event, with perhaps a sting in the tail to shape the leaderboard in Biarritz…
After another unforgettable week of Marathon motoring there will certainly be some tales of derring-do to be shared over a celebratory drink in the elegant seaside town of Biarritz, visited by European royalty since Napoleonic times.
Vehicle Information
- Entry is open to cars manufactured pre-1991 or a model available pre-1991
- The cars will be split into classes, based on age and cc or other criteria established by the organisers
- The scoring on the Test sections is class based so you will be scoring against other similar aged cars
What is Included in the Entry Fee?
Event participation for one eligible car with a crew of two – Driver & Navigator
- Detailed Route Books
- Choice of official Classic Marathon merchandise or HERO-ERA store voucher
Extensive Hospitality package:
- Accommodation, including breakfast, from Saturday 13th September through to Friday 19th September (crew of two sharing a double or twin room)
- Single room supplements, subject to availability and on a first come first served basis *Single rooms may be in a satellite hotel
- Lunch for each crew member, from Sunday 14th through to Friday 19th September
- Evening meals each night with the exception of Thursday 18th September, when crews will have the opportunity to explore the city and enjoy local cuisine
- Welcome dinner on Saturday 13th September
- Awards Dinner on Friday 19th September
- Morning and afternoon refreshments from Sunday 14th to Friday 19th September
- On-event luggage team to move your luggage from hotel to hotel. Whenever possible, placing your bag in your rooms ready for your arrival each evening
- Two souvenir rally plates to fix to the front & rear of the car
- Two side number panels
- Finishers’ awards for each crew member
- Overall awards for 1st, 2nd and 3rd winners
- Class Awards up to 3rd in Class – if there are three or more crews per Class
- Special Awards at the Organisers’ discretion
- HERO-ERA mechanical assistance sweep teams on event, to help keep crews moving
- An experienced team of HERO-ERA officials & marshals to keep the event moving and on track
- Results team and Media team keeping your family and friends, following the event, up to date
- Post-event, detailed Results book
Need a car?
The Arrive & Drive scheme allows you to compete should your car be unavailable or, if you are looking to purchase a similar model in the future it gives you the chance to get to know your prospective purchase. We have a wide and varied range of vehicles to suit everyone's taste.
Check out the highlights from Classic Marathon 2023
Whilst the ‘Marathon’ has evolved during its thirty year history, it still holds endurance at its core – driving and navigating across some of Europe’s finest roads and mountain passes are the heart and soul of this motoring challenge.
Entry List
Driver | Navigator | Year | Vehicle | CC |
---|---|---|---|---|
Brian Yeomans (GB) | Shelagh Yeomans | 1968 | Porsche 911L | 1991 |
Christopher Gobell (GB) | Matthew Todd (GB) | 1966 | Porsche 912 | 1600 |
Dave Batchelor (GB) | Jackie Batchelor (GB) | 1962 | Triumph TR4 | 2290 |
Dave Maryon (GB) | Henry Carr (GB) | 1966 | MG B Roadster | 1798 |
David Wilson (GB) | Stewart Rust (GB) | 1965 | Fiat 2300S Coupe | 2279 |
George W Topp (GB) | Rosalind Topp (GB) | 1973 | Saab 96 V4 Sport | 1700 |
Graham Platts (MC) | Neil Ripley (GB) | TBC | TBC | TBC |
Hanns Proenen (DE) | Holger Seeberger (DE) | 1979 | Mercedes Benz 280 E | 2746 |
Ian Warhurst (GB) | Nicola Warhurst (GB) | TBC | TBC | TBC |
Irvine Laidlaw (GB) | Annabel Jones (GB) | 1973 | Porsche 2.7RS | 2700 |
John Evans (GB) | Tristan Judge (GB) | 1971 | MG MGB GT | 1800 |
Ken Dobbs (GB) | Peter Opie (GB) | 1965 | MG B Sports | 1950 |
Lee Clarke (GB) | Cathie Clarke (GB) | 1962 | Triumph TR4 | 2188 |
Mike Donald (NZ) | Paula Donald (NZ) | 1972 | Bmw 2002 tii | |
Paul Taylor (GB) | TBC | 1974 | Ford Mk1 Escort RS2000 | 1993 |
Peter Hanimann (CH) | Helen Hanimann (CH) | 1972 | Alfa Romeo Giulia Super 1600 | 1600 |
Richard Leggett (GB) | James Leggett | 1976 | Alfa Romeo Alfetta Saloon | 2000 |
Roger Hermkes (CH) | Rosa Maria Hermkes (CH) | 1963 | Jaguar MK II | 3781 |
Simon Malins (GB) | Phil Cottam (GB) | 1971 | MG MGB GT | 1800 |
Tom Ryan (GB) | TBC | 1963 | Triumph TR4 | 2150 |
Xavier de Sarrau (CH) | Lucas de Sarrau (CH) | TBC | TBC | TBC |