Stage 2 of the Liberation Trail followed the path of the D-Day landings – 53 kilometers of remembrance, endurance, and heat.

June 6, 1944 – the day Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy. British troops at Sword, Canadians at Juno, and British again at Gold. Then came the Americans, landing under fire at the now-iconic Omaha Beach.

Eighty years later, runners retraced those steps.
From the sands of Sword to the towering cliffs above Omaha.
53 kilometers through dunes, coastal paths, quiet villages, and steep climbs.

The sun burned down at 26°C. Runners dug deep.
Wind pushed back. Brambles left their mark. And checkpoints offered precious hydration.

A moment of silence at the American cemetery near Omaha Beach left many speechless. Nearly 10,000 white crosses on perfect rows. A place of loss. And legacy.

Talk among runners drifted to war photographer Robert Capa, who captured only 11 surviving images from D-Day – the “Magnificent Eleven.” The chaos, movement, fear – you could almost feel it again, running those same beaches.

Every runner made it to the finish.
Some with a scratch.
All with a memory.