Q50 Races Normandy Tour Itinerary

October 5-11, 2017

Normandy is an incredibly scenic region in France that has played a major role in world history. With several
structures dating to the time of the Roman Empire, and an array of churches, cathedrals, and castles from the
Middle Ages, history is everywhere. Settled by the Vikings prior to the year 1000 AD, Normandy was an
autonomous region for several centuries. From these lands, William the Conqueror planned and executed the
1066 invasion of England which ended in a Norman triumph and the establishment of William as King of
England. To this day, many buildings in England feature stone from Normandy brought over in the 11 th and 12th
centuries.
After falling to the German Army in 1940, the people of Normandy endured a tumultuous occupation. Homes,
farms, and personal items were requisitioned, and resistance was met with arrest and, at times, execution.
During this time, many youth such as National WWII Museum friends Andre Heinz and Colette MarinCatherine joined the French Resistance and provided vital aid and information to the Allies.
Under orders to invade Western Europe and defeat Nazi Germany, Dwight D. Eisenhower and his staff selected
Normandy as the site for the largest amphibious invasion the world would ever see. With its miles of coastline,
beaches suitable for unloading operations, and proximity to Paris, Normandy was an ideal location. To keep the
site of the invasion from the Germans, the Allies launched an ambitious deception campaign. Spies relayed
misinformation, radio broadcasts repeatedly mentioned the area around Calais, and a fake army was created on
the east coast of England complete with inflatable vehicles and tanks. Allied bombing runs targeted the entire
French coast for months before the date.
On June 6, 1944, D-Day, the Germans were indeed surprised. In the midst of poor weather and visibility,
150,000 Allied soldiers loaded into their ships or boarded their planes with the plans for a complex and intricate
invasion. The first paratrooper units touched down just after midnight, and the first landing craft carrying
infantry troops reached the shore at 6:00 am. By noon, most of the fighting on the beaches was complete and the
Allies were heading inland. By the end of the day, the Allied armies had solidified a strong foothold in France,
but the fighting in Normandy would continue for another 100 days.
While on tour, you will see firsthand how the French people remember and memorialize this event almost 75
years later. Numerous monuments and memorials commemorate the actions of a wide array of individuals,
units, and leaders. More touching, however, are the words and actions of the Norman people themselves.
Veterans of the Battle of Normandy are always treated with the highest regard. Visitors who have come to see
the battle sites are met with a series of Thank Yous for making sure the world remembers, and numerous
graves in the Normandy American cemetery are looked after and decorated by people whose only connection to
the names on those stones is a remembrance of sacrifice.
A tour of Normandy is not just visits to battle sites, cemeteries, and museums. It is a journey into a story of
resilience, sacrifice, and friendship. A visit to Normandy and time spent with its people will leave you changed
for the better.

Q50 Races Normandy Tour Itinerary

October 5-11, 2017

October 5, 2017, Arrivals day

Prior to 9:00 am
11:00 am
By 5:00 pm
Evening

Arrive at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Meet in Terminal 2

outside Sheraton Lobby.
Depart for Normandy
Checked in to Hotel
Welcome Dinner

Important Information.
Please book your flight to arrive prior to 9:00 am to Charles de Gaulle Airport.
If arriving earlier than October 5, 2017, please make arrangements to return to the airport as the bus will not be
entering Paris for pickups.
If your flight is delayed or you have trouble, please contact Nathan Huegen immediately.
The bus will depart from the airport to Normandy and will make a lunch stop along the way where each guest
can purchase something for lunch.
ATMs are in Charles de Gaulle Airport and are the best methods to get Euros.
The hotel will be a 3 star property in or around Bayeux, France.
Contact:
Nathan Huegen, 618-791-2006
Nathan.huegen@nationalww2museum.org

Q50 Races Normandy Tour Itinerary

October 5-11, 2017

October 6, 2017 Going Ashore at Omaha

Morning

Visit Pointe du Hoc, the scene of an intense battle involving the

US Army 2nd Ranger Battalion and German defenders. Pointe du
Hoc consists of a 100 ft. cliff that juts out into the English
Channel. This strategic location allowed the Germans to fire
both on Utah Beach and Omaha Beach. Significant bombing to
the site was done in the months leading up to D-Day, but the
concrete bunkers and casemates withstood the aerial attacks.
On D-Day, the Rangers landed at the base of the cliff and
proceeded to climb rope ladders to the top. Fired on by the
German defenders, the Rangers persevered and set up the first
American command post.
Today, the landscape still bears the craters and scars of the
battle. Tour guests will be able to climb in the bunkers and look
out over the English Channel from the Observation Room at the
point of the cliff.

Midday
Afternoon

Lunch
Tour of Omaha Beach and inspection of the course for Q50
Races Normandy.
Omaha Beach is a 5 mile stretch of flat, open beach backed by
large bluffs. As shown in the film Saving Private Ryan, the
German positions on the bluffs gave them a strategic advantage
over the first waves of American soldiers. Chaos and confusion
reigned for the first hours of the invasion, but skillful leadership
and tenacity enabled the Americans to rally and force their way
up the bluffs to capture and silence German gun positions. By
the end of June 6, Omaha Beach was secure.
Stop at local store for personal race provisions
Evening and dinner at leisure

Important Information
The touring will not be too strenuous keeping the race in mind for the next day.
A stop will be made at a French supermarket for runners to purchase items they may need for race day.

Q50 Races Normandy Tour Itinerary

October 5-11, 2017

October 7, 2017, Q50 Races Normandy

Transportation to Omaha Beach at Colleville sur Mer for the
start of the Q50 Races Normandy
Q50 Races Normandy 50K and 25K
Athlete Dinner/Race Celebration
Return to Hotel
Important Information
Transportation to/from the race provided
Evening dinner included
All race logistics handled by Q50 Races

Q50 Races Normandy Tour Itinerary

October 5-11, 2017

October 8, 2017, Paratroop Drop Zones & Utah Beach

Morning

Midday
Afternoon

Afternoon

Visit to Ste Mere Eglise. This village was the first to be

liberated by American paratroopers in the morning of June 6,
1944. As the C-47 Skytrains entered the airspace over
Normandy, they were met with antiaircraft resistance. As the
planes maneuvered to avoid the flak, the paratroop drops became
scattered. Meanwhile, a barn in Ste Mere Eglise caught fire,
illuminating the paratroopers as they descended. Gretna,
Louisiana native John P. Ray was a part of this action, landing
near the church and saving the life of his fellow soldiers after he
was shot in the stomach. Ray would die of his injuries the next
day, and is buried in the Normandy American Cemetery.
Lunch in Ste Mere Eglise
Visit Brecourt Manor. This private manor was the scene of one
of the most impressive small-unit actions of WWII. Sergeant
Dick Winters led a small band of paratroopers to neutralize a
gun battery that was firing toward Utah Beach. In a scene made
famous in the miniseries Band of Brothers, Winters and his men
moved through the trenches in the field disabling the guns one
by one.
Explore Utah Beach and the Utah Beach Museum. Utah
Beach was the last beach added to the invasion plans. Its
location on the Cotentin Peninsula convinced the planners that
the deep water port of Cherbourg could be captured quickly
allowing for the materiel necessary to supply and advancing
army to be delivered.
On D-Day, strong currents pushed the first wave one mile off
course. Upon landing, General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. surveyed
the area and said, well start the war from here.

Q50 Races Normandy Tour Itinerary

October 5-11, 2017

October 9, 2017, Mont St. Michel

Morning-afternoon

Midday
Evening

Visit Mont St. Michel, a tidal island located off the coast of
Normandy. The island is completely cut off from land during
severe high tide. The abbey at the top, gives a feeling of being in
the Middle Ages.
Lunch on your own at Mont St. Michel
Farewell to Normandy Dinner

Q50 Races Normandy Tour Itinerary

October 5-11, 2017

October 10, 2017, Q50 Races Wreath Ceremony at Normandy American

Cemetery
Morning

Midday
Afternoon
Evening

Group visit to the Normandy American Cemetery. A special

wreath-laying ceremony will present a wreath from Q50 Races
at the foot of the monument, Spirit of American Youth Rising
from the Waves. Afterward, visit the final resting places of
soldiers whose personal stories will not be forgotten.
Group Lunch
Return to Paris
Evening and Dinner at Leisure

Q50 Races Normandy Tour Itinerary

October 5-11, 2017

October 11, 2017, Departures

Per your Flight Itinerary

Departures from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

Hotel will feature a complimentary airport shuttle.
Recommended arrival time at the airport is 2.5 hours prior to
your flight.