WW2 Museum, road race team up for ‘Liberty Road Challenge’

NEW ORLEANS – The National WWII Museum and the organization that puts on an annual road race in New Orleans are collaborating on a challenge to honour the museum’s 20th anniversary and the Allied route to liberate France in 1944.

The Liberty Road Challenge will run from July 5 through Sept. 10, with registration starting Saturday — the 76th anniversary of D-Day and the museum’s 20th anniversary, the Crescent City Classic organization said in a news release Friday.

Participants can log their walks, jogs, runs and bicycle rides during that time. The goal is 100 miles for individuals and a total of 712 miles for teams, adding up all members’ mileage.

The shorter distance is that from Sainte-Mere-Eglise, the first village liberated by the Allies, to Saint-Malo in France. The longer distance marks the length of the route from Sainte-Mere-Eglise to Bastogne, Belgium, which the Allies liberated on Sept. 10, 1944, after the six-week-long Battle of the Bulge.

Part of the $50-per-person entry fee will go to the museum. All registered participants will get a virtual race bib and an actual T-shirt, “WWII finishers” dog tag, and a 25% discount for a ticket to The National WWII Museum.

It’s not a race, so there aren’t any prizes for the fastest times.

“We’re thrilled to partner with The National WWII Museum to launch a patriotic way to stay active,” said challenge director Eric Stuart.