Marathon de la Route
{{Short description|Car race in 1931–1960}}
File:Porsche 356 SL competition coupé.jpg
The Marathon de la Route was a series of road rallies held in Europe between 1931 and 1971, including Liège–Rome–Liège and Liège–Sofia–Liège rallies held on public roads and closed-circuit races held at the Nürburgring from 1965 until 1971. It was reserved for so-called touring cars.Delsaux, Jean-Paul. Marathon de la Route 1931/1971 (Jean-Paul Delsaux, 1991) Many renowned drivers participated such as Olivier Gendebien, Willy Mairesse, Lucien Bianchi, and Jacky Ickx.
History
= Liège–Rome–Liège =
The race took place on an open road, an average distance of 3,500 km non-stop (sometimes more than 5,000 km as in 1959): departing Wednesday at 11 pm from Spa, and returning to the same place on Sunday around 4 pm. A Golden Cup was also sometimes awarded to three-year class winners such as Bill Bengry. The rally of August 1939 was the last major rally event before World War II. Belgium's Ginet Trasenster of Bugatti and France's Jean Trevoux in a Hotchkiss tied for first place, denying the German works teams shortly before their countries were overrun. This was one of five Liège wins for Trasenster.
The Liège continued as uncompromisingly an open road event run to an impossible time schedule, and remained Europe's toughest rally until it had moved to Yugoslavia and Bulgaria.
= Liège–Sofia–Liège =
From 1961 to 1964, the course was modified to Liège-Sofia-Liège. This reflected the desire of the organizer — the Royal Motor Union of Liège to diversify the route and to find traffic-free roads.
Despite the change in venue, the race still kept its reputation as a challenge of driver endurance and mechanical reliability.{{Cite journal |date=October 1962 |title=Matters of Moment |url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/october-1962/9/matters-of-moment-october-1962/ |journal=Motorsport Magazine |volume=38 |issue=10 |pages=9}}{{Cite journal |last=Davenport |first=John |date=October 1964 |title=Rally review |url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/october-1964/63/rally-review-october-1964/ |journal=Motorsport Magazine |volume=40 |issue=10 |pages=63}} The 1961 race required 90 hours of driving with a 4 hour rest at Sofia. Only 8 cars finished out of 85 total entrants. Lucien Bianchi and Georges Harris won this event, driving a Citroën DS 19.{{Cite journal |last=Jenkinson |first=Denis |date=October 1961 |title=Continental Notes |url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/october-1961/13/continental-notes-october-1961/ |journal=Motorsport Magazine |volume=37 |issue=10 |pages=13}}
= Nürburgring =
From 1965 to 1971, the Nürburgring race was held due to the refusal of some countries to cross their territory. The duration of the race was 82 hours to reach 96 hours in its last edition.
= Afterwards =
Winners
Record holder of number of victories: Ginet Trasenster, 5
=Liège–Rome–Liège (1931-1939)=
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Drivers !Car Make/Model !Ref |
| 1931
|{{Flagathlete|Willy Toussaint|BEL}} {{Flagathlete|Alphonse Evrard|BEL}} |
| 1932
|{{Flagathlete|Baron Orban de Xivry|BEL}} {{Flagathlete|L. Havelange|BEL}} |Bugatti |
| 1933
|{{Flagathlete|George Télesphore|BEL}} {{Flagathlete|Collon|BEL}} |FN 3.2L |
| rowspan="7" |1934*
|{{Flagathlete|Hans-Joachim Bernet|GER}} {{Flagathlete|Max Sailer|GER}} |
| {{Flagathlete|Van Naemen|GER}} {{Flagathlete|Ferruccio Canciani|ITA}} |
| {{Flagathlete|Max Thirion|BEL}} {{Flagathlete|Georges Bouriano|ROM}}
|Bugatti |
| {{Flagathlete|Alphonse Evrard|BEL}}{{Flagathlete|Ginet Trasenster|BEL}}
|Bugatti |
| {{Flagathlete|Peeters|BEL}} {{Flagathlete|Collins|BEL}}
|Bugatti |
| {{Flagathlete|Paul von Guilleaume|GER}} {{Flagathlete|Lotte Bahr|GER}}
|Alder |
| {{Flagathlete|Charles Lahaye|FRA}} {{Flagathlete|René Quatressous|FRA}} |
| rowspan="2" |1935*
|{{Flagathlete|Charles Lahaye|FRA}} {{Flagathlete|René Quatressous|FRA}} |Renault |
| {{Flagathlete|Ginet Trasenster|BEL}} {{Flagathlete|Franz Breyre|BEL}}
|Bugatti |
| 1936
| colspan="3" |Cancelled |
| 1937
|{{Flagathlete|Karl Haeberle|GER}} {{Flagathlete|Wilhelm Glöckler|GER}} |
| 1938
|{{Flagathlete|Ginet Trasenster|BEL}} {{Flagathlete|Franz Breyre|BEL}} |Bugatti |
| rowspan="2" |1939*
|{{Flagathlete|Ginet Trasenster|BEL}} {{Flagathlete|Franz Breyre|BEL}} |Bugatti |
| {{Flagathlete|Jean Trévoux|FRA}} {{Flagathlete|Marcel Lesurque|FRA}} |
File:1956-08-29 Alps Ferrari 250 0373GT Gendebien Strasse.jpg during the 1956 Liège-Rome-Liège]]
