The 24 Hours of Le Mans
- Prescilia Ganache
- Feb 16
- 2 min read
This city in France is well known for its medieval architecture and its wonderful “rillettes”, but for people passionate about cars, the international race of the 24 hours of Le Mans is probably the most famous. Le Mans is situated at the Northwest of France; it is a city with 145 000 inhabitants but every year for a week during the month of June, it becomes an international hub.
Created in 1923, the first race of the 24 hours of Le Mans took place on the 26th of May with 33 cars at the starting line. Today, the number of cars has doubled. The event takes place during a full week. It begins with the election of the Miss 24 hours of Le Mans at the beginning of June. Then, one of the most important first steps is “le pesage,” the cars are inspected by officials, and it is the opportunity for the public to admire the cars. The “parade des pilotes” in the city center is also an emblematic event of the 24 hours of Le Mans. It takes place on the Friday before the race, and it allows the spectators and others to see the drivers and wonderful vehicles in the streets of Le Mans.
The event also brings some artists for different concerts like Pascal Obispo, Mika, Zazie.
The race begins on the Saturday at 3pm, launched by celebrities like Steve McQueen, Brad Pitt, LeBron James and Zinedine Zidane. It lasts until Sunday, 3 pm, for the legendary 24 hours of Le Mans.
More than a sports event, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is a real experience that brings joy, recognition, and a cultural mix.
Since the creation of the race, a museum dedicated to the 24 hours of Le Mans opened in 1961, there is also a boutique where you can buy shirts, caps and other goodies with the logo.
More recently, a movie entitled “Le Mans 66” starring Christian Bale and Matt Damon was released. In the movie, we can follow an American engineer sent by Henri Ford to create a new car that must win the competition in 1966.
Finally, more than a race, the 24 hours of Le Mans is a cultural, economic, and international event that gives an important reputation to this city in France.
Written by Prescilia Ganache
Guest Author
France
I read the post about the 24 Hours of Le Mans and it showed how drivers and teams need endurance, focus, and teamwork to race for a full day. Last semester when I was struggling with confusing lessons I used do my associate level course help because I needed extra support to finish assignments on time. That taught me that steady effort and clear guidance make challenging tasks feel more manageable.