Some have never heard of the event, some 40,000 runnershave logged hundreds or even thousands of kilometers in hopes of winning to experience this unique, historic race in the footsteps of the Olympians on August 10th.
The story begins in 2019 and quickly turns in the field of running. The legendary Olympic Games are open to the public for the first time as part of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. This exclusive race will take place on Saturday 10 August, the same day and the same route as the official men’s event, at night, and will start from the Place de l’Hôtel in Paris and finish at the Palace of Versailles. To win one of 40,048 bibs (20,024 for the marathon, 20,024 for the 10km), there is no piston or resale under the astronomically priced coat. We had to overcome the challenges of Club Paris 2024 and the Marathon Pour Tous app or participate in the challenges of Team Orange Running. The beginning of an adventure that has reached such a scale that newcomers cannot imagine.
The numbers speak for themselves. over 400,000 runners have attempted their run, clocking up 200 million kilometres, the equivalent of 4 million marathons. Among the challenges to overcome? The race organized against the legend Eliud Kipchoge or Orange Night Run in June 2023, the first relay marathon organized at night in the Capital, where almost 5,000 runners divided into 1,000 teams gave it their all One of the seeds set to win This unprecedented craze, Team Orange Running , joined by personalities from all walks of life, such as Robert Pires, Marion Rousset, Johann Durand, Ophelie Meunier, Juan Arbelaez, Hervé Matou and Marine Ltemporel.
Runners with different profiles
From the Sunday runner who wants to aim high, to the marathoner who wants to add a new race to his list of achievements, to runners who want to seize the opportunity to champion a cause, ambitions are as varied as their profile. runners. This even race, 50% men, 50% women, a rarity in this setting, brings together runners from 110 countries such as Chile, Tunisia, Costa Rica, Finland and Malaysia. But of course the most represented are the French, ahead of the Americans, Belgians, English, and then the Germans. Average age? 41 years old. The youngest runner is 20 years old, and the oldest is 85 years old. Note that a quarter of the participants will be running their first marathon. All these beautiful people will find the SAS after they leave, such personalities and former athletes as Camille Lacour and Amelie Mauresmo.
Some will run to the other side of the world. Running parallel to the Marathon Pour Tous, the Marathon Pour Tous Connecté will start at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 10, while the Men’s Olympic Marathon will start from the square in front of Paris City Hall. From Sydney to Nairobi to Tahiti, anywhere in the world, everyone will be able to participate in this great connected race.
A course as legendary as it is demanding
An exceptional event, an exceptional journey. As for marathons, at the same distance (42,195 km), the competitions are not the same. There are marathons with hellish elevation changes, such as the Mont Blanc Marathon (2,500 meters of elevation gain) and “rolling” marathons that are easy to understand without any particular difficulty. The Olympics certainly wouldn’t fall into this latter category. From Paris City Hall to the Palace of Versailles, runners will pass through no less than nine municipalities in the Paris region, from villages to iconic forests. But no tourist for those who will walk the cobblestones of the Place Vendôme, Concorde or Seine quays, the extremely demanding race profile will require focus and outdo itself.
Indeed, from the 15th kilometer to Versailles (at the 20th kilometer) the problems will begin (we will inadvertently realize that the Ile de France is less flat than expected). And this is nothing compared to what awaits the brave marathon runners at the 28th kilometer. the famous climb of Pav de Garde, feared by Ile-de-France runners who, for many, have already conquered it due to its apt name. Paris – Versailles. In the program, more than 2 km of ascent, the average height is 7%, rising to 12%. This is not all. The top of the Côte de Garde falls at kilometer 29, right at the foot of the famous “wall” well known to marathon runners. There is no doubt that a test within a test will cause harm.
Reading this program, some will wonder why on earth tens of thousands of people would want to undergo such torture. But that’s the beauty of running, reaching deep within yourself, always pushing your limits. And what better opportunity to achieve that than the Olympics.
Source: Le Figaro
