Regarding the organization of the 2024 Olympic Games in France and particularly in Paris, the organizers decided to create an event for all runners: the marathon for all! The male and female Olympians run the marathon 24 hours apart (and the roads are blocked the whole time anyway), so it was technically possible to have people run the same course!

• Getting a bib

The organizers wanted, with their main partner Orange, to offer a free race, no way to “simply” buy your bib! For this there were several options: participating in connected challenges posted online on the specific application; participate in races (against Kipchoge, Orange night run, but also classic races including few 10km parisian races) offering a chance to win bibs; accumulate more than 100,000 points on the application (races, games, bonuses allowed you to have points). You could also win a bib for a 10km race, more “accessible” to beginners.

For my part, I first obtained a bib for the 10km. After ensuring that this did not prevent me from continuing with the draws for the marathon distance, I first validated this bib. And then a few months later I receive an email saying that I also have a marathon bib and that I have to choose! Clearly it would have been more reasonable for me to stay on the 10km… But it wouldn’t have had the same flavor, so I decided to keep the marathon distance bib!

• Preparation

I opted for a preparation with Campus Coach! I decided not to do an half marathon ass preparation because in the middle of summer it’s complicated to find and I didn’t want to take too much energy for an half… On the other hand, I decided to make my long distance test in Biarritz by following the half marathon route (but not done in full) in order to do it in hills conditions. The course is nice but I swore to myself not to sign up for this half marathon haha! It wasn’t easy but the reward was going for a swim straight after!

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• Before the race

I had already been able to enjoy the Olympic Games atmosphere by going to see some events (athletics, tennis, swimming) the previous week. I still wanted to make the most of it so after going to get my bib close to the Eiffel Tower (fluid but no exhibitors, too bad we would have all bought merchandising I’m sure!), I went to the Stade de France the evening before. Saturday morning head to the finish of the marathon to see the pro men’s runners arrive. I don’t know if it’s ideal to see their faces in pain haha! As I was leaving I could see them pass by me to go out😍. There was in particular this Belgian who stayed for a while chatting with people, it was very nice!

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After my favorite brunch at Café Elementaire, I returned to my hotel to rest (and watch the Olympics Games). Then head to the starting line!! There were quite a few people (SAS, tourists, accompanying people) it was quite a mess, I did well to arrive early! The queue for the toilets was quite reasonable though! Departure on time and smooth. Every hour of SAS was respected.

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• First part in Paris

For this first part, it is still very hot. But there is a huge audience, it’s really incredible!! We pass by well-known Parisian monuments and we have several viewpoints over the cauldron! The first refueling takes a bit of time to arrive for me but it feels so good! On the other hand, I make the mistake of watering myself too much, which will make me cold afterwards (in fact, I then took off my shirt for several km to try to dry it out a little and stop its cold effect on my stomach).

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• Going up to Versailles

This part went pretty well for me! Of course I walked a bit on the biggest hills but I expected so much worse! It was more of a sequence of flat/false flat/hills and I was still able to run quite a bit! I was glad to have my electrolyte tablets with me because I was really starting to get tired of water. Besides, there were quite a few sick people… I think linked to the lack of mineral salts!

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• Versailles > Paris

Once you have passed the Palace of Versailles, you begin a very, very long straight line. It was really hard for me, I saw the number of km still to go and I wondered how I was going to manage to cover the entire remaining distance! There were still people there to cheer us on, even in the middle of the night! Then the Pavé des Gardes hill arrives! They lit it up so well that we’re pissed off before we even get there!! Of course, everyone walks alongside me. We’re starting to get tired and it’s unthinkable to burn ourselves out at this point by forcing ourselves to run! The good news is that there is then a long descent towards Paris! I was able to run at a good pace here and overtake quite a few people, it does a lot of good for the mind! (For beginners, the descents are not so easy, especially at this point in the race. You need to have good quadriceps to resist muscularly).

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• By the Seine

Arriving at the banks of the Seine, I saw the pace leaders (from different times) waiting for us to help us finish. You had to cross km 38 at 3:53 a.m. to be on time and finish. I wasn’t there at the start, a pace leader advised me to speed up to make sure I got there (he left me a few minutes later to return to help the following). Which I did but I felt when I stopped drinking that it was hard for my body to draw so much at that time. I wasn’t very far from flinching, I had to be careful! I crossed the 38th km with 3 minutes to spare, I seemed to remember at that moment that we were all considered finishers from there. But not being 100% sure I continued to move forward as best I could. It was on this part, although flat, that I alternated running/walking the most. My pace leader joined me, he told me that I had to jog to the end if I wanted to join the invalids. A person from the organization on a bike was pushing us, he also asked not to close the doors at 4:30 a.m. “sharp”, promising that we would arrive!

• Finish line

I was finally able to reach the invalids, like the pros!! On the other hand, fortunately I had kept a cup from the last refreshment because there was nothing left… And I absolutely had to drink at that moment! I learned later that the people who passed km 38 all got the medal, even without going up to 42km but I am happy to have been able to actually finish this race.

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• Going back to the hotel

Arrival was a car-free zone, no choice but to walk (and no metro going in my direction). I think that’s almost what was the hardest: walking back to the hotel! I was tempted to take an Uber but 15E to go 1km still bothered me a little! As I left the pedestrian zone, I saw night buses going in my direction. I took one, even if it only took me 600m, it was bliss! At the hotel I got a Coke Zero (put in the fridge earlier) and I had the brownie left from the brunch, it was my reward feast!

• Following days

Following a flight change, I was going on vacation on Sunday evening! I left my hotel room at noon still exhausted. Fortunately I was able to use a sofa for the afternoon, I wouldn’t have lasted otherwise! Muscularly I felt my quadriceps “from running fast” on the descent, although it’s quite rare that I have aches there. On the other hand, the fact of alternating the difference in hills, a little walking, etc. meant that I was less “rusty” jointly, whereas this is what normally limits me the most the day after a marathon.