Taking place this Sunday 3 April, the start of the 40th edition of the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris was given at 08:45 CET as the first sunbeams fell onto the Champs-Élysées. A record-breaking 43,317 athletes left the start line of ‘the most popular sports event in France’.
To put this into perspective, there were 41,342 participants in 2015, 40,783 in 2014 and 39,967 in 2013.
Just before the start of the elite field, Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo pepped up the tens of thousands of runners massing on ‘the most beautiful avenue in the world’. “Welcome to Paris”, she exclaimed, “Thank you for coming. Have fun, be happy! The city is yours. Bravo. I commend you.”
Minister for Urban Areas, Youth and Sport Patrick Kanner also praised the marathon runners. “You’re the ambassadors of Paris,” he said during his speech.
Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris Race Director Édouard Cassignol added, “A mere 72 runners took part in the first edition and now, four decades later, there are more than 43,000 of you. Enjoy this magical moment in the most beautiful city in the world.”
With 160 nationalities represented on the start line (37% of the field, versus 63% of runners from France), the event has built a strong international profile. The average age remains stable at 41, but the percentage of women continues to grow and now stands at 25%. The 2016 Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris was also the first marathon for 35% of runners.
The organisers ASO point to more than 250,000 spectators who turned out to ‘acclaim the bravery and gutsiness of each and every competitor in the biggest field in France.’
Running towards a carbon-neutral marathon
The renewal of contracts binding the Marathon de Paris, Schneider Electric and ASICS was announced during build up to the 40th edition. Eager to reduce the environmental footprint of the most popular sporting event in France, Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) and Schneider Electric, a world leader in sustainable energy management, set themselves the goal to make the event carbon-neutral in two years’ time.
The 41st edition of the Schneider Electric Paris Marathon will take place on 9 April 2017. The first stage of the registration process for the 2017 Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris will open on Wednesday 6 April at 08:00 CET on the ASO Challenges platform (www.asochallenges.com).
Next up in the ASO running calendar are the Marathon de la Baie du Mont Saint-Michel and the 10 km L’Équipe, both of which take place on 29 May.
www.schneiderelectricparismarathon.com
