20km from Lausanne: incredible emotions and stories

ThoseA running weekend –The 20 km of Lausanne, a formidable provider of emotions

The juniors and the elite athletes have been on the various Lausanne routes on Saturday and Sunday. With beautiful stories to the key.

Posted today at 8:08 p.m.

There are not 36,000 ways to live 20 km from Lausannethere are 36,626, like the record number of registered this year. From Sunday runners to experienced athletes, the emotions were intense throughout this weekend dedicated to running.

The story of these African mothers from Kenya forces respect. Coming with the project Nzimaheart From the Vaudois Alistair Davidson, six of them were in the running in Vidy. They made a quadrupled on the flagship race of 20 km, the double over 10 km and finished 1^re3^e4^e et 7^e Over 5 km. A result far from trivial for these runners like no other.

“They return to Africa With a little money and in addition they improved their profile to world Athletics which will allow them to be invited by major races, says Alistair Davidson with his sweet Scottish accent. This money represents a lot. They send him to their grandmother or their mother. Or they use this for the schooling of their children, since five out of six are mothers. Varsity Kipchumba, who won the 10 km, is 20 years old and already has a 3-4-year-old child. These women work hard to get there. “

We will find these incredible women at the Geneva marathon next week, where they will be aligned with the semi. Winnie Jeptarus, who won the 5 km and 20 km in Lausanne, is soaring. She too returned to competition after having a child. These women often come from very modest backgrounds, from families of peasants. Running allows them to envisage a better life.

The bravery of Aimie Decrausaz in Lausanne

Other wonderful young women have been dazzling. Like Aimie Decrausaz which won the junior event for the third time among 15-16 year olds. And solo! “I came to beat my record,” said the Champvent athlete who holds the best brand of the 4 km in 13’24 ”. Finding myself all alone throughout the race was a bit complicated. It happens to me often. I will come back next year to try to beat my best performance at the 20 km of Lausanne. ”

And what about this 18 -year -old teenager who won the 5 km elites? Samuel Simba Cherrop, an 18 -year -old Ugandan, printed a madness of madness, from the first kilometer. While he has experienced some suitcase problems at the airport. The day before the race, at 10 p.m., he still did not have his luggage in which his shoes were.

Everything went well for Cherop who found his boots with seven leagues. The runner born in July 2006 was not satisfied to win the race, he seized the record for the event (13’29 ”). A brand that was owned by a certain Dominic Lobalu (13’36 ”).

In the queen of 20 km category, the suspense did not last for the gentlemen. The winner Leonard Bor quickly distorted everyone to everyone, including his compatriot Kenyan Erick Ndiema, who will finish second. The gap between the two men? 3’50 ”, more than a kilometer! Nathan Wanner from CA Sion completes the podium.

Maxime Fluri in front of Africa over 10 km

In Lausanne, the feeling of the weekend came from Maxime Fluri. The Aigle triathlete, already the author of a great race on the 5 km statement (6^e) did even better over 10 km. The 26 -year -old champion was faithful to the etymology of his first name. It was simply “the biggest”, Sunday over the 10 km of Lausanne, delighting the public of Vidy by making a fairly amazing tactical race.

The Aiglon spun with his teammate of Triviera Habtom Amaniel and Kenyan Kiprop Limo. The Eritrean refugee domiciled in Roche did not follow the cadence as the Pierre-de-Coubertin stadium approaches. And it was by arriving in the enclosure that Fluri placed an acceleration that surprised both the public and Kiprop Limo.

“This is an exercise that I have worked a lot in recent years,” says Maxime Fluri. I now have small strategies in my head that allow me to disconnect and finish loudly. I know this arrival. In blue tartan, I said to myself: “Come on, there are 300 meters left, you have almost run 10 km before, go ahead!” It is played only in the head. I am happy to have been able to make two beautiful finishes 24 hours apart. ” After that of the 5 km on Saturday.

Finally, lift the large 20 km trophy of Lausanne

This successful success in front of his audience in 30’02 ” gave him a lot of emotions. “It was great, I saw lots of known faces throughout the route,” commented Fluri. It gave me energy boosts. It’s been three years since I finished on the podium, but never on the highest step. I was able to lift the largest trophy for the first time, it’s great. ”

Behind, Limo finally finished at 6 ” and Amaniel at 33 ”. “I think I could have done even better,” said the latter. I just run the Zurich marathon where I finished 3^e In 2:11, I imagined that it was going to be enough for 20 km with the support of this many audiences. Find myself on the podium with Maxime, with whom I train, makes me so happy, I am so happy for him. ”

But the story of Habtom Amaniel is also incredible. Coming from a family of peasants in a small mountain village in Eritrea, he lost his mother at the age of 3, when he had twelve brothers and sisters. Forced to join the army for a fixed period, at 20 years old, he spent 5 years under the flags. For two years, he did not have permission to see his family once. As he was poor, he could not pay bribes to his superiors who tightened the lives of the military precisely to grant themselves some welcome money.

Habtom Amaniel then revolted and was thrown into prison for two years. After multiple episodes, he decided to leave Eritrea to try his luck in Europe. He crossed Sudan, went back to Libya. His companions in misfortune died one after the other in the desert. He then joined Sicily, then Switzerland who has welcomed him for 10 years. Perfectly integrated, Amaniel thanks Switzerland every day for allowing it to live in freedom. Finding yourself on the 10 km podium, Sunday in Lausanne therefore has a particular symbolism for him. In any case, he wrote a new page in his history and that of the 20 km of Lausanne.

Did you find an error? Please report it to us.

2 comments