Gone are the days of the town festival with its games, fairground attractions, sports for all and other cycle races. From now on, in Montreuil-Juigné (Maine-et-Loire), the 1er May is synonymous with running, with the traditional road event organized for the 39e time by the MJ athletics, which brought together some 900 runners, confirmed as amateurs.
On Wednesday, at 9:30 a.m., the starter gave the start of the 5 km and 140 participants set off through the streets of the town. Mickaël Coquerie is the first to cross the finish line, after fifteen minutes and fifty seconds of effort.
“A well-constructed circuit”
Then at 10:15 a.m., time for the flagship event of this sporting morning, the 10 km, with 630 athletes at the start of the three laps of a circuit validated by members of the French Athletics Federation, the event being qualifying. for the French championships. It’s a well-built circuit, with spectators all along the route, it’s nice,”
underlines one of the runners.
The race was won among the women by Agathe Violleau, in thirty-four minutes and twelve seconds, and among the men by Quentin Brandet, in thirty-one minutes and sixteen seconds.
From 11:30 a.m., on the athletics track at the Pierre-Connote stadium, the children were also entitled to encouragement and applause from the public, with two events reserved for them. History will remember the victory of Jules Roussiasse, in the junior category (3.1 km), and Ewen Derouet, in the junior category (1.4 km).
An event that is also intended to be united
But the event was not only sporting, since the MJ athletics decided to donate €1 per 10 km bib to Aphasia 49 AVC, for the fourth consecutive year. This association, born in Avrillé in 2002, works with people who are victims of stroke, head trauma, tumors and other degenerative neurological diseases. Its objective is to break isolation, develop solidarity and friendship between patients, caregivers, families and friends.
Today, Aphasia 49 AVC has four branches in the department and 140 members. She organizes numerous activities – choir, theater, mimes, laughter yoga, discussion group, board games – but also outings and festive days.
Contact : Vincent Bertin, president of Aphasia 49 AVC and referent for the Angers west sector, 06 76 93 26 50.
