This legendary running race will return for a 52nd edition in Lozère

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In the aftermath of the 51^e edition of Marvejols-Mende, in July 2024, many feared that this legendary half marathonwhich is held every year in July in Lozere disappears from the calendar. Its founder had thrown in the towel…

Jean-Claude Moulin had in fact announced that he was retiring from the organization, he who had been at the origin of the event in the early 1970s and had overcame all his difficulties.

“Everyone run with us”

“The organizational difficulties throughout the year have multiplied as have the administrative hassles. First of all, the prefectural ban on exceeding 2,000 registrations. In over 50 years, I have never refused a bib to anyone. This year we will have refused more than 500,” complained Jean-Claude Moulin, for example, recalling that “Mende was for a long time the only place in France where “unauthorized” people could still run, women, veterans, young people, the non-licensed…”.

“This restriction does not correspond to my philosophy at all. “Run all with us” was our first slogan and always has been,” added the creator of the event, also worn out by a long conflict with the municipality of Marvejols. “I went all the way”he concluded.

Enough to give a cold sweat to the rest of the organizing team, the hundreds of volunteers, the runners and running lovers as well as the simple passers-by who enjoy themselves every summer on the course encouraging the champions (and the others) .

The poster revealed

But the ordeal will survive well. A new office was elected and the first announcements followed. The 52^e half marathon will take place Sunday July 20, 2025. Et registrations will be open from 1^is FEBRUARY. A poster was also unveiled.

At the origin of all half marathons

So everyone can breathe. The legendary test is saved. And that's not an exaggeration. Because, let us remember, the “half marathon” was born in Lozère. It was in 1972 with a group of slightly crazy friends who had decided to run in the freezing cold of December 25 between Marvejols and Mende.

Happy with their progress, they made it a competition the following year, but in the summer this time. And chose to call it a “half marathon” because the distance was close to half a marathon (22,400 km). If it had been exactly half (21.97 m and a few centimeters), we would then have been talking about « demi-marathon ». And the face of sport would have been changed…

An atypical test profile

Today, half marathons run around the world offer races of 21,100 km (to round up). But they remain “seedlings”. And are most often run on flat ground. Unlike the Lozère race. Because here, it goes up and down all the time. Up to 1,022 m altitude at the Col de Goudard. This explains the enormous gaps between the world record in the discipline (the Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha in 57 minutes and 30 seconds in September 2024) and the local record, which remains the work of the Kenyan Luka Kanda (1h10'09).

A “warm-up” at the end of December…

Finally, know that if the race takes place in summer, the bravest pay tribute to the founders every year in the cold of Lozère with the Hivernale. This one is also extended. It will be organized (in a much smaller committee) Sunday December 29, 2024 at 1 p.m. Head here for this “unique training session”…

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