Double title holder in La Rochelle (2022, 2023), the Ethiopian Berhanu Heye will not join the Kenyan John N’Geny in the history of the La Rochelle Marathon, triple winner in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Winner in the sprint l last year, the Ethiopian was in fact absent from the 2024 field where we found eight athletes applying for the final victory. In the traditional Kenya-Ethiopia match of recent editions, two other countries are entering the race this year, Uganda and Tanzania.
Best time in the field with a record that dates back eight years (2h04’24”), the Ethiopian Tesfaye Abera, 32 years old, will have to show that he has good leftovers against his young Ethiopian compatriot Abdu Assen, 22 years old, fourth last year in La Rochelle in 2h10’53” at the end of an edition where there were still five of them able to play for victory at 40e kilometer ! This year, he notably took fifth place in the Padua Marathon (Italy) in 2h13’34”.
Performances to follow
On the Kenyan side, Hammington Kimaiyo, 29, has achieved two good performances this season, including a victory in Hyderabad at the end of August in India, in an anecdotal time. His best time was set last year at the Mersin Marathon in Türkiye (fourth in 2h10’58”). Kelvin Kimutai intends to shine for his debut in La Rochelle in a marathon while a third Kenyan, Emmanuel Bor, intends to lower his personal best, frozen at 2h13’42” since 2021.
Let us add the Ugandan Mathew Chekwurui, 23 years old, who is launching into the deep end of 42.195 kilometers with a very good basic speed in a half marathon (1h00’36”) and the Tanzanian Inyasi Sulley, 26 years old, a neophyte also and having a time of 1h02’21” in half marathon. In 2023, he also finished in 46th place at the World Cross-Country Championships in Australia.
On the French side, we will have to follow the performances of Saumurois Éric Hérault who achieved 2h24’15” last year in Valence, as well as Charentais-Maritimes Vincent Migné and Damien Urcun.
The first three French women of 2023 at the start
Among the women, La Rochelle has rarely shown such a high density with five participants under 2h30′. Tanzanian athlete Failuna Matanga, 32, 24e of the 2021 Beijing Olympics, is the most interesting name on the field. She beat her personal best last April in Hanover (Germany) with a time of 2h27’33” (fifth). The best time in the field is to the credit of the Ethiopian Yeneabeba Eigu, 25 years old, whose record dates from 2021 and her second place in Malaga in Spain in 2h25’01”.
His compatriot, Kebebush Yisma, 26 years old, will hold him high with a record set in March 2024 in China (2h27’46”). Two Kenyans will join the fight, Shamilah Kipsiror, 38 years old, fourth in Rome in March in 2h27’33” (personal best) and second in Munich in mid-October, and Emily Chebet Kipchumba, 26 years old, holder of a record at 2h28’08” since his third place in Milan in April 2023.
Finally, on the French side, the first three French women of the 2023 edition will be at the start: the Nivernaise Emilie Lasserre (record at 2h47’15”), the Montalbanaise Mathilde Sagnes (2h47’45”) and the Aigrefeuillaise Nathalie Barriquand ( 2:48:01).
The 2023 podiums
Men
1. Berhanu Heye (Ethiopia), 2:10:4 2. Kennedy Kipyeko (Kenya), 2h1 3. Edwin Soi (Kenya), 2h10’53”.
Women
1. Tejinesh Tulu (Ethiopia), 2h31’40”. 2. Pauline Thitu (Kenya), 2h38’58”. 3. Émilie Lasserre (France), 2h47’24”.
