First deputy then mayor you have always supported the Cross, why?
I immediately understood, alongside Michel Bézian, the importance of the Cross for the town and its image. It is deeply rooted in us, it is a marker of our city. Gujan-Mestras focused on sport, and cross country in particular. It was completely natural to continue to support him, to help him adapt. It also brings happiness to our administrators. There is a very strong attachment to this event. All Gujan-Mestras is running. The Cross is a success. It shows the dynamism of the city. It is both a high-quality sporting event and also a major popular meeting. Runners come for the exceptional setting and the spirit.
How do you last fifty years?
We were able to move forward and maintain the bar, even after the yellow vests and Covid-19 for example, or the increasingly restrictive security issues. Above all, we knew how to adapt. You don’t last for fifty years by chance. The strength of Cross comes from this ability to resist, to pass the time, to reinvent oneself. For example, suggest new races. I would also like to remind you that we run at all ages and over all distances in Cross Country. I am also at the origin of the pitchounes race that I saw in Spain.
And this anniversary edition?
Senegal
