Although it will not run the distance of 15 kilometers, that which is to the reins of the morning show Hello hello Certainly account for being present in this event, which is a real annual tradition among Lortie. A real family gathering which is celebrated for three days, the race has been completed almost twenty times by his father, Guy, since the early 1980s. Subsequently, the second generation joined the movement, with the honorary president as well as her brother and sister. A few years later, the third followed suit.
“I would like the word to happen elsewhere. When I talk about the racing of the pichous to people around me, those who jog tell me how interesting it is that the route is beautiful. 15 km races, there are not many in Quebec. This distance is timely for those who are preparing for half-marathon and can become a goal for many. I would be really proud to convince people from the outside to take an interest in the race, ”says Ève-Marie Lortie.
The feelings will be even more special for the main interested party, whose mother died last summer following a dazzling disease. Beyond the honorary presidency, she will take advantage of the course and the festivities to thank and continue the inheritance of her parents.
“We will lift our glasses to our parents. The speech of healthy lifestyles was not fashionable in the 1980s, but our father taught us to move. My brother, my sister and I have remained active people. Now we transmit that to our own children, who are made big now. He showed us the importance of physical activity, whether in a context of competition or not. Training to succeed in a challenge has always been part of us. For her part, our mother told us that we had to be a party of these things. ”
— Ève-Marie Lortie, honorary president of the 57th Pichous race.
Course filled with emotions
As much as family memories fill the head of Ève-Marie Lortie during the pichous race, the route passes the host by several ranges of emotions during the 15 kilometers. After crossing the intersection of Boulevard Saguenay and rue Powell, his childhood and adolescence parade in seconds.
-In addition to passing in front of her former primary school, she sees her eyes filling with water when she arrives near the Sainte-Thérèse church, the district where she grew up.
Nearly 2,400 runners took part in the Pichous race in 2024. (Sophie Lavoie/Archives Le Quotidien)
“My primary was made in Notre-Dame-du-Sourire. On my left, there was a restaurant in the old Corner Store. It was by working in this snack that I became a young woman responsible. The emotions really win me, and they will follow me to the Sainte-Thérèse roundabout, which was therefore very complicated when I learned to drive. It’s really at home, ”recalls the honorary president.
The 57th edition of the Pichous race will take place on March 8. Nearly 2,400 runners had run and left the distance last year.
