Two days before the event, two questions keep coming back: will the milestone of 400 registered teams be reached this Sunday, November 10, 2024, at 9 a.m. when the first torchbearers set off for the first 5 kilometers of this relay marathon? ?
Answer: we'll see on Sunday… One thing is certain and it's excellent news, the participation record will be broken. This Friday, at the beginning of the afternoon, 394 teams of six validated their commitment. This is already better than in 2017 (392). This reflects a craze for running and justifies the interest in the PPS (health prevention course) which now replaces the tedious medical examination.
Manon Genest and Gil Avérous at the start
Among the nearly 2,500 runners at the start, we will find some leading personalities: starting with the Paralympic medalist, Manon Genest, as well as the Minister of Sports, Gil Avérous. If they will not a priori aim for the title, others come with ambitions of success in this 16e edition.
It's not easy to uncover those who will play for the win, as the chronometric references of those involved are not requested, and the team names can serve as a screen, but the tour of the Castelroussin clubs provides valuable clues.
La Berrichonne Athletic-Club
They have held the record since 2022 when Maurin Broquier, Mohamed Benyettou, Julien Chevalier, Tristan Raffa, Maxence Marié and Jérôme Péaron ran the 42.195 km in 2h14'39. This team will have no equivalent this year, several of its members having left Berry for their studies or their professional activity.
Among the seven-eight Berri teams, the two most successful are to be found in the mixed challenge.
Mixed team 1 : Lucie Foulatier, Nolwen Delaunay, Vic Mesnard, Wahil Ez-Zaouia, Martin Bretaudeau, Timéo Bonnaire.
Mixed team 2 : Elsa Bonnaire, Camille Pentecouteau, Anne Mourret-Norigat, Luka Mesnard, Enzo Hay, Lucas Beslu.
They left the club recently, so they are former Berri players but they will be particularly worth following, in the wake of Tristan Raffa, now at Clermont.
Elders of the Berri : Tristan Raffa, Julien Chevalier, Clément Letranchant, Théo N'Guyen + two athletes from Clermont.
TCCM 36
Seven teams entered, including a men's team with several members of the D3 duathlon team which can claim a podium. The mixed team which includes two girls from the D1 triathlon team plus a recruit from Parthenay (Laetitia Chabot) also looks great.
Men's team : Théo Cron, Théophile Canet (return to the club, arrives from Montluçon), Benjamin Lapierre, Anthony Coeur D'Acier, Damien Laé, Louis Dejoie.
Mixed team : Béatrice Gautron, Lisa Charron, Laetitia Chabot, Gaël Genies, Edouard Coulaud, Eric Renard.
ASPTT 36
Seven teams registered by the Sports Nature section with many young people trained at the club. The best chances for women.
Girls team : Pauline Soares, Léa Lerosier, Adèle Catalino, Laura Châtain, Shanice Bertrand, Lilou Develle.
Boys team: Maxance Gourrier, Esreban Pecastin, Simon Richard, Lenny Perrin, Joseph Catalino, Lenny Charlotte-Cleria.
C-Cities
It is not a club but a program of cultural and sporting exchanges between four European cities Châteauroux, Gütersloh (Germany), Falun (Sweden) and Grudziadz (Poland). The athletes (18 in total, aged 16 to 22) from the Castelroussian clubs benefited from this opportunity to participate in events in the three foreign cities this year. It's the turn of the young Swedes, Germans and Poles to discover Berry and Ekiden with six teams mixed between the four nations. For a first international victory at the Ekiden 36?
And again
Two mixed teams from ASPTT Orléans running, one men's team from the Paris Fire Brigade which will be added to the eleven Indre fire brigade teams involved. The clubs of Blanc (winner in 2021), US Le Poinçonnet running, Gazelles de Vineuil or Coureurs de fond déolois, with the formidable Aubard family, a surprise from outside like Poitiers last year… All the world has a chance, you just have to run fast…
Sunday November 10, in Châteauroux, departure 9 a.m.
