Paris Marathon

Paris Marathon
The official race logo
Date	April
Location	Paris, France
Event type	Road
Distance	Marathon
Established	1976
Official site	Paris Marathon

The Paris International Marathon (French: Marathon International de Paris) is an annual marathon which takes place from the Champs-Élysées heading towards the Place de la Concorde and continuing through the city to finish at Foch Avenue.

Along with the Berlin Marathon and the London Marathon, it is one of the most popular long-distance annual running events in Europe.

History

Tour de Paris

The first Paris Marathon, the Tour de Paris Marathon, took place in 1896. A big crowd gathered to watch 191 participants. It was run over a course of 40 km from Paris to Conflans-Sainte-Honorine via Versailles, and the organisers decided to award a commemorative medal to all runners who finished the race in less than 4 hours.

The distance of 40 km was chosen as it was the distance separating Marathon from Athens. The current distance of the race is 42.195 km - the standard Olympic Marathon length.

This first race was won by Len Hurst from England who crossed the finishing line in 2 hours, 31 minutes and 30 seconds. His prize money was 200 francs.

Although the International Association of Athletics Federations credits Violet Piercy as the first female to race the now-defined marathon distance of 42.195 km,^[1] other sources report that the 1918 performance of Frenchwoman Marie-Louise Ledru in the Tour de Paris set the initial mark for women.^[2][3][4][5]

The modern Paris Marathon

The public race in 2007

The present Paris Marathon dates from 1976. It is normally held on a Sunday in April and is limited to 37,000 runners. It is organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation. It is notable for the attractive route through the heart of the city of Paris, and for the food and drinks stations which include wine, beer, cider and oysters.

Unlike most other marathons, but like all races in France, the Paris Marathon requires a doctor's note affirming the runner is physically fit to run a marathon.

Route

Wheelchair races are also held at the competition

The race starts on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées going downhill to circle round the Place de la Concorde before turning right onto Rue de Rivoli. The route passes the Louvre, then goes round the Place de la Bastille, and down Boulevard Soult to the Bois de Vincennes. A long loop of the Bois de Vincennes returns the route into the heart of Paris. The halfway point is reached at Rue de Charenton. The route now follows the course of the Seine, passing Île de la Cité and going under the Pont Neuf, then a series of tunnels. There is a large drinks station and foot massage at Trocadéro, opposite the Eiffel Tower. The route continues along the Seine, before branching off east to eventually pass though Bois de Boulogne, emerging for the final 200 metres and the finish on the Avenue Foch.

Race summaries

2008

The race was run on April 6, 2008. The top male finisher, Ethiopian Tsegaye Kebede, just missed the course record with a time of 2h06’40. The top female finisher was Kenya's Martha Komu finishing in a time of 2h25’33. Her partner, Frenchman Simon Munyutu, qualified for this year's Olympics with a time of 2h09’24. The handisport race was won was by Mexico's Saul Mendoza in a time of 1h32’27 over France's Denis Lemeunier and Heinz Frei of Switzerland. 29,706 competitors started the race

2007

The race was run on April 15, 2007. The top male finisher was Shami Mubarak from Qatar in a time of 2:07:19 narrowly beating Indian Paul Astin. The top female finisher was Tafa Magarsa from Ethiopia in a time of 2:25:08. Handisport race was won by Kurt Fearnley in 1:30:45.A runner who also ran in London's British 10K that year. 28,261 competitors started the race.

2006

The race was run on April 9, 2006. The top male finisher was Gashaw Melese from Ethiopia in a time of 2:08:03. The top female finisher was Irina Timofeyeva from Russia in a time of 2:27:02.She also ran later in the British 10K. South African Ernst Van Dyck won the Handisport race in 1:33:58.

2005

The 29th Paris Marathon was run on 10 April 2005. The top male finisher was Kenyan runner Salim Kipsang with a time of 2h08'02, followed in by fellow Kenyan Paul Biwott 13 seconds later. The top female finisher was Lydiya Grigoryeva in 2h27'00. Ernst Van Dyck won the Handisport race in a time of 1h23’17.

2004

The top male finisher was newcomer Ethiopian Ambesse Tolossa in a time of 2:08:56. This was the Ethiopian's 9th ever marathon and he beat the race favourite - Kenya's Raymond Kipkoech who came in at 2:10:08. The fastest female was Kenyan runner Salina Kosgei (also a newcomer on the event) in 2:24:32, ahead of Ethopian Asha Gigi and France's Corrine Raux. Switzerland's Heinz Frei won the wheelchair event in 1h37'43. 30,430 competitors started the race.

2003

The top male finisher was Kenyan Mike Rotich with a time of 2:06:33, setting a new record for this event. Coming in second, France's Benoît Zwierzchiewski equalled the existing European record, at 2:06:33. The fastest female was Kenyan runner Béatrice Omwanza in 2:27:41, ahead of Italy's Rosaria Console.

France's Joel Jeannot won the wheelchair event.

Past winners

Paris Marathon

The 2009 winner Vincent Kipruto en-route to victory

Tadese Tola on his way to win in 2010

Key:       Course record       French championship race

Year	Men's winner	Nationality	Time (h:m:s)	Women's winner	Nationality	Time (h:m:s)
2011	Benjamin Kiptoo	Kenya	2:06:29	Priscah Jeptoo	Kenya	2:22:51
2010	Tadesse Tola	Ethiopia	2:06:41	Atsede Baysa	Ethiopia	2:22:04
2009	Vincent Kipruto	Kenya	2:05:47	Atsede Baysa	Ethiopia	2:24:42
2008	Tsegay Kebede	Ethiopia	2:06:40	Martha Komu	Kenya	2:25:33
2007	Shami Mubarak	Qatar	2:07:17	Askale Tafa	Ethiopia	2:25:08
2006	Gashaw Asfaw	Ethiopia	2:08:03	Irina Timofeyeva	Russia	2:27:19
2005	Salim Kipsang	Kenya	2:08:02	Lidiya Grigoryeva	Russia	2:27:00
2004	Ambesse Tolosa	Ethiopia	2:08:56	Salina Kosgei	Kenya	2:24:32
2003	Michael Kosgei Rotich	Kenya	2:06:33	Beatrice Omwanza	Kenya	2:27:41
2002	Benoît Zwierzchiewski	France	2:08:18	Marleen Renders	Belgium	2:23:05
2001	Simon Biwott	Kenya	2:09:40	Florence Barsosio	Kenya	2:27:53
2000	Mohamed Ouaadi	France	2:08:49	Marleen Renders	Belgium	2:23:43
1999	Julius Rutto	Kenya	2:08:10	Cristina Costea	Romania	2:26:11
1998	Jackson Kabiga	Kenya	2:09:37	Nicole Caroll	Australia	2:27:06
1997	John Kemboi	Kenya	2:10:14	Yelena Razdrogina	Russia	2:29:10
1996	Henrique Crisostomo	Portugal	2:12:18	Alina Tecuta	Romania	2:29:32
1995	Domingos Castro	Portugal	2:10:06	Judit Nagy	Hungary	2:31:43
1994	Saïd Ermili	Morocco	2:10:56	Mari Tanigawa	Japan	2:27:55
1993	Leszek Beblo	Poland	2:10:46	Mitsuyo Yoshida	Japan	2:29:16
1992	Luis Soares	France	2:10:03	Tatyana Titova	Russia	2:31:12
1991	Not held due to Gulf War
1990	Steve Brace	United Kingdom	2:13:10	Yoshiko Yamamoto	Japan	2:35:11
1989	Steve Brace	United Kingdom	2:13:03	Kazue Kojima	Japan	2:29:23
1988	Manuel Matias	Portugal	2:13:53	Aurora Cunha	Portugal	2:34:56
1987	Abebe Mekonnen	Ethiopia	2:11:09	Elena Cobos	Spain	2:34:47
1986	Ahmed Salah	Djibouti	2:12:44	Maria Rebelo	France	2:32:16
1985	Jacky Boxberger	France	2:10:49	Maureen Hurst	United Kingdom	2:43:31
1984	Ahmed Salah	Djibouti	2:11:58	Sylviane Levesque	France	2:38:20
1984	Additional women's race			Lorraine Moller	New Zealand	2:32:44
1983	Jacky Boxberger	France	2:12:38	Jacqueline Courtade	France	2:58:14
1982	Ian Thompson	United Kingdom	2:14:07	Anne Marie Cienka	France	2:56:14
1981	Dave Cannon Ron Tabb (ex-æquo)	United Kingdom  United States	2:11:44	Chantal Langlacé	France	2:48:24
1980	Sylvain Cacciatore	France	2:25:50	Gillian Adams	United Kingdom	2:49:42
1979	Fernand Kolbeck	France	2:18:53	Vreni Forster	Switzerland	2:51:14
1978	Gilbert Coutant	France	2:34:55	"Lawrence"	United States	3:26:15
1977	Gérard Métayer	France	2:30:41	Not Held
1976	Jean-Pierre Eudier	France	2:20:57	Not Held

Tour de Paris Marathon

Year	Men's winner	Nationality	Time (h:m:s)	Women's winner	Nationality	Time (h:m:s)
1903	Albert Charbonnel	France	[6]	No women's race held
1902	Albert Charbonnel	France	[6]
1900	Len Hurst	United Kingdom	2:26:28[nb 1]
1899	Albert Charbonnel	France	[6]
1896	Len Hurst	United Kingdom	2:31:30

Notes

1. ^ According to the "Sporting Records" section of The Canadian Year Book for 1905: "Len Hurst won the Marathon race, 40 kilometres (24 miles, 1505 yards), over roads, Conflans to Paris, Fr., in the record time of 2.26:27 3-5, July 8, 1900. *G Touquet won a Marathon race for amateurs over the same course in 2.51:48, September 2, 1900."^[7] Other sources confirm that the direction of the 1900 race was reversed but note Hurst's finishing time as 2:26:47.4^[6] or 2:26:48.^[8]

References

1. ^ "12th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Berlin 2009." (pdf). Monte Carlo: IAAF Media & Public Relations Department. 2009. p. 565. http://www.iaaf.org/mm/document/competitions/competition/05/15/63/20090706014834_httppostedfile_p345-688_11303.pdf. Retrieved May 19, 2010. 
2. ^ http://www.arrs.net/RecProg/RP_wwR.htm
3. ^ http://www.arrs.net/HP_ParisTourMa.htm
4. ^ Fast tracks: the history of distance running since 884 B.C. By Raymond Krise, Bill Squires
5. ^ Endurance By Albert C. Gross
6. ^ ^{a b c d} Martin, David E.; Roger W. H. Gynn (May 2000). The Olympic Marathon. Human Kinetics Publishers. p. 37. ISBN 978-0880119696. http://books.google.com/books?id=Qb125O62NVQC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
7. ^ "Sporting Records", The Canadian Year Book for 1905, 8, Toronto Canada: Alfred Hewitt, 1905, p. 147, http://books.google.com/books?id=bYACMpbJzQcC&pg=PA147#v=onepage&q&f=false 
8. ^ Noakes, Tim (2003). The Lore of Running (Fourth ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-87322-959-2. 

List of winners

• "Tour de Paris Marathon". Association of Road Racing Statisticians. March 17, 2010. http://www.arrs.net/HP_ParisTourMa.htm. Retrieved May 19, 2010. 
• "Paris Marathon". Association of Road Racing Statisticians. April 12, 2010. http://www.arrs.net/HP_ParMa.htm. Retrieved May 19, 2010. 

External links

• Official Paris Marathon Site (French)
• MarathonGuide.Com
• 2010 Marathon de Paris Website (English Version)