Marathon Pour Tous: Paris 2024’s mass participation race to be gender equal with 110 countries represented
For the first time in history, members of the public can run the same course of the Olympic marathon on the same day as the Olympians. The mass participation event will give amateur runners a once-in-a-lifetime experience in line with Paris 2024’s motto ‘Games Wide Open’.
Wednesday 31 January, the Organising Committee of Paris 2024 announced further information about the Marathon Pour Tous – the mass participation running event that will take place during the upcoming Olympic Games.
The revolutionary concept – a first in Olympic history – will allow members of the public to run in one of two races that will take place on Saturday 10 August on the same course as the Olympic marathon. The first race covers the mythical marathon distance of 42.195km while the other is a 10km run. Each will feature 20,024 participants and will take place just hours after the men’s Olympic marathon. A total of 35,000 bibs have been allocated to members of the public who will now have the chance to participate in this historic event.
The first event that enabled runners to earn a place on the starting line took place on Olympic Day (23 June) in 2019 when Paris’s Place de la Concorde was transformed into a festival of sport to introduce the public to Olympic Paralympic disciplines. To mark the occasion, a 2,024m race was held with 24 bibs (12 for men and 12 for women) for the Paris 2024 Marathon Pour Tous available to be won.
Since then, more events were organised offering bibs as prizes, while members of the Paris 2024 Club were able to earn points for completing challenges that included achieving daily physical exercise goals.
Paris 2024 will also organise the Marathon Pour Tous Connecté where anyone can join in with the fun no matter where they are located.
“Just like an athlete entering the final stretch of his or her preparation before the most important competition of his or her life, whether you’re one of the lucky ones to have won a race number or you want to take part in the connected race, you’ve got just over six months to get ready,“ said Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024.
Source: IOC News
Photo: Paris 2024