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More than 1000 amateur runners made their dream come true this Sunday, October 31: to win their ticket to participate in the marathon of the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024. The event will indeed be open to the general public. To validate their ticket for the Olympics, participants had to complete a five-kilometer race in Paris before the Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, the best marathoner in the world, largely at a disadvantage for the occasion.
It is early this Sunday morning, but the weather is perfect and the scenery beautiful. At the foot of the Arc de Triomphe, nearly 3,600 Sunday runners come to pick up their bibs. Their track: the most beautiful avenue in the world. Their opponent: the fastest marathoner of all time.
While the quidams are positioned for the start, Eliud Kipchoge, double Olympic champion, the man capable of completing a marathon in 2 hours, 1 minute and 39 seconds, makes his appearance. ” He’s the boss, the Zinedine Zidane of running, explains a Parisian participant. People don’t realize it, but he runs at the pace of a scooter for 42 kilometers ».
After the start of the five kilometer race, the Kenyan athlete has to wait to start after everyone else. Everyday runners take advantage of this advantage and manage to cross the line with a huge smile, like Affef, 46: “ I am a containment runner. It was the only way for me to get out. Today I gave myself this challenge and I am very happy to be in the same race as this champion ».
Many fans at the 2024 Paris marathon
Eliud Kipchoge also appreciated this Parisian morning: “3,600 people who are trying to win their place for the 2024 Olympics and who have worked hard to get there, it’s really special! It was very cool to see all these participants trying so hard to cross the finish line ”.
A great joy with all runners on the Champs-Élysées in Paris this morning. It was so good to meet you all on the way, and for the ones I didn’t see: many congratulations with your bib for the 2024 Paris Marathon Pour Tous.@Paris2024 @NNRunningTeam pic.twitter.com/LYhoue0amN
– Eliud Kipchoge – EGH???????? (@EliudKipchoge) October 31, 2021
Tony Estanguet, the president of the Paris 2024 organizing committee is also delighted. “This is Paris 2024, it is the sharing of great sports moments with great champions. Even he has a banana. It was a first for him. He has to slalom to pass, ”said the three-time Olympic canoe gold medalist before giving the final result: more than 1000 people qualified today. We are delighted with it. People who were running at 6-8 kilometers an hour won their bibs for the Paris 2024 marathon. We are very happy because we want it to be a very popular, very family marathon ”.
And may those disappointed with this Sunday be reassured: in the future, Sunday athletes will have other opportunities to collect their bibs for the 2024 Games Marathon.
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