Resigned, will Jean-Claude Moulin, founder and president of Marvejols-Mende, have a successor ?

Le 51e semi-marathon Marvejols-Mende sera-t-il le dernier ? Midi Libre – Anaïs Da Silva

Dimanche 21 juillet 2024, lors de la remise des prix de la 51e édition du semi-marathon, le fondateur de "La Légende" a annoncé son retrait de la présidence, sans pour autant donner le nom d’un éventuel successeur.

He surprised everyone with a shocking announcement! This Sunday, July 21, 2024, a few hours after the arrival of the 2,000 participants of the 51st Marvejols-Mende half-marathon, Jean-Claude Moulin took advantage of the awards ceremony to inform of his withdrawal from the organization of the famous Lozère sporting event. Contacted, the last named specifies that his decision is "totally considered and inevitable".

Jean-Claude Moulin exhausted by "administrative hassles"

The president of "The Legend" even formalized this announcement by renewing it in writing in the letter he sends each year to the attention of runners. "This 51st  testimony will be my last", immediately warns the septuagenarian, immediately highlighting "the organizational difficulties that have arisen multiplied throughout the year", just like "administrative hassles".

Jean-Claude Moulin definitely did not digest – nor did he understand it – the prefectural gauge limiting the number of registered participants to 2,000, which led the organizers to refuse, for the first time in 50 years, more than 500 bibs. A restriction which, in addition to not corresponding to the philosophy of the organizers based on the slogan "Run all with us", would have generated a shortfall of more than 30  000 €.

A "conflict" exhausting with the starting commune

In his "editorial", the founder of what was once called "the popular race of Lozère" also evokes the exhaustion caused by the "conflict" having opposed the organization to the starting commune – Marvejols – "for several weeks". At a time when sponsors are deserting and volunteers are increasingly difficult to be renewed, "other adventures" marked the spring of Jean-Claude Moulin, who claims to have gone "to the end".

The author of a 240-page book published last year which chronologically retraces the history of the race will now be content with the role of "simple spectator" encouraging the runners on the boulevard mendois. The future ex-president of the race, aged 73, therefore suggests that a 52nd edition is planned.

After him, the flood ?

Questioned by us, the main person concerned nevertheless indicates that his possible successor has "not yet" been designated, while hoping that the adventure "will continue for a long time". The members of the organization ;rsquo;readily admit: no transmission was anticipated upstream.

So all eyes naturally turn to her daughter, Anne, who has just given birth to her second child and has not really shown her desire to take up the torch. No more than did Bernard Angles, discreet vice-president of the event, who is inclined to take the spotlight. Unless there is a delightful twist that would delight race lovers, it is not crazy to imagine that this 51st edition having crowned the Kenyan Joseph Koech could be the last…hellip;< /p> I subscribe to read more