Sylvain Bony and Corinne Rossignol, two figures from Millau on the starting line of the Olympic Games marathon

Sylvain Bony et Corinne Rossignol seront au marathon pour tous des Jeux de Paris 2024. D. R.

Two Millavois will participate in the Olympic Games marathon on Saturday, after the pros, on the same course.

Running the Olympic Games marathon doesn't happen every day. Even less so when you have to respect minimum times, 2h08 for men and 2h26 for women. These times are reserved for an elite. 2024 lucky people will benefit from the excitement of the Games and the atmosphere in the streets of Paris, Saturday (start 9 p.m.), on the 42.195 km of the official course.

For the first time, the Games organization set up a public event, for which it was necessary to qualify. Among the lucky ones, two Millavois, running enthusiasts, Sylvain Bony and Corinne Rossignol. “Participating in the Games is a childhood dream, admits the first resident of the 12.Com. Even if it's not really the marathon of the Games, we participate in the event and it's unique!" He tried everything to meet the criteria. "I knew from the closing ceremony of Tokyo 2021 that 100,000 points were needed, so I ran for about 1,500 km per year to accumulate them and then there was a draw. I calculated that there was a one in ten chance that I would be chosen and I succeeded."

Beginnings on the Millau marathon

Like any self-respecting Millavois, he discovered running on one of the flagship events of the South Aveyron calendar. "After my grandmother died, I took part in the Millau marathon, I finished it in 5h30 without preparing for it." Despite his sprinter profile, his early years of athletics helped him in this round trip along the Tarn. "I really enjoyed it and every year I did the Lyon half-marathon until I discovered the Templars in 2015." A first participation on the Monna Lisa (he finished 66th), then the Boffi fifty, before extending the distances and participating in ultra-trails. This Saturday, in Paris, he hopes to go under three hours, on a hilly course that could resemble the profile of the Millau event that he knows by heart. During his last participation in 2021, he finished 7th (3h07). “I hope I didn't underestimate the odds”, he smiled.

Corinne Rossignol, the lover of the 100 km of Millau

For Corinne Rossignol, runner of the Gazelles à vos trousses, the path was less long to validate the participation in this marathon.”“By chance, I participated in a draw of the Orange team and I was accepted, summarizes the Millavoise. At first I thought it was a joke so I didn't tell anyone." The good news came for her in April. One more race to add to the calendar before a now institutionalized event for her, that of the 100 bornes. In 2024, it will be her fourth participation in the doyenne. "In my life as a marathon runner, this will be something crazy ! I will not have this chance three times in my life to run on the same course as Kipchoge or other incredible champions."

For her preparation, she followed the plan provided by the event sponsor. "I can't wait for Saturday, you can feel it getting closer and everyone is talking about the Games. Three, four days before a race is always something, but here we have the impression that there is something more." Enough to get your legs going before participating in the TDS (a UTMB race, Editor's note) for Sylvain Bony and the 100 bornes for Corinne Rossignol who prefers asphalt to paths, although she has completed the Grand Trail des Templiers once.

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