The fastest coming, as always, from the African highlands will undoubtedly take less than an hour to cover the 21.097 km of the route traced between the center of the capital, the Bois de Vincennes and the Place de la Bastille.
The record for the event born 31 years ago was established last year: it is the property of the Kenyan Roncer Kipkorir in 59′ 38′'.
This time is completely utopian for the approximately 47,000 brave people expected on the starting line this Sunday, March 3.
Entries have been closed since the beginning of December: all the bibs found takers 3 months before the big day. Before being a record race, the half-marathon which precedes the Paris marathon by a month (April 7) is above all a huge popular festival for which everyone sets their own objective.
Anticipate the collection of your bib ✅
Avoid busy hours in order to make the most of your experience at the show 🧡
📅 Meet on Friday 1st (10 a.m. - 8 p.m.) and Saturday 2 March (10 a.m. - 7 p.m.) at the Parc Floral de Paris, route de la Pyramide 75012 Paris!
pic.twitter.com/BcbdSsnX2s
— Harmonie Mutuelle Semi de Paris (@semideparis) February 27, 2024
The route: attention, modified start
The regulars - 55% of those entered have already participated in this semi - will find a small change on Sunday.
Due to a river accident impacting the Pont de Sully, the usual starting point, it has been moved to the end of Boulevard Saint-Germain, near the Institut du Monde Arabe (Ve).
The rest is usual: after a walk on the quays towards the east, the long centipede in jogging shoes will enter the Bois de Vincennes for a journey of around 9 km under the trees and in the wide paths.
Once past the castle, the runners will take Avenue de Daumesnil then Boulevard de Bercy, before diving onto the quays on the right bank.
A small detour to the right behind the Town Hall will allow the brave to reach Rue de Rivoli then Place de la Bastille where the finish will be judged.
The good news is that it's not expected to rain.
But it will be cool: between 4 and 8°C at the start.
Arrivals staggered from 9 a.m. to… no time
The runner is generally early in the morning.
The start of the disabled sports is scheduled for 7:58 a.m. preceding that of the Elite runners by only 2 minutes.
At 8 a.m., the gun will fire on the champions.
This means that the winner is expected at Place de la Bastille around 9 a.m.
Afterwards, each departure to avoid a huge crowd is organized by airlock according to everyone's time and objectives.
Seven different starts are planned for runners aiming for a time ranging from under 90 minutes of racing to those aiming for around 2h10.
With the last departure scheduled for 11:05 a.m., it is quite possible that the last arrival will cross the line after 2 p.m.
He will have no less courage than the others and there will always be people waiting for him.
Those involved, more numerous, young and female
As we said, 47,000 runners registered to start.
15 years ago, the Paris half-marathon attracted “only” 22,000. The progression is exponential.
Obviously, as always, there will not be 47,000 runners on the line: some registered people will drop out at the last moment for good or bad reasons.
We can still count on around 40,000 people and almost as many on arrival because on a semi, abandonments are rather rare.
The average age of the runner is down compared to 2023: 34 years old compared to almost 35 years old a year ago.
44.3% are new to the distance (compared to 42% in 2023) and the peloton is increasingly feminized: 41.5% women compared to 37% in 2023.
This year, 4️⃣ French and 3️⃣ French women will be part of the Elite field at the start of the Harmonie Mutuelle #SemiParis 🇫🇷
See you in 7 days to encourage them throughout the course, which will perhaps crown one of them them 🙌 pic.twitter.com/5tBIbIqQ81
— Harmonie Mutuelle Semi de Paris (@semideparis) February 25, 2024
The favorites are obviously African
For 30 years, victory among men has never escaped a runner from Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Eritrea or Tanzania.
Except the first time in 1993 when a Slovakian triumphed.
Among the women, it is a little less true but, since 2010, success has never escaped Kenya or Ethiopia.
It will surely be the same thing on Sunday.
Among the men, the favorites are Leonard Barsoton (59′09″, in Valencia, in 2019), Alfred Barkach (59′32″, in Lille, in 2023), Bernard Koech, second in the Copenhagen semi, in last September, in 59′13′’.
Also to follow, the winner in Madrid last year in 1h00′4′’, Victor Kipruto.
Among the women, look for the winner among the Kenyan naturalized Romanian Joan Chelimo Melly (1h5′04″ in Prague), Nesphine Jepleting (1st in Prague in 2022 in 1h6′57′’) or the Ethiopian Birho Gidey (1h7′57′ ', in Naples, in 2020).
The French to stand out
Things are going well for the French background since 5 tricolors have already achieved the Olympic minimums in the marathon.
The others don't come to the semi for that but some have the means to tickle African domination.
Starting with Mehdi Frère, author of the best French reference in the field: 1h00′34″ in 2022 and whose time of 2h5′43″ established at the Valencia marathon opens the doors to the Olympic Games for the moment.
Florian Carvalho, Hassan Chahdi (1h01′21′', in 2022, 4th last year in Paris), or even the 2022 European cross team champion, Donovan Christien (58′59′' over 20 km) are also to follow closely.
Among women, France is counting on
Manon Trapp, third in Lille 2023, in 1h11'26'', author of a very good 2h25'48'' last December at the Valencia marathon.
Also pay attention to Anaïs Quemener, best tricolor last year in Paris (7th), in 1h11′59′' (personal best) currently on a good dynamic with her personal best in marathon (2h28′48′'), in Seville, on February 18 or to Marjolaine Nicolas, 9th in 2023 (1h13′20′').