The Marathon de La Rochelle is an annual

road running Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road. This differs from track and field on a regular track and cross country running over natural terrain. These events are usually classified as long-distance ac ...

event which takes place in late November in

La Rochelle La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle''; oc, La Rochèla ) is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department. With ...

, France. It features a full 42.195 km

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

race as well a 10 km race for amateur runners, a

half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcu ...

for wheelchair athletes, and a recreational 4 km jog around the city's harbour. The city of La Rochelle had its first marathon race in 1981. This competition, which featured winners such as

Driss Dacha Driss Dacha (born 29 December 1962) is a retired Moroccan long-distance runner who won several marathons and was named to the 1989 World Marathon Cup team for his country. He was the runner-up at the 1993 Berlin Marathon. Professional career D ...

in 1989, lasted until 1989 (with shorter 20 km races occurring in 1983 to 1985). Following the absence of a race in 1990, the Marathon de La Rochelle was established in its place, having its first edition on 24 November, 1991.Festou, Michel et al (2011-11-27)
La Rochelle Marathon

Association of Road Racing Statisticians The Association of Road Racing Statisticians is an independent, non-profit organization that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics regarding road running races. The primary purpose of the ARRS is to maintain a valid list of world road record ...

. Retrieved on 2011-11-27. The marathon is one of the most popular in France, having had a record high of 10,000 entrants and 8625 finishers at the 20th edition in 2010.Previous Editions
Marathon de la Rochelle. Retrieved on 2011-11-30. Among French races, only the

Paris Marathon The Paris Marathon (french: Marathon de Paris) is an annual marathon hosted by the city of Paris, France. It is the marathon with the second-most finishers in the world, behind the New York City Marathon. The marathon begins along the Champs ...

has had greater participation. Following the sudden death of Serge Vigot, the race founder and president of the organising committee, during the 2005

Marrakech Marathon The Marrakech Marathon is an annual marathon held in Marrakech, Morocco. Roughly 5000 runners turn out for the event annually. At the inaugural edition of the race in 1987 French runner Jacques Boxberger Jacques "Jacky" Boxberger (16 April 1949 ...

, the event was officially renamed the ''Marathon De La Rochelle - Serge Vigot'' in his honour. The race held IAAF Bronze Label Road Race status in 2011. The course of the race is based on the streets of the central and historical port areas of the city. It has a double-looped figure-8 format and a flat race profile, which makes it easier for elite runners to record fast times.Vazel, Pierre-Jean (2011-11-26)
Kenyans ready to steal the show in La Rochelle - PREVIEW
IAAF. Retrieved on 2019-04-03. The runners in the marathon are predominantly French, but the elite level races attract East African and other European athletes. The total annual prize money available is typically around 37,000

€ The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and unilaterally adopted by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists o ...

. The current men's and women's course records are held by Kenya's John Kipkorir Komen (2:07:13 hours) and Goitetom Haftu Tesema of Ethiopia (2:28:24 hours), respectively. The most successful athletes historically at the race are John Ngeny (who won three times straight from 2000 to 2002) and Elizabeth Chemweno (who won three times between 2005 and 2008).

Past winners

Key:

Wins by country

References

;List of winners *Festou, Michel et al. (2011-11-27)
La Rochelle Marathon

. Retrieved on 2011-11-27.

External links

Official website
{{coord missing, France Marathons in France Recurring sporting events established in 1991 Tourist attractions in La Rochelle Sport in La Rochelle Tourist attractions in Charente-Maritime