1. Follow one of the fastest marathons in France
The course for the Green Marathon has a reputation for being very, very fast. Almost 10% of finishers run the 26.2 miles in under 3 hours and the top five male runners in the 2018 race did it in under 2 hours 10 minutes. The results for the female participants are also impressive with a winning time of 2 hours 26 minutes in 2017 and 2 hours 29 minutes in 2018. However, it is not only the elites who perform well in Rennes. In 2017 and 2018, the Green Marathon had the best performances among marathons in France, with almost 18% of participants coming in at under 3 hours 15 minutes, 33% under 3 hours 30 minutes and 62% of runners finishing in under 4 hours.
This makes Rennes an excellent destination for those who want to beat their personal best or set a good time for this legendary distance. All the more so as the course, which goes through the countryside to finish in the city, is very scenic, especially when the Breton weather is favourable. The runners don’t come away disappointed, and more and more are registering. In 2020, the Green Marathon will once again support the French Marathon Championship, as it did in 2015, and the Rennes challenge will create a new course for its 10th event.
- For more information see www.lemarathonvert.org/en
2. To discover the capital of Brittany
Signing up for a marathon is also an opportunity to discover a new destination, city or region. As well as taking part in an athletic challenge that requires intensive preparation, people also come to have fun afterwards. Whether with family or with friends, take advantage of a weekend to relax, visit the city and learn more about its heritage, beyond the race. To make arrival easier for the competitors, who come from other regions and countries, the organisers actually offer all-inclusive marathon packages with special rates in partner hotels, reduced prices for transport, the numbered bib and a guided visit of the city in partnership with the Tourist Office. There are lots of reasons to entice you to register for the next race, which will take place on Sunday 27 October 2019.
3. Run for a good cause
One kilometre run = one tree planted – this has been the concept for the Green Marathon from the beginning. Aside from the race itself, the event also spreads sporting and community values to which every runner makes a contribution. In seven years, 724,988 trees have been planted in France, India and Portugal thanks to the partnership with the Yves Rocher Foundation. The organisers are also committed to a sustainable development approach by limiting waste and recycling it at the end of the race and by encouraging participants to take public transport or carpool. The Green Marathon really lives up to its name.
Karine ferri – patron of the 9th event
These values are shared by Karine Ferri, a TV and radio presenter and model who is the patron of the 2019 event. An involved and popular celebrity, Karine Ferri accepted the invitation from Daniel Jeulin, the creator of the Green Marathon, to be a strong and clear representative of the event’s shared values: athletic challenge, human adventure and community solidarity, corporate social responsibility and sustainable development. She will be there on the day of the event to start the Yves Rocher Women’s race.
4. Take part solo, as a duo, in a team, with the girls or walking
Running the legendary 26.2 mile distance is not for everyone. But you can get involved in a race like the Green Marathon, no matter your ability. Novice and experienced runners can choose between different types of race or different ways of competing: as a solo effort for the better trained, as a duo for fans of half marathons (the Duo Marathon with McDonald’s – 13.1 miles, x2) and in teams as a relay (the West France Marathon Relay for teams of five) for businesses, students, clubs or friends. The Green Marathon also has a race for women (the 7.5-km Yves Rocher Women’s race) and a Nordic walking challenge (the 11-km Nordic Walk Sponsored by Lamotte).
5. Because the organisation is exemplary
Highly skilled organisation with volunteers taking care of even the smallest details – the Green Marathon team (which also organises the Rennes Urban Trail, an urban trail that goes through the monuments and quirky parts of the city every April) is known for its professionalism. All the participants will attest to the fact that the runners receive top-quality services both before and after the race: from reduced prices for train and plane tickets, accommodation, free shuttles (including for supporters) to food supplies and around 50 physios, showers, cryotherapy treatment, osteopaths and chiropodists, not to mention the entertainment all along the route. This all adds up to making the Green Marathon a friendly, feel-good experience for the runners.
The level of expert organisation is recognised in France by the French Athletics Federation (Fédération Française d’Athlétisme), which asked the Konica Minolta Rennes Green Marathon team to represent the French candidacy for the 2022 World Half Marathon Championships.
6. An accessible marathon
Unlike other marathons that can have very high entry fees, the Rennes Green Marathon remains accessible with registration fees that are affordable for this type of race: from €44 for the marathon, €58 for two for the duo marathon, student prices for the relay (€50 for five runners), €12 for the women’s race and €10 for the Nordic walk. This is without taking into account that registration entitles participants to reduced-price TGV (high-speed train) tickets (€40 return from Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Lille, Strasbourg) and special air fares thanks to the partnership with Air France KLM (up to 15% off on international flights and 40% on routes within mainland France). To sum up, unlike other races, signing up won’t cost you an arm and a leg!
