The Marseille-Cassis Classique Internationale is an annual half marathon which follows a course from Marseille to Cassis in France during the last weekend in October. It has the silver label of the IAAF Road Race Label Events and is thus among the ten more prestigious half marathon races in the world. First organised by the SCO Sainte-Marguerite sports club in 1979, the event has grown into a large international competition, with around 20,000 runners competing every year.[1] The course distance of 20,308 metres falls slightly short of the true half marathon distance (21,097.5 m). Since 2012, the course has been shortened by 308 metres so the total distance of the course became exactly 20 kilometres.[2] Still, the race is made more difficult by a long 327 m rise up a hill—the Col de la Gineste—at the midpoint of the course, which eventually follows back down into the port of Cassis.[3] The annual race is usually held in the month of October.
| Marseille-Cassis Classique Internationale | |
|---|---|
 Marseille-Cassis race course | |
| Date | late October |
| Location | Marseille–Cassis, France |
| Event type | Road |
| Distance | 20km |
| Established | 1979 |
| Course records | Men: Atsedu Tsegay 58:11Women:  Edith Chelimo 1:05:58 |
| Official site | Marseille-Cassis 20KM |
| Participants | 18,762 (2018) |
The course records are held by Atsedu Tsegay, who has the men's race record with 58:11 minutes, and Edith Chelimo, who has the women's record with 1:05:58.[4]
There are also two other races which complement the main competition: first organised in 1990, the "L'Autre Marseille-Cassis" (The Other Marseille-Cassis in English) is a mountain hike which negotiates the Massif des Calanques area. The second complementary competition is a racewalk, launched in 2006, which seeks to celebrate the sports festival through an alternative sporting means.[5]
List of winners edit
Key: Course record
| Edition | Year | Men's winner | Time (h:m:s) | Women's winner | Time (h:m:s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1979 |  Alain Angelvy (FRA)
|
1:15:54 | Fabienne Rai (FRA)
|
1:34:45 |
| 2nd | 1980 | Jean-Michel Dirringer (FRA)
|
1:07:42 | Fabienne Rai (FRA)
|
1:27:02 |
| 3rd | 1981 | Jean-Pierre Louvet (FRA)
|
1:07:56 | Fabienne Rai (FRA)
|
1:22:30 |
| 4th | 1982 | Jean-Pierre Louvet (FRA)
|
1:07:56 | Fabienne Rai (FRA)
|
1:31:00 |
| 5th | 1983 | Christophe Jalaguier (FRA)
|
1:07:56 | P. Deneuville (FRA)
|
1:22:00 |
| 6th | 1984 | Jean-Pierre Louvet (FRA)
|
1:07:37 | Roseline Vastine (FRA)
|
1:20:30 |
| 7th | 1985 | Tony Martins (FRA)
|
1:08:17 | Frederique Voragen (FRA)
|
1:27:00 |
| 8th | 1986 | Tony Martins (FRA)
|
1:05:45 | Fabienne Rai (FRA)
|
1:23:00 |
| 9th | 1987 |  Nigel Adams (WAL)
|
1:04:20 |  El-Hassania Darami (MAR)
|
1:16:34 |
| 10th | 1988 |  Michael Heilmann (FRG)
|
1:01:52 | El-Hassania Darami (MAR)
|
1:16:49 |
| 11th | 1989 | Michael Heilmann (FRG)
|
1:03:21 | Ceri Pritchard (WAL)
|
1:13:39 |
| 12th | 1990 | Tony Martins (FRA)
|
1:01:29 | Ceri Pritchard (WAL)
|
1:12:57 |
| 13th | 1991 |  Joseph Vibostok (TCH)
|
1:03:20 |  Heléna Barócsi (HUN)
|
1:11:23 |
| 14th | 1992 | Bruno Leger (FRA)
|
1:02:12 |  Olga Parluc (CIS)
|
1:13:19 |
| 15th | 1993 | Sammy Bitok (KEN)
|
1:02:55 | Alena Peterková (CZE)
|
1:12:17 |
| 16th | 1994 |  Bernard Mvuyekure (BDI)
|
1:01:13 |  Iulia Negura (ROU)
|
1:10:32 |
| 17th | 1995 | Laban Chege (KEN)
|
1:02:00 |  Marina Belyayeva (RUS)
|
1:12:54 |
| 18th | 1996 | Laban Chege (KEN)
|
1:00:54 | Irina Kasakova (FRA)
|
1:11:00 |
| 19th | 1997 | John Gwako (KEN)
|
1:00:27 | Alla Zhilyaeva (RUS)
|
1:10:34 |
| 20th | 1998 |  Hendrick Ramaala (RSA)
|
1:00:36 | Ruth Kutol (KEN)
|
1:10:33 |
| 21st | 1999 |  Phaustin Baha Sulle (TAN)
|
1:00:24 | Berhane Adere (ETH)
|
1:09:45 |
| 22nd | 2000 | David Makori (KEN)
|
1:00:49 | Susan Chepkemei (KEN)
|
1:08:30 |
| 23rd | 2001 | David Makori (KEN)
|
1:01:11 | Magdaline Chemjor (KEN)
|
1:09:52 |
| 24th | 2002 | James Kwambai (KEN)
|
59:01 | Banuelia Mrashani (TAN)
|
1:08:38 |
| 25th | 2003 | Paul Biwott (KEN)
|
1:00:01 | Teyba Erkesso (ETH)
|
1:10:07 |
| 26th | 2004 | Lawrence Kiprotich (KEN)
|
1:02:13 | Marina Ivanova (RUS)
|
1:12:08 |
| 27th | 2005 | William Chebor (KEN)
|
1:00:37 | Fatiha Fauvel-Klilech (FRA)
|
1:12:50 |
| 28th | 2006 | John Kyalo (KEN)
|
1:00:36 | Martha Komu (KEN)
|
1:12:34 |
| 29th | 2007 | Wilson Chebet (KEN)
|
59:24 | Anne Bererwe (KEN)
|
1:09:58 |
| 30th | 2008 | Wilson Chebet (KEN)
|
1:00:00 | Iness Chenonge (KEN)
|
1:09:39 |
| 31st | 2009 |  Dieudonné Disi (RWA)
|
1:00:21 | Meseret Mengistu (ETH)
|
1:10:35 |
| 32nd | 2010 | Philemon Limo (KEN)
|
1:01:35 | Diane Chepkemoi (KEN)
|
1:10:36 |
| 33rd | 2011 | Atsedu Tsegay (ETH)
|
58:11 | Lydia Cheromei (KEN)
|
1:08:23 |
| 34th | 2012 | Edwin Kipyego (KEN)
|
58:16 | Mercy Kibarus (KEN)
|
1:07:58 |
| 35th[6] | 2013 | Mule Wasihun (ETH)
|
1:00:09 | Josephine Chepkoech (KEN)
|
1:10:03 |
| 36th | 2014 | Titus Mbishei (KEN)
|
59:12 | Peres Jepchirchir (KEN)
|
1:10:04 |
| 37th | 2015 | Edwin Kipyego (KEN)
|
57:18* | Peres Jepchirchir (KEN)
|
1:06:01* |
| 38th | 2016 | Henry Kiplagat (KEN)
|
59:28 | Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN)
|
1:07:02 |
| 39th | 2017 | Jemal Yimer (ETH)
|
59:16 | Edith Chelimo (KEN)
|
1:05:58 |
| 40th | 2018 | Olika Adugna (ETH)
|
1:00:29 | Gete Alemayehu (ETH)
|
1:08:46 |
| 41st | 2019 | Olika Adugna (ETH)
|
1:01:10 | Brillian Kipkoech (KEN)
|
1:07:54 |
| 42nd | 2021 | Felix Bour (FRA)
|
1:01:55 |  Mekdes Woldu (ERI)
|
1:13:24 |
- All winners information taken from official website[5]
- (*)Course records not valid due to race shortened by about 400 metres in the days before the race.
References edit
- ^ Vazel, P-J (2008-10-24). Can Disi, fastest in the field, wrest title from Kenyans in Marseille?. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-10-22.
- ^ Course map without the additional 308 metres Marseille-Cassis. Retrieved on 2015-8-14.
- ^ Vazel, P-J (2009-10-22). Disi, the pre-race favourite in Marseille - PREVIEW. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-10-22.
- ^ Vazel, Pierre-Jean (2011-10-30). Tsegay and Cheromei crush course records in Marseille-Cassis Classic. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-10-30.
- ^ a b Historique Il était une fois … Archived 2009-04-16 at the Wayback Machine (in French). Marseille-Cassis. Retrieved on 2009-10-22.
- ^ Vazel, Pierre-Jean (2013-10-27). Chepkoech and Wasihum win tactical races at Marseille-Cassis 20km. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-10-28.
External links edit
- Official website (in French)