Marseille-Cassis Classique Internationale

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
Datelate October
LocationMarseilleCassis, France
Event typeRoad
Distance20km
Established1979
Course recordsMen:
Ethiopia Atsedu Tsegay 58:11
Women:
Kenya Edith Chelimo 1:05:58
Official siteMarseille-Cassis 20KM
Participants18,762 (2018)
Runners descend the Col de la Gineste to reach the finishing point at the port in Cassis

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]

A view of the calanques of Marseille

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

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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

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  1. ^ Vazel, P-J (2008-10-24). Can Disi, fastest in the field, wrest title from Kenyans in Marseille?. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-10-22.
  2. ^ Course map without the additional 308 metres Marseille-Cassis. Retrieved on 2015-8-14.
  3. ^ Vazel, P-J (2009-10-22). Disi, the pre-race favourite in Marseille - PREVIEW. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-10-22.
  4. ^ Vazel, Pierre-Jean (2011-10-30). Tsegay and Cheromei crush course records in Marseille-Cassis Classic. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-10-30.
  5. ^ a b Historique Il était une fois … Archived 2009-04-16 at the Wayback Machine (in French). Marseille-Cassis. Retrieved on 2009-10-22.
  6. ^ Vazel, Pierre-Jean (2013-10-27). Chepkoech and Wasihum win tactical races at Marseille-Cassis 20km. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-10-28.
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