13-Unis: A Race and Walk Keeping Collective Memory Alive, Ten Years After the November 13 Attacks
The 13-Unis event will take place on November 9 in tribute to the victims of the November 13, 2015 attacks. This charitable, commemorative and sporting initiative, led by AfVT, was born from a desire to bring runners and walkers together ten years after events that left a deep mark on France. The 15 km Freedom Race will start from the forecourt of the Stade de France, while the 7 km Equality Walk will set off from Place de la République. All participants will then meet at the Fraternity Village on the forecourt of Paris City Hall. Two events, one powerful symbol: hope and solidarity brought together in a shared collective movement.
Nearly 200 future participants have already spread the word, among regular runners and members of the association, and plan to take part in this commemorative event, which can welcome up to 10,000 people. There is still plenty of time to join in. From Seine-Saint-Denis to Paris, from the northern edge of Plaine Saint-Denis to the 4th arrondissement, runners can test themselves or simply experience something different: more human, more powerful, more immersive. Organized for a cause that transcends every individual, this race offers a chance to remember together a date etched into the nation’s memory and hearts.
Echoing the unifying force of the 2024 Summer Olympics, marked by unity and shared experience, the French Association of Victims of Terrorism (AfVT) imagined this inclusive event, open to everyone. Thanks to the walking event, anyone can take part physically, in their own way, in this commemoration. The idea came from Catherine Bertrand, the association’s vice-president. The Olympics were the trigger: the opening ceremony sparked her interest, and everything followed from there. She bought a bike, started exercising and realized just how positive physical activity could be for mental health. From that came the desire to turn this Olympic energy into a collective tribute. “The idea is to give tributes new momentum without turning them into a sad occasion. Of course, it will be a time for reflection, but above all it will be open to everyone, with people doing physical activity together,” explains Géraldine Gorgol, the communications manager. The association is also focused on passing these values on: “Our republican values are written down on paper, but we have to bring them to life, especially for younger generations. ”
© photo credit
© Catherine Bertrand
© Catherine Bertrand
© Catherine Bertrand
A collective, solidarity-driven effort
To make the project possible, AfVT has surrounded itself with committed partners. The French Football Federation (FFF), foundations such as those run by Decathlon and Caisse Fédérale du Crédit Mutuel, several sponsoring brands, and the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Culture are all supporting the event’s development. The Ligue d’Île-de-France d’Athlétisme (LIFA) is providing its sporting expertise, while several companies are backing the event with equipment or grants. Event agency R&D Production, which specializes in event organization, is handling the logistics on slim margins, a genuine act of solidarity. The race is also listed on the AdeoRun platform, a respected resource for runners, giving it strong visibility among the general public.
In the longer term, AfVT, with Géraldine Gorgol leading its communications efforts, hopes to bring the event back: “As this is the first edition, we’ll see how it goes. But if it works, why not make it an annual event? It would also allow us to become less and less dependent on public funding. ”
The idea is to give tributes new momentum without turning them into a sad occasion. Of course, it will be a time for reflection, but above all it will be open to everyone, with people doing physical activity together.
A Route Steeped in Meaning
At 9:30 a.m., AfVT representatives will start the 15 km race near the Stade de France, an iconic venue in French sport, having hosted football matches, Olympic events and major competitions, but also a tragic symbol of the November 13, 2015 attacks. The attacks took place during the France-Germany match, while thousands of spectators were gathered in the stands.
The route crosses several Paris neighborhoods marked by the attacks. Runners will pass the Le Carillon and La Belle Équipe bars, as well as the Bataclan concert hall, before reaching Place de la République, a powerful site of remembrance. At each memorial site, they will be free to slow down or stop, pay their respects, lay a flower or simply observe a moment of silence, accompanied by musical interludes. “Everyone is free to take part, commemorate, reflect or not. Some people probably won’t stop, but they will likely commemorate the event in their own way, in their minds,” the organizer says. Classical musicians, including cellists, violinists and double bass players, will be stationed at the six sites affected by the attacks. “We don’t want this music to be sad. These will be solemn moments, I wouldn’t call them joyful, but they will carry a certain sense of momentum,” she adds. Nearly 500 volunteers will support the event, including several students from art and music schools.
For walkers, starting from Place de la République is no coincidence. This symbolically charged square, home to the “Tree of Liberty” or “Oak of Remembrance,” has hosted numerous spontaneous tributes to the victims, both from the 11th arrondissement and from the Stade de France. The walkers will follow the same symbolic route as the runners.
An Artwork Created Throughout the Day
Along the route, members of the public will be able to leave artworks in tribute to the victims. The day will be shaped above all by the creation of a new piece, L’Empreinte de vie, connected to the attacks and created by artist Olivier Terral, who previously made 13 novembre, résilience, a first, little-known work created in 2016 exclusively with victims, bereaved families and residents of the 11th arrondissement who had provided shelter to survivors. “Ten years later, Olivier Terral and AfVT agreed to turn this work into something collaborative and open to everyone ,” explains the association’s communications manager. The new creation will take the form of a mosaic made from fingerprints: each participant will be invited to place their thumb on one of six panels installed at the six affected sites, near the musicians. The panels will then be brought together to form a single collective work, a symbolic image reconstructed like a field of pixels.
A Fraternity Village Centered on Humanity
At both the starts and the finish, AfVT, official partners and several associations will organize symbolic speeches. A stage will host concerts, with two artists already confirmed, as well as readings, personal accounts and public talks. Exhibitions will trace the collective memory of November 13. An association village will bring together support organizations including PAV75, the Red Cross, Civil Protection and the fire service, along with sporting and institutional partners such as CSINI, LIFA and the French Federation of Adapted Sport. Food and social areas will also be set up.
More than a sporting event, this will first and foremost be a gathering of citizens, bringing together families, victims and the general public in a spirit of solidarity and shared remembrance. The initiative will be represented by figures such as Georges Salines, author of Il nous reste les mots (co-written with the father of one of the attackers, Azdyne Amimour). A passionate runner, he lost his 28-year-old daughter at the Bataclan and has already recruited around ten members of his club in Seine-et-Marne to take part in the race.
Beyond sport, 13-Unis carries a powerful message: keeping the victims’ memory alive through collective action, showing that resilience is built together, and reminding younger generations that liberty, equality and fraternity are values worth protecting. This civic and commemorative race and walk bring society together around its democratic values, embodying the drive to go beyond oneself, a living memory and a rediscovered sense of unity.