adidas 10K Paris volunteers are ready to get to work

For some, volunteering is a way of giving back for what they received in their younger years, when they were runners themselves or involved in sport. For others, it is a genuine philosophy, driven by a desire to contribute to a collective and supportive effort.

The many volunteer roles at the heart of the event

➜ Volunteers on the anti-doping commission are responsible for escorting athletes selected for testing. They assembled from 7:30 a.m. and were ready to go, but no sample collector turned up when the elite athletes finished. The four volunteers we met were therefore able to enjoy the atmosphere, and even « take a few photos, because normally that isn't allowed  », France joked. There was no need that day to accompany athletes « either for a urine test or, more rarely, a blood test  », Marie-France explained. Even without any samples being taken, their presence remains essential: testing is always unannounced. To join the anti-doping team, volunteers must hold a federation licence and complete a short specialist training course. Their shift was due to finish around 11 a.m., after the podium ceremonies.

➜ Another crucial role is spotting people without bibs, who slip onto the finish line to run alongside friends or relatives. Volunteers must then ask them to leave the areas reserved for finishers.

➜ Behind the bag drop, the logistics are finely tuned. Camille Cesto is working at bag drop, where participants leave their belongings and collect them after the race. The team has made provision for 36,000 bags, matching the number of runners. Like her fellow volunteers, she arrived at 6 a.m. and will leave around 2:30 p.m. There is no shift change planned, but lunch is provided after an early breakfast. « The team leader regularly brings us sweets », Camille said with a smile. A welcome treat during such an intense day. « The icing on the cake is that if you want a good team, you have to give them sweets  », joked Philippe Debadier, who runs the bag drop with 140 volunteers under his supervision: « They're lovely.  »

➜ The volunteer area also needs looking after. Usually stationed at bag drop, Sylvie Volet is taking care of the volunteer area this year: toilets, coffee and dedicated tents. A former athlete, she works as a secretary, but volunteers because she enjoys it: « It's a good way to take your mind off things. » Determined to be there, she came with her sister from Choisy-le-Roi.

➜ Bib collection began on Thursday, with volunteers able to sign up for one of three days: Thursday, Friday or Saturday. Three locations were available for runners to pick up their precious race number. At Opéra, José Ducamp saw a steady, uninterrupted stream of participants during his volunteering shift. At other events, he is often assigned to PPS cases, dealing with incomplete registration files when runners sign up without providing their medical certificate.

➜ All along Avenue Foch, volunteers are spread across different posts, depending on the flow. Nils Housson and Timothée Clairembault, two secondary-school students, describe their various assignments: first, handing out wristbands to runners who were feeling unwell and directing them to medical aid, then guiding participants towards the least crowded refreshment stations to keep people moving. Now stationed near the barriers, they have to stop finishers from leaving through unauthorised areas, with the exits located further along the avenue.

➜ Medal presentation is a highlight that 56-year-old Philippe Mansouri helps make happen. A regular ASO volunteer, he has been at adidas 10K Paris for ten years. A former marathon runner, he remains attached to the running world, which still keeps him motivated. He is one of three team leaders overseeing a team of around 40 volunteers responsible for handing medals to all 36,000 finishers as they cross the finish line. Before the race starts, they prepare the medal stands, set out the medals and organise the volunteer rota. Their shift runs from 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with no break planned.

➜ At the post-race refreshment station, 64-year-old Noura Fodil and 62-year-old Christine Malicet, « young and dynamic » as they describe themselves, are in charge. They met on Thursday at La Défense while handing out bibs. By a happy coincidence, they were assigned to the same shift on race day, starting at 6:30 a.m. Christine, who comes from the 93 département, took an hour and a half to reach the venue. Their shift, which ends around 12:30–1 p.m., involves setting up the tables for the post-race refreshments. Protein bars, dried fruit, cake and water are laid out for the finishers, whom the two volunteers make every effort to welcome with the greatest care.

© ASO

What drives the volunteers: passion, sharing and enjoyment

They all agree on what motivates them to volunteer, whether at this race or at many others. Thierry, 65, is an active retiree and deputy mayor of Maison-Alfort, and is volunteering for the third time this year on behalf of the Amis de la Gendarmerie. The association, whose president Pascal Lejeune has an excellent relationship with ASO, the organiser of adidas 10K Paris, mobilised around 40 members that morning. They were assigned to several roles: managing people without bibs, crowd flow and bag drop.

Christine Nussier, 56, an Air France flight attendant and coordinator for the anti-doping prevention committee, says what motivates her above all is « sharing, enthusiasm, the desire to pass things on, and above all a love of racing ». A volunteer at the Paris Olympic Games for the gymnastics and basketball events, she enjoys « seeing that joy at the finish, after all the training some people have put in ». Her colleagues on the anti-doping commission feel the same way, and Marie-France also points out that « it gives you the chance to meet some wonderful people ». That human connection appeals even to the youngest volunteers. Elia, a secondary-school student, says: « I like talking to people and encouraging them, because running 10 km is no small thing ». Volunteering gets under your skin. Noura and Christine do not run, but are just as committed. Noura volunteers with the French Red Cross in her département and gets involved wherever she is needed. They share « a love of sport, good company and sharing », values also highlighted by the anti-doping commission volunteers.

For many, volunteering is also a way to « give back a little of what we've received », as Camille Cesto, herself a runner, puts it: « I know that without volunteers there would be no race. So from time to time, I try to make time for it. » Taking a place on the organising side also helps her understand what runners experience. Amor Souabni, a regular adidas race participant as a runner, also enjoys « being there to help others ». He did not receive his bib in time, but this alternative suits him perfectly. Already a course marshal at other events, he is enjoying working at bag drop this time because « being in contact with the runners is really great. It's a real pleasure. »  Noura, working at the post-race refreshments, enjoys being immersed in sport every time she volunteers. She echoes Camille's words: « I feel useful, because without volunteers these events couldn't take place. » She also wants to highlight « the kindness of the supervising teams ».

José Ducamp, 64, has volunteered with ASO since 1996. A former runner, he explains: « It keeps me from staying at home and gets me moving ». Christine, working at the post-race refreshments, adds: « It gets us out of our daily routine. » The annual kit, including an adidas jacket, T-shirt and cap, is a welcome extra. Philippe, who has been volunteering for 15 or 20 years, is also a volunteer firefighter and an electronics engineer. He rose through the ranks to become a team leader, both because he was asked and because volunteering is in his blood: « I love seeing lots of smiles, and as I'm sporty, it's the best of both worlds. » Getting to see the elite athletes up close, from a privileged vantage point, is the icing on the cake.

© ASO

The faces and values behind every race bib

Most of the volunteers we met are regulars, returning to their posts edition after edition. But some, including seven teenagers from a Versailles high school, are discovering the atmosphere for the first time. Among them, Elia Boulila says « it's an experience everyone should have ». The CVS association, Club des Volontaires du Sport, partnered with ASO to mobilise a team of around 20 people for this eighth edition. They gradually became friends and were assigned to bag drop, giving them plenty of chances to have a laugh together while helping create a fun, festive sporting experience.

Christine, president of the anti-doping committee, is a regular who covers numerous races, from marathons and half-marathons to track competitions, both in the Paris region and elsewhere in France. Fifty-year-old Edith Valantin combines her job in education with volunteering at her club's races, where she is also a regular runner.

Most of the volunteers are passionate about what they do, whether running or volunteering. Marie-Françoise Bourguignon, 73, is one of them, dividing her time between training young children at the CNSD in Fontainebleau and her volunteer duties. France Gibrat, who also coaches children at her club, SOH, Sport Olympique de Houilles, takes part in numerous Paris-area races, including the Fast 5000 held the previous day in Maisons-Laffitte, where she helped oversee anti-doping controls.

They enjoy changing roles from one event to the next rather than sticking to the same assignment, appreciating the variety of the work. And seeing familiar faces from other races is always a pleasure. Philippe Mansouri, who regularly works alongside these volunteers at half-marathons and marathons, says « a real group has formed over the years, with remarkable commitment. Hats off to them! » Being a volunteer is ultimately about generosity and commitment.

Want to join the volunteer movement?

✔ Partage ta Passion : to volunteer at the three major Paris events: Harmonie Mutuelle Semi-Marathon de Paris, Scheider Electric Marathon de Paris and adidas 10K Paris

✔ Qoezion : to volunteer at sporting events, festivals or conferences