Farah Ayeh and Margaux Sieracki win at Les Sables-d’Olonne as 7,000 runners set attendance record
© MARATHONSIn Vendée, 7,000 runners took part in the half marathon and 10K at Les Sables-d’Olonne despite an early-season heatwave. Several top-level athletes joined the passionate field.
The Les Sables-d’Olonne Half Marathon celebrated its 33rd edition last Sunday, May 24. The various races crowned several well-known athletes. This major fixture on the running calendar came with a few organisational changes, notably because of the high temperatures. Start times were brought forward to protect participants.
Saïd Kaddour and Elisabetta Ribera D’Alcala win the 10K
He was expected to complete the double. Saïd Kaddour lived up to his status as favourite in the first race of the day, the 10K, which started at 7 a.m. The Moroccan won for the second year running in 29:16, ahead of Frenchmen Hicham Briki in 29:32 and Florian Caro in 29:41. In the women’s race, Italy’s Elisabetta Ribera d’Alcala was fastest in 34:49. She finished ahead of Belgium’s Elisa Vancolen (35:04) and France’s Cloé Hotte (35:10).
Farah Ayeh beats Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse
Run along a spectacular stretch of Atlantic coastline, the event drew a record field. The host city of the Vendée Globe also offers a fast, performance-friendly course. With the race serving as a qualifier for the 2026 French Half Marathon Championships, the headline event proved especially popular.
Djibouti’s Farah Ayeh crossed the line first after making the difference over the closing kilometres, stopping the clock at 1:02:59. Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse, the first Frenchman at the Paris Marathon last April, took second in 1:03:52. The fourth-fastest French marathoner of all time is also deep into his preparations for the European Championships in Birmingham next August. Morocco’s Moussab Hadout completed the podium in 1:04:09.
Margaux Sieracki makes a splash
One of the day’s most anticipated starters, Margaux Sieracki claimed victory in 1:12:12. Back in competition after a series of injuries, the runner enjoyed the atmosphere. She will race the Adidas 10K in Paris on June 7, followed by a half marathon in the Netherlands on June 13. Until the seventh kilometre, Margaux Sieracki ran for a long time alongside Mathilde Sénéchal, the two-time defending champion, who finished second this year in 1:13:19. The two Frenchwomen finished ahead of Algeria’s Souad Aït Salem (1:14:35).
A wheelchair 10K
The Les Sables-d’Olonne Half Marathon is committed to inclusion, including through a wheelchair 10K. Laurent Lebeault claimed the title once again in 27:18, ahead of Vincent Rabeau (31:47) and Vincent Descousse (31:52).
In a stunning setting along the famous seafront promenade, 7,000 runners took part in the 33rd edition of the Les Sables-d’Olonne Half Marathon. Elite athletes, experienced runners and amateurs shared an event defined by its friendly, welcoming atmosphere.