La Parisienne 2025: an army of superheroines takes over the streets of Paris

From 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., women poured into the streets of Paris. After arriving in running gear or costumes more eye-catching than the last, they gathered on the Pont d’Iéna, which had been dressed for the occasion. The start was not given straight away. First came the electric atmosphere, that contagious energy only hundreds of highly motivated women can generate. Surrounded by architectural masterpieces, the superheroines hardly knew where to look, with the Eiffel Tower behind them and Place du Trocadéro rising above them. Fired up by four high-energy MCs, the 10K runners, easy to spot in their purple or red capes, set off first along Avenue des Nations Unies, closely followed by the 7K runners, glittering masks covering their faces. Shortly after 11 a.m., the walkers brought the successive waves of starts to a close as a light rain began to fall on Place de Varsovie.

© Louis Legon

© Louis Legon

© Louis Legon

© Louis Legon

Is the race’s real strength its rare all-female format?

Races exclusively for women are few and far between, which is precisely why they have become so popular with the people they are designed for. La Parisienne is one of them. Unique in its field, the event was created by Patrick Aknin in 1997 and has been organized by Golazo since 2019. Jennifer Molina, the agency’s communications manager, plays a key role: « It’s been a really great edition! This weekend has been a complete success, and we’re delighted, says the woman at the helm of the event. We were incredibly lucky with the village because the weather was beautiful on Friday, so there were huge crowds, and yesterday the partner and exhibitor stands were busy all day. » The success was reflected in the choice of theme too: « It always comes from us. We try to choose themes we like, and I think this is the best one we’ve ever done. They loved it! »

If the organizers are so determined to keep La Parisienne an all-female race, it is to preserve the very essence of the project: giving women runners visibility. It is a goal that suits regular participants perfectly. « Between the atmosphere among the women and the great organization, it makes you want to come back », says Alexandra Selam with a smile. Garance Perrot, runner-up in the 10K, agrees: « I’ll be back! What surprised me was how much the runners encouraged each other. It really gave me a boost. » The all-female format does not prevent the event from being inclusive, particularly by welcoming people with disabilities or reduced mobility. Fifty took part this year. With two formats, the 10K and 7K, both available to runners and walkers, everyone can find an option that works for them. More than 1,500 volunteers and over 150 freelancers were on hand to keep the event running smoothly, while around 15 music groups entertained participants all along the course.

« It’s so beautiful to see all these incredibly powerful women!« 

Powerful performances, and so much more…

Louise Chandon finished the 10K in 37:03. There was no personal best this time, but she wore a broad smile after a race that fit perfectly with her plans for the start of the season: « I came because I’d heard about this women-only race. I think it’s a brilliant idea. I wanted a fairly demanding run before the 20 km de Paris. I thought it would be more fun with other girls than on my own », says the road runner and long-distance enthusiast, who has a marathon best of 2:56:38.

The race’s female spirit resonated far beyond the winner’s experience. For Maud Driguet, it was the whole reason she wanted to be there that morning. « This is a race I’d always missed, and now I finally had the chance to do it. It’s incredible, we all support one another. Putting women’s sport front and center like this is truly wonderful, and it’s even more special now that I’m a mother », says the runner, who made her return to competition « with a bang » a year after giving birth to twins. « They carried me all the way, and I finished with my fastest time over 10K », said the Infinity Run athlete.

A first 10K completed, impressive times on the clock, personal bests falling for some… but above all, emotions running high. Just ask two young strangers who embraced like old friends after crossing the finish line together. « In the final kilometer, I was about to stop when she reached out her hand. I thought, ‘Come on, I’ll follow her and we’ll finish together.’ I was falling apart. And she was there. The right person at the right time », exclaimed Norine Djemel, speaking about her heroine of the day, Hind Khayati. « You only find that between women », concludes Jennifer Molina, whose mission was accomplished in style. « It’s so beautiful to see all these incredibly powerful women! », Norine, founder of Girls who run Paris, says in awe.

Armed with their superpowers, the 21,000 women who crossed the finish line on Avenue Joseph-Bouvard were rewarded with a superb medal featuring a logo inspired by the world of superheroines. It was a fitting tribute to the effort involved in running or walking between 7 and 10 kilometers. The village at Émile Anthoine stadium offered the perfect place to recharge. With deck chairs and goodies handed out by the various partners, the finishers had every reason to feel pampered.

➜ Find all the race results here.