Olympians Félix Bour and Méline Rollin triumph at Sedan–Charleville
Europe’s oldest city-to-city road race took place on 5 October for its 105th edition. The 23.6 km Ardennes classic crowned the favourites, Olympic marathoners Félix Bour and Méline Rollin, in particularly windy conditions. Behind the winners, 3,600 runners took on the race just a stone’s throw from Belgium.
Sedan-Charleville has been one of France’s legendary road races since 1906. The event is a true tradition, held every year on the first Sunday in October in the Grand Est region. Once again, large numbers of runners took to the D764 through the heart of the Ardennes. It is a race where history and running come together.
Northern marathoners in top form
Victory went to Lorraine marathoner Félix Bour (Racing Multi Athlon). The defending champion, selected for the Paris Olympics marathon, had to battle alone against an invisible but formidable opponent all the way to the finish. The wind showed no mercy, with powerful gusts topping 50 km/h. That was not enough to unsettle the favourite, who took control from the fourth kilometre. Imperious throughout, Stéphane Valenti’s athlete even used the race as part of his marathon build-up, bringing his weekly total to 212 km. His sights are already set on the New York City Marathon on 2 November.
Given the conditions, the course record of 1:10:04, set by Rwanda’s Félicien Muhitira in 2017, was out of reach. A regular on international teams, Bour covered the 23.6 km in 1:12:40, compared with 1:11:11 in 2024, finishing almost two minutes ahead of runner-up Clément Lhotellerie (Charleville Mézières Athlétisme, 1:14:41). The local athlete, 2015 French cyclo-cross champion and a professional cyclist until 2013, had already taken over from Félix Bour as winner last year. Zoom Volt Runners coach Nicolas Dalmasso took bronze in 1:18:27.
The women’s race followed a similar script. Olympian Méline Rollin (Grac Athlétisme) won comfortably on her second appearance at the classic. The wind and the final two kilometres, which featured several uphill sections, made things difficult. Returning from injury, the KIPRUN athlete finished 21st overall in 1:24:59. The Ardennes native had been targeting this victory for a long time. It was a fitting reward for an athlete who passed through her home village of Nouvion-sur-Meuse during the race. Alice Michel (Zoom Volt Runners) took second in 1:28:00, followed by Zoé Hamel (Grac Athlétisme) in 1:28:12.
Para athletes take centre stage
Sedan-Charleville is committed to inclusion and opens its entry list to para athletes. Ali Mehiaoui (Handi Racing Club) was declared the winner in 1:09:49, just ahead of his clubmate Simon Germano (1:09:50). Vincent Bertrand (Cdh 08) completed the podium in 2:13:18.
An event steeped in history
Running Europe’s oldest city-to-city race is well worth the trip. Many of athletics’ biggest names have taken on this legendary event, including Alain Mimoun in 1959, three years after winning Olympic marathon gold in Melbourne. The Frenchman finished in 1:18:14. In the 1980s, more than 1,000 enthusiasts entered the race, which has been on the French Athletics Federation’s international calendar since 1986. For the first edition in 1906, 82 participants lined up at the start. Half of them made it to the finish. The inaugural winner was Lucien Daix, a blacksmith from Wadelincourt, who covered the distance in 1:33. Women had to wait until 1975 to be allowed to compete, when Danièle Brouart took the inaugural women’s title.
Today, more than 3,600 runners and over 350 volunteers come together for the event. And it shows no sign of slowing down. Each year, the race starts on rue Philippoteaux in Sedan, a city steeped in history and art and known for its fortress, the “Giant of Sedan.” The listed historic monument is Europe’s largest castle fortress, covering 35,000 m². On leaving the city, runners cross the Ardennes plains, bordered by Second World War bunkers and the fortifications of the Maginot Line. Several villages lie along the route, including Donchery, Dom-le-Mesnil, Les Ayvelles and Mézières, before the finish on Place Ducale in Charleville-Mézières.
The legendary Sedan-Charleville once again drew a huge crowd of enthusiasts for its 105th edition. More than a sporting event, the 23.6 km linking the two cities offer a concentrated dose of centuries of Ardennes history. This unique race appeals to runners of every age and ability, carried along by the passion of the local crowd. Despite the often-brutal conditions, this windy edition produced some fine podiums.
✔ Find all the results from the 105th edition of Sedan-Charleville.