Harmonie Mutuelle 20 km de Paris 2026: Daniel Kosen and Mekdes Woldu take the wins

The 20 km de Paris once again got the autumn season off to a flying start. With a field of 35,000 participants and entries selling out at the beginning of April, the Paris race confirmed its huge popularity. At the finish on Place Jacques-Rueff, near the Eiffel Tower, the leading athletes had already delivered their verdict while thousands of runners were still preparing to set off.

In the men’s race, Daniel Kosen laid down the law in 57:11. Without a pacemaker, the Kenyan built his victory on a surge of speed from the ninth kilometre. He passed 10 km in 29:01, then put in a decisive acceleration to drop his rivals. “I’m so happy and grateful. Around the ninth kilometre, I saw that nobody was following me. I thought, ‘Let’s try to accelerate and see if it works.’ Racing is all about tactics. When you get the tactics right, winning becomes much easier ”, he explained.

The JOMA athlete, representing the race’s official kit supplier, secured a prestigious victory but came nowhere near the course record. That still belongs to Étienne Daguinos, who ran 56:18 in 2025.

Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse second, Valencia next

As in 2025, Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse finished second. The Frenchman crossed the line in 57:45 after trying to respond to the winner’s acceleration. “I tried to follow him between the 10th and 13th kilometre. He accelerated well, but I didn’t have the same legs as last year. I was missing a bit of speed, and it showed”, he admitted.

The result is still encouraging for the athlete preparing for the Valencia Marathon on 6 December. “ ”

Third place went to Abderrazak Charik, who finished in 58:34. The French-Algerian even celebrated by rolling under the finish arch, producing an image that was as spectacular as it was endearing. Mohamed Benyettou (58:53), Clément Leduc (59:25) and Florian Le Pallec (59:33) completed the top six. All of them broke the one-hour mark.

Meanwhile, Hassan Chahdi finished 16th in 59:51. The Olympian focused on the positives from his return to racing, despite initially hoping to stay with the lead group for longer. “These first races are always difficult for me, but it feels good to pin on a race number again. It’s a pleasure, and it gets my Valencia preparation off to a good start”, he said.

Mekdes Woldu sets the fastest 20 km time in French history

In the women’s race, Mekdes Woldu finally claimed the Paris victory that had eluded her. Fourth in 2022 in 1:07:13 and runner-up in 2023 in 1:06:36, the Frenchwoman dominated this time to win in 1:04:35.

The French marathon record-holder (2:23:13) and half-marathon record-holder (1:08:19), who also finished 20th in the marathon at the Paris 2024 Olympics, set a strong pace from the opening kilometres. Her splits of 16:08 at 5 km and 31:55 at 10 km reflected the consistency of her effort. Behind her, Manon Trapp finished second in 1:06:24. Kenya’s Gladys Jemaiyo nevertheless retains the course record, set in 2023 at 1:04:30.

With her time of 1:04:35, Mekdes Woldu did set the fastest 20 km time ever recorded by a French runner. She knocked Manon Trapp’s 1:04:44, set at the 2024 edition, off the record books. “I didn’t even look at the time. I watched the 5 km and 10 km splits displayed around the course. Even without the record, I ran a great race and I’m very happy”, said the EFCVO athlete.

The victory also carried a personal significance. “It’s my first 20 km de Paris title, so it feels great. Running here reminds me of the Olympics and the Paris Marathon. It’s a beautiful race that I love, and I’ve been running it for ten years”. Mekdes Woldu also highlighted the women’s participation, which accounted for 43.8% of entries this year. She dedicated her success to her father and paid tribute to women affected by breast cancer during Pink October.

Manon Trapp bounces back as Alice Finot shows her road potential

For Manon Trapp, second place had a particular significance. Two weeks after dropping out of the Berlin Marathon, the Frenchwoman rediscovered good sensations and made an encouraging return to the distance. “It’s also a way to rebuild psychologically, because dropping out of the Berlin Marathon was cruel when I was on such a strong pace for the French record”, she explained.

Behind the leading pair, Salomé Brun took third place in 1:06:48. Héloïse Laigle (1:07:12), Inès Hamoudi (1:07:20), Mathilde Sénéchal (1:07:37) and Ophélie Serra-Boxberger (1:07:38) also made the top 10. Anaïs Quemener finished ninth in 1:08:25.

Tenth place went to Alice Finot, timed at 1:08:58. The European 3,000 m steeplechase record-holder, with her 8:58.67 from 2024, produced an especially promising performance in her first attempt at the distance in this setting. “It went better than expected. It went almost too well, which isn’t normal! I think I started very conservatively, then ran a negative split. I did 35 minutes for the first 10 kilometres and 34 for the second. I finished in 1:09, and I wasn’t expecting that”, she said.

The CA Montreuil 93 athlete was delighted with her sensations and the encouragement she received all along the course. While the steeplechase remains her priority through the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, she is increasingly considering a future move to the roads. “I’ll stay focused on the steeplechase through Los Angeles, but I have a future on the roads. I can feel it”, she insisted.

Aurélien Quinion covers the 20 km in 1:21:18... walking!

It was one of the performances that caused a stir on the Paris course. While many runners were trying to complete the 20 kilometres in around 1:20, Aurélien Quinion beat them without ever breaking into a run. The French race-walking specialist covered the entire course in 1:21:18, an average speed of around 14.8 km/h, equivalent to a pace of 4:04/km.

An impressive performance from the Olympian, who chose this road outing as part of his preparation. A bronze medallist in the marathon race walk at the Birmingham European Championships, with a best of 2:59:29, he is now preparing for the French Championships on 15 November in Salaise-sur-Sanne. A spectacular reminder that at this speed, the best race walkers can hold their own against many runners over a demanding distance such as 20 kilometres.

Julien Casoli wins the wheelchair race

In the para-sport category, Julien Casoli won the wheelchair race in 44:00. The multiple Paris Marathon winner finished ahead of Dutchman Geert Schipper, who was second in 44:04. Thibault Daurat completed the podium in 48:00. Beyond the standings, this year’s race also put inclusion in the spotlight, with a stronger wheelchair field, around 20 joëlettes in action and amputee runners taking part with support from HOPPER.

35,000 participants turn the race into a running celebration

While Daniel Kosen and Mekdes Woldu’s performances captured the headlines, the Harmonie Mutuelle 20 km de Paris remains above all a major fixture on the French running calendar. For its 48th edition, held under the theme “A New Breath”, 35,000 participants filled the streets of western Paris and the paths of the Bois de Boulogne in a festive atmosphere powered by volunteers and spectators.

The rise in female participation, reaching 43.8% of entries, was one of the encouraging signs from this edition, even if parity remains a goal to pursue. Solidarity was also on the agenda, with the “Relais Cœur” initiative and support for the Association Grégory Lemarchal.

REPLAY of the 2026 20 km de Paris