Marseille–Cassis 2025 brings Jimmy Gressier to a legendary course packed with contenders and new features

A historic race that puts the region in the spotlight

Created in 1979 by Marseille club SCO Sainte-Marguerite, 20 km Marseille–Cassis has become a fixture of the French sporting calendar over more than four decades. Entries sell out within hours, and every edition draws runners from more than 70 countries.

The event’s status comes as much from its difficulty as from its popular appeal. Marseille–Cassis combines performance, spectacular scenery and genuine warmth. Runners come to test themselves, of course, but also to enjoy an exceptional setting.

20 km through a picture-postcard landscape

Beneath its 20 kilometers, the course hides a demanding profile, with almost 400 meters of elevation gain packed largely into the first 10 kilometers. The race starts at the foot of the Orange Vélodrome, an iconic landmark for Marseillais, before runners head onto the legendary Route de la Gineste: 10 kilometers climbing at an average gradient of 4.5%, with sections reaching 7%, to the Col de la Gineste at 327 meters above sea level. Even while pushing hard, runners should remember to look up and take in the scenery. The Mediterranean, Calanques National Park and views over Marseille create a backdrop found nowhere else. Then comes a fast descent toward Cassis, with sweeping turns and breathtaking views, before one final push to the finish on Avenue des Albizzi, in the heart of the vineyards.

This is a course where race management matters. Experienced runners know the formula: stay conservative on the climb, pick up the pace after the col and save something for the descent. That is often the key to a successful race. But beyond the performance, it is a route that constantly takes your breath away.

© Marseille-Cassis

© Marseille-Cassis

© Marseille-Cassis

© Marseille-Cassis

Muhitira and Jepkemei lead the field, while Gressier is out for the experience

This year’s biggest name in the field is Jimmy Gressier. The 10,000m world champion will run Marseille–Cassis for the first time, with no target time in mind and alongside his partner, Aude Clavier, the French 5,000m champion. For the 28-year-old from Boulogne-sur-Mer, a popular and generous figure, it is a symbolic appearance that will delight the thousands of runners sharing the course with him.

Victory is likely to come down to Rwanda’s Félicien Muhitira of Lille Métropole Athlétisme, who won last year in 1:01:32. The unofficial target is to break the one-hour mark, something no runner has done since 2017. In the women’s race, Kazakhstan’s Daisy Jepkemei starts as the favorite, but the French contingent will be eager to shine in front of a home crowd: Manon Trapp, Mélody Julien and Clémence Calvin should all play a major role.

An increasingly sustainable event

With environmental responsibility one of the defining challenges of our time, sustainability is a clear priority for the race organizers. Marseille–Cassis is continuing its shift toward a more sustainable event. The race passes through an area of exceptional biodiversity, and organizers are multiplying their initiatives: recycling points, cleaner aid stations, the gradual removal of plastic bottles, reusable cups and recyclable bibs.

2017 world 800m champion Pierre-Ambroise Bosse, now an ambassador for the “Cleanup Dossards” initiative, will also take the start wearing a green bib, a symbol of the campaign. Alongside 214 other runners, he has taken part in clean-up operations that collected more than a ton of waste.

A strong commitment to the community

For several years, the race has supported local association On’Tchao, which works year-round with the Association Grégory Lemarchal to fight cystic fibrosis, bringing runners and volunteers together around the same cause. Every entry and every donation helps fund research and improve patients’ lives. Runners were able to donate directly to the association, while part of the revenue from the final 1,000 available bibs was donated as well. Through these efforts, SCO Ste Marguerite de Marseille presented On’Tchao with a check for €15,000.

The organizers also place a strong emphasis on inclusion: around 30 solidarity bibs were awarded to young people from priority neighborhoods in Marseille. Blending performance with solidarity, Marseille–Cassis has built a distinctive identity that makes it a genuine social and collective adventure for the people of Marseille.

The crowds are as passionate as ever

The event’s 800 volunteers are its backbone, bringing the race to life every year. A quarter of them will be stationed at aid stations along the route, providing an essential service to keep runners hydrated. Along the roads, thousands of spectators gather to cheer, sing, hold up signs or simply applaud the waves of runners passing by.

With its brass bands, entertainment points and Calanques National Park scenery, Marseille–Cassis has something few races can claim: a soul and a distinctly Marseille identity. When the descent finally opens out toward Cassis, with the sea glowing blue in the distance, it is easy to understand why so many runners still call it “the most beautiful race in France.”

© Marseille-Cassis

© Marseille-Cassis

© Marseille-Cassis

© Marseille-Cassis

A sporting challenge wrapped in picture-postcard scenery and civic commitment, Marseille–Cassis 2025 keeps alive the legend of a race unlike any other. It connects a vibrant city, a warm-hearted region and a community of passionate runners through the values of sport: running, sharing, taking in the view and helping one another. With a strong elite field and a formula that delivers year after year, the 46th edition promises a fine spectacle. Jimmy Gressier should enjoy the journey.

✔ Tune in from 8:45 a.m. on Sunday, October 26, on France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur to watch the race live.