Valentin Vanhaeverbeek Runs the Paris Marathon in Memory of His Late Brother: “People Saw Our T-Shirts and Shouted, ‘We Love You, Raph’”
Valentin Vanhaeverbeek has finished the Paris Marathon for the third year in a row. This time, his older brother, who died of cancer last February, was not there, but Valentin was surrounded by everyone who loved Raphaël. It was a tribute to a 23-year-old remembered for his undeniable determination.
The 49th edition of the Paris Marathon brought together 57,464 finishers on Sunday, April 12. Each one had a personal story unfolding through the streets of Paris. Valentin Vanhaeverbeek stood out from the very start. The race announcer spotted him in the pack and wanted to know more about why he was running. “That alone brought tears to our eyes,” says the 21-year-old marathon runner. Surrounded by four other runners, he covered the 42.195 km with a lump in his throat, drawing the attention of supporters in a jersey bearing his late brother’s image. “As soon as people saw our T-shirts, they shouted, ‘We love you, Raph.’ I loved it, even though it was incredibly emotional,” he says. At the finish, around ten of Raphaël’s friends joined them so they could cross the line arm in arm.
A marathon filled with meaning
Two years earlier, the brothers had become marathoners for the first time. Goodbye Toulon, hello Paris. It was the perfect place to share a unique moment, with no performance goal in mind, simply the pleasure of running the iconic distance together. “We took it a bit lightly... We didn’t realise what it really meant to take it onWe trained a little, but we weren’t exactly fully prepared for the challenge.” He finished the marathon in 4:34, aged 19, while his 23-year-old brother crossed the line in 6:02.
The 2024 marathon marked a turning point for the family. “Thanks to it, Raphaël’s sarcoma was discovered. “If he hadn’t run it, we might not have detected it for a long time,” his younger brother explains. This extremely rare form of cancer mainly affects young people. Fewer than 200 cases are recorded in France each year. The diagnosis landed like a hammer blow. Months of trips back and forth followed, then partial remission in January 2025, before a relapse with no way back.
There were also a few lighter moments during that long period in which everyone held on. A second appearance at the Paris Marathon, for one. “Raphaël wanted to run the marathon to celebrate being free of cancer cells,” his younger brother remembers. Weakened, he ultimately ran only the final 15 kilometres alongside Valentin. It was a gesture that perfectly illustrated Raphaël’s “strength of character.” “He was a real force of nature,” adds Valentin, who always found him “inspiring, impressive and breathtaking.” “An example,” he adds. When Raphaël died in February, the idea of running the marathon again took hold. “I was already thinking about it. And his friends pushed me to do it,” Valentin says.
“It was really hard mentally, but it was so beautiful, filled with joy, friendship and love.
United in remembrance
The five of them faced the pain of the challenge together. It was a race that tested them physically and mentally, with memories constantly coming to the surface. “I’m very happy I did it, even though it was really hard mentally. It was so beautiful, filled with joy, friendship and love,” he says with a smile. This race was their way of paying tribute to Raphaël, telling his story and making sure he would not be forgotten. “It helps us move forward,” he insists. Together, they also supported cancer research by raising €10,000 for the Fondation ARC.
These five finishers will no doubt remember those 4:26 of highs and lows. Together from start to finish, they were carried towards the line by the supporters’ cheers. Valentin, despite feeling strong, stayed alongside his teammates. “Some of them were injured, and they really pushed themselves to make it to the end,” he explains. It is hard to measure what they felt as they crossed the finish line, accompanied by around ten other young people who were also moved to have lost their friend. But one thing is certain: their mother, their “number one supporter,” was waiting for them, proud of the tribute they had paid to her son.
This edition of the Paris Marathon was bound to feel different for Valentin Vanhaeverbeek. His brother was no longer there to share the moment, but all along the course, “We love you, Raph” rang out, keeping his memory alive.