© Benjamin Vodant
13-Unis : 3,000 runners and walkers pay tribute to the November 13, 2015 attacks
The 13-Unis event, organized by the French Association of Victims of Terrorism, brought together 3,000 runners and walkers this Sunday on the square in front of City Hall, ten years after the November 2015 attacks. The Village of Fraternity allowed participants to recharge after the Freedom Run of 15 km or the Equality Walk of 7 km.
The victorious finish of two cousins crossing the line hand in hand, “very united” throughout the 15 km race, perfectly illustrates the solidarity, sporting spirit, and commemorative nature of the day organized by the AfVT, with the support of the Ile-de-France Athletics League, the City of Paris, and Crédit Mutuel Fédéral, the official partner. The 13-Unis event took place during a period of tribute to the victims of the November 13, 2015 attacks, as well as a celebration of life, a moment to collectively remember the events that marked a nation ten years ago. The orange wave that flooded the streets of Paris throughout the day once again proved that running or walking has the power to bring people together.
| Of participants showing resilience
It is impossible to talk about this day without mentioning the Freedom Run, which set the pace for the entire morning. Scheduled for 9:30 a.m. in front of the Stade de France, it brought together 1,600 runners for 15 km of effort: from the stadium to City Hall, passing through Place de la République, a symbolic site of the November 13 events. The quays, “bucolic with the morning fog,” and the major Parisian boulevards, “not always easy, where mental strength was required,” were also part of the route. “The runners showed remarkable resilience, which was the motto of this major event where sport served as a factor of cohesion and recovery for thousands of people,” emphasized Arnaud Flanquart, president of the Ile-de-France Athletics League (LIFA). “It is a route that also symbolizes the journey accomplished by the victims since November 13. You can see how resilience and personal strength allow people to overcome what happened,” added Carole Damiani, director of Paris Aide aux Victimes.
The race was organized by LIFA, which had been tasked since January with creating a race worthy of the greatest events. “We have experts for route planning, timing, and marshals,” noted the LIFA president, who was immediately committed to organizing what he considers the most beautiful event the League has ever held. He did not hesitate to mobilize all of the League’s resources to bring this six-month project to life, while continuing to manage the League’s usual events. “It reminded me of where I was. I had heard the gunshots from my home, wondering what was happening; we were all marked by that day,” he shared.
| Celebrate life
This act of remembrance for everyone is nonetheless an ode to life. “It’s this solidarity that we were looking for by participating in this race. It meant a lot to us,” said Juliette Laravoire and Cindy Dervishi, two young women from the Chaville Athletics Club, who ran “to push ourselves, but also for others.” Strong emotions were also felt by two members of the AfVT Board of Directors, positioned at the finish line. “It’s moving to see so many people take part in a solidarity race,” confided Aurore Pernin.
“You can feel the satisfaction of having run, of being here for life, against death. It’s very important to be in motion, in joy. What we are celebrating today is life,” said Chantal Langlade. Volunteer since 2003, Cathy Francillonne also felt the poignant atmosphere of the day. “We want to make sure we don’t forget the victims,” she said, before recounting her evening on November 13, 2015. “I was at home, very worried because my son was supposed to be in Paris, near République. I didn’t sleep all night. He wasn’t answering, and he arrived safely around 5 p.m. I ran to hug him. He had no idea what was happening, but what a relief!”
| An emotional men’s podium
The striking image of this race was Thibault Reinhart and Constantin Van De Velde crossing the finish line hand in hand. For these two marathoners, the result mattered little—the emotion was elsewhere. “We lost our cousin ten years ago. When we saw this race, we thought it would be a great occasion to run it,” said Thibault. Very quickly, the two cousins found themselves at the front. “We thought at least we’d keep up the pace to compete for the podium. Then, near République, we saw we were really leading, so we decided to finish together.”
His cousin Constantin, holding his daughter in his arms, added: “It wasn’t just us. Other family members were also running or cheering,” including their grandmothers, eager to hug them and capture the moment in a photo. Their finish time of 51:36, an average of 3:25 per kilometer, is impressive in itself. At the awards ceremony, Clément Dague, who finished third in 54:48, showed his emotion. He was only 15 years old at the time of the attacks. “It’s the first truly memorable moment of my life,” he recalled. This outcome couldn’t have matched expectations better: “It’s symbolic that the two first-place finishers crossed together. I don’t think we could have dreamed of anything better than that.”
| The leading three women were deeply affected
The emotion was shared by the women’s leading trio. Bosnian student Emina Alagic, already the winner of the 5 km Voies Royales race in mid-October, dominated the course in 1:01:21, “delighted to win, but above all happy to run to remember what happened.” Behind her, Léonie Delabrière of Championnet Sport, in 1:03:06, and Nadia Simon of CA Orsay, in 1:04:45, completed the podium. Aware of the unifying power of sport, she chose this race for her first in the capital because “the message was beautiful and strong.”
Even though she didn’t give her absolute maximum, she faced tougher moments when thinking of the “people who lost their lives” helped her endure the physical strain. “In the end, suffering during a race is nothing,” she reflected, running at 4:16 per kilometer. “Life can end abruptly, so it’s beautiful to be here and just live in the moment.”
Even though the AfVT was discovering “the world of runners,” as Géraldine Gorgol, the association’s communications manager, explains, it didn’t show. “This day comes at the perfect time because we really need to be together right now. We live in a society that is very divided on many issues, and this is a moment where we are all together. It feels really good to see everyone here, with so many smiles and so much joy,” she noted. From the unbeatable bib price, just 15 euros, to the piano pieces played in the village, and the two works by Olivier Terral, one displayed on stage, the other created on the spot, the closing concert of the event, and the freedom given to spectators to move around near the finish line, located at the same spot as the village entrance, everything about this race set it apart from an ordinary race. More than ever, the Republic’s slogan : Liberty, Equality, Fraternity found its full meaning and resonated in everyone’s hearts.
✔ Check out the results of the 13-Unis race.
Sabine LOEB
Journalist
