Foulée Vénissiane: Louis Michel and Laurie Maleysson Dominate, French U18 Record for Meziane Benhammou

LThe 45th edition of the Foulée Vénissiane, held just outside Lyon, brought together specialists of the 5 km, 10 km and half marathon. Its urban, famously fast course attracted runners chasing strong times, including Louis Michel and Laurie Maleysson in the day’s marquee race. U18 athlete Meziane Benhammou set a French youth record over 10 km with a time of 29:44.

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Over the decades, the Foulée Vénissiane has become a staple of the French running calendar. First held in 1979, the event was on the national schedule long before the recent surge of interest in the sport. This year, the iconic race on the outskirts of Lyon brought together 3,650 runners, including more than 2,000 in the 10 km alone — a new attendance record. The November cold did little to deter those chasing fast times or looking for one last outing before upcoming marathons and cross-country championships.

Once again, the 10 km stood out as the most competitive race of the programme. With 20 athletes breaking the 30-minute barrier, the ultra-fast course — stretching from the town centre to Parilly Park — delivered a high-quality field featuring several past winners and familiar contenders.

| Louis Michel on Top

For his fourth appearance at the event, Louis Michel, from Le Puy-en-Velay and a member of Clermont Auvergne Athlétisme — gave himself a fine 21st-birthday present. He claimed a decisive victory in a race that means a lot to him, setting a new personal best of 29:01, which also stands as the fastest time ever recorded at the event. After placing 36th, then 12th, then 4th, and now taking the win, the young middle-distance runner has climbed steadily year after year to finally reach the top.

Just shy of breaking the 29-minute barrier, he improved on his previous best of 29:03. He now ranks fifth among French under-23 athletes this season and 16th all-time. An impressive performance that fits perfectly into his winter preparation, confirming his strong form while testing himself against some of the best regional athletes.

Lounès Benamara, runner-up at last week’s Boulogne-Billancourt Half Marathon finished second here in 29:13. Alexis Godefroy completed the podium in 29:14.

“I took the lead right from the start because no one else was making a move. With the cold, I couldn’t really feel my legs, so I preferred to ease into it and even go a bit slower than usual. I gradually picked up the pace and the group began to stretch out. Halfway through, I was feeling good. There were about ten of us, I pushed again, and by the 7 km mark we were down to four. Then Quentin Chiarisoli (who finished fourth) put in a surge on the uphill at kilometre eight. At the bottom of the descent, I moved past and finished strong, running the final kilometres in under 2:50. I’m really happy to win it after several attempts.”

Louis Michel, winner of the 10 km

| French U18 Record for Meziane Benhammou

Just behind the leading trio, the crowds lining the course witnessed the emergence of another young talent. Meziane Benhammou, only 16 years old, crossed the finish line in 29:44, placing fifteenth overall. The AC Miramas athlete set a new French U18 record, improving the previous mark by 34 seconds. It was only his second race over the distance, and he also erased his former personal best of 30:34.

The junior athletes also impressed: Yoann Debroucker, Ilyès Benhammou and triathlete Gaspard Chabanel delivered outstanding performances, clocking 29:40, 29:41 and 29:51 respectively.

| Laurie Maleysson Takes the Win Under 34 Minutes

Runners from Le Puy-en-Velay truly stole the show in Vénissieux. After Louis Michel’s dominant victory in the men’s race, Laurie Maleysson,also from Le Puy-en-Velay and a member of Velay Athlétisme — delivered a standout performance in the women’s event. Winning in 33:49, the 33-year-old athlete, who works as a nurse at Sainte-Marie Hospital in Le Puy-en-Velay, claimed the headline race. In her fourth appearance at the event, she finally broke the 34-minute barrier after several unsuccessful attempts. The top French finisher at the 2024 Paris Marathon, who clocked 2:40:02 last year in Valencia, surprised many — including herself.

French short-trail champion Julie Lelong finished second in 34:09, followed by French international Floriane Quesada in third with 34:20.

“I went into it without much pressure because I wasn’t really sure about my form. I didn’t think I could run under 34 minutes. I decided to give it a try and see how long I could hold on. I expected to struggle halfway through, but in the end, I managed to maintain the pace. I didn’t dare look at my watch so I wouldn’t lose time or scare myself — I only checked my splits each kilometre. At the 9 km mark, a spectator shouted ‘30:25’, which motivated me not to ease off. I’m really enjoying this moment, because breaking 34 minutes was one of my goals, but I didn’t think it was achievable at this race.”

Laurie Maleysson, winner of the 10 km

| Léna Chauveau Delivers a Commanding Performance in the Half Marathon

The half marathon, another distance cherished by road runners, also delivered an excellent show. Victory went to Elhocine Zourkane in 1:06:29, with a comfortable lead over runner-up Pierre Bidot (1:07:49). Antoine Charvolin claimed third place in 1:07:50, just one second behind his direct rival.

In the women’s race, Léna Chauveau from Clermont-Ferrand produced a dominant performance, finishing in 1:15:36. Fresh off a two-month training camp in Font-Romeu, the medical student significantly improved on the 1:17:22 she ran in Boulogne in 2024. Lozère native Anne Moulin followed the same upward trajectory, taking second place in 1:15:43, a massive step forward from the 1:20:35 she recorded in Vénissieux in 2022. Finally, Anna Pirat secured third place in her debut over the 21.097 km distance with a time of 1:17:20.

| Fabien Loirat Untouchable in the 5 km

All types of runners can find what they’re looking for in the Lyon area, where the 5 km, 10 km and half marathon are all on the programme. Grenoble’s Fabien Loirat was never threatened and crossed the finish line with his arms raised in 14:47. He was followed by junior athlete Noah Escat in 14:56, officially credited with the same time as Gabriel Rougier.

In the women’s race, Karine Pignol was the fastest in 17:31. Sarah Tchraou (17:42) and Tiffany Hall (17:50) completed the podium.

Year after year, the Foulée Vénissiane continues to grow in popularity. Despite freezing temperatures, the flagship event of the Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes region attracted 3,650 runners in search of fast times. With a record turnout and several course records — as well as national records — broken, road runners lit up the clock in a warm and spirited atmosphere. An edition that will be remembered for a long time.

✔ All the results from the 45th edition of the Foulée Vénissiane

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