© STADION ACTU / Corentin Baudry
French Marathon Championships: Morhad Amdouni and Anaïs Quemener deliver with experience
The favorites held their ground at the Marathon des 2 Rives in Ambès, which hosted the 2026 French Marathon Championships. Leading from the early kilometers, French runner Morhad Amdouni claimed the first national title of his career over the marathon distance in 2:13:22. In the women’s race, fellow French athlete Anaïs Quemener secured her third national crown in 2:37:35, adding to her previous titles from 2016 and 2022.
Ambès keeps things simple. A peninsula shaped by two rivers, two loops, and a marathon already carving out its identity. For just its second edition, the Marathon des 2 Rives stepped up to host the national championships—a sign of how quickly the event has established itself. The course follows the Dordogne and Garonne rivers, offering long, uninterrupted stretches where performance speaks for itself.
| Morhad Amdouni in full control
There was no hesitation at the start. Corsican-born Morhad Amdouni, representing Val d’Europe Montévrain Athlétisme near Paris, immediately took the lead. Alongside him, Florian Caro from Brittany (Stade Brestois) accepted the challenge. The two built the race together—clean, controlled, no wasted movement. Caro set the pace over the first 10 kilometers, pushing a strong tempo. Amdouni observed, then responded. They passed 20 km in 1:02:12, already opening a gap of more than two minutes over a chase group led by Freddy Guimard (Alès Cévennes Athlétisme), alongside Gaëtan Cals (Stade Bordelais) and Luc Montaudon.
Then came the turning point, just after halfway. Amdouni shifted gears—subtly, almost imperceptibly, but enough to break the balance. Caro began to fade. The race tipped. Alone out front, Amdouni settled into his stride—compact, efficient, controlled. A reminder of why he still holds the French marathon record (2:03:47 in Seville). In Ambès, the clock stopped at 2:13:22. Not a record, but that wasn’t the point. “A French title is always worth taking,”he said at the finish. “The field wasn’t the strongest, but the national record holder was here.” Convicted in February 2025 in a domestic violence case, Amdouni continues to compete under that shadow. On the road, however, his level remains unchanged—a contrast that’s hard to ignore.
Behind him, Florian Caro held on for second place in 2:15:20. Freddy Guimard completed the podium in 2:17:44, resisting a late push from Gaëtan Cals (fourth in 2:19:17). The rest of the top 10 highlighted the depth of French distance running, with tightly packed times: Anthonin Iragne (2:21:52), Julien Fournier (2:24:16), Thibault Bride (2:24:48), Christophe Destres (2:25:21), Thomas Botella (2:25:22), and Pierre-Yves Briand (2:25:34).
| Anaïs Quemener: patience as a winning strategy
The women’s race followed a different rhythm—less direct, more progressive, but just as demanding. Anaïs Quemener, a well-known figure in French distance running (La Meute Running club), opted for a clear approach: go out fast, commit, then adapt. Running alongside her training partner Mustapha Lhamzi, she set a strong early pace, reaching 20 km in 1:12:16. An ambitious start. But the marathon quickly reminds everyone of its rules. After halfway, the sensations shifted. The body hesitated. Quemener admitted it openly: “I was aiming for 2:32… but at halfway, I knew I didn’t have it in my legs.” The original plan faded. A new one took shape on the move.
She held on. Adjusted. Managed the effort. At the finish, 2:37:35. A third national title. “My first senior title was ten years ago—I’m really proud,” she said. A win built less on raw performance than on the ability to stay composed when the race starts to slip. Behind her, Alice Michel (Zoom Volt Runners, France) finished second in 2:41:14, delivering a strong performance with personal significance. “I’m really proud of her too—she recently had a baby,” Quemener noted, highlighting a shared journey.
Anne Moulin (Athlé Lozère, France) completed the podium in 2:44:06. A schoolteacher and mother of two, she improved her personal best by more than five minutes—a breakthrough performance. Further down, the depth continued to show, with Amandine Garnier (2:52:27), Émilie Grassart (2:53:33), and Céline Vatan (2:56:01) all breaking the three-hour barrier.
✔ Full results of the 2026 French Marathon Championships
Dorian VUILLET
Journalist
