© Marathon de la Liberté 2026
Marathon de la Liberté 2026: François Leprovost and Valentin Gondouin leave their mark on D-Day territory
A weekend of sport and remembrance on the D-Day landing beaches. This Sunday, exactly 82 years after D-Day, the D-Day commemorative race Marathon de la Liberté delivered its 39th edition on the roads of Normandy. François Leprovost won the marathon in a sprint finish, Valentin Gondouin dominated the half marathon from start to finish, while Pierre Emile and Noémie Brioul both broke the 10 km course records. A day to remember.
Some races have a soul. The Marathon de la Liberté is one of them — perhaps more than any other in France. Since 1988, the event has paid sporting tribute to D-Day, with routes passing through key sites of the Battle of Normandy such as Juno Beach, Sword Beach, the Casino of Ouistreham and the Pegasus Bridge. No other marathon in France — and very few in the world — allows runners to cover 42 km on the very ground where Liberation history was written. This Sunday, June 7, for the 39th time, thousands of runners set off from Courseulles-sur-Mer, following the Normandy coastline before finishing at Stade Hélitas de Caen, medal around their necks. More than 30,000 participants, seven events, and a tribute to D-Day: the Normandy Running Festival in full force.
| François Leprovost seals victory in the final 200 metres
The men’s race turned into a long poker game, ending in the shortest possible showdown. François Leprovost (SPN Vernon), a native of Bayeux near Caen in Normandy, had marked this date on his calendar since winter. Runner-up last year, he returned with one clear goal—and the patience to match it. For more than 42 kilometres, the Frenchman ran shoulder to shoulder with Pierre-Antoine Ruel (Stade Saint-Lois, France) and Anthony Avril (Stade Olympique du Maine, France). All three entered the Stade Hélitas together, separated by just a few strides. Then Leprovost launched his sprint. Despite cramping in the closing stages, he made the difference in the final 200 metres. The finish was decided by just five seconds: 2:27:13 for him, 2:27:14 for Ruel and 2:27:18 for Avril. A podium split by the finest of margins, something rarely seen in a marathon. At the finish line, surrounded by family and friends, emotion quickly took over.
In the women’s race, Julie Ripa (Paris Sport Club, France) broke away well before the finish. The Paris-based runner won in 2:57:05, more than four minutes ahead of her nearest rival. Élodie Percel (ES Troarn, France), racing on home soil in Normandy’s Calvados region, smashed her personal best by more than ten minutes to finish in 3:01:45. A standout performance from the local athlete, who edged Chloé Naquin (ASPTT Orléans, France) in 3:03:44.
| Valentin Gondouin cruises the Pegasus Half Marathon
The Pegasus Half Marathon, starting from the Pegasus Bridge — the first bridge liberated in Europe during the night of June 5–6, 1944 — had one main question: by how much would Valentin Gondouin win? The answer came quickly. The runner from Flers (Orne), now racing for Stade Saint-Lois, completed the 21 km in 1:04:35 on his debut in the event — a dominant first appearance. Fresh from a bronze medal at the European Cup 10,000 m in La Spezia, Gondouin continues a strong 2026 season. His personal best stands at 1:00:17 over the half marathon and 2:07:54 over the marathon, making him one of France’s most versatile long-distance runners. In August, he will head to Birmingham for the European Marathon Championships (10–16 August 2026), with Caen serving more as a controlled tune-up than an all-out effort.
Behind him, Clément Lhotellerie (Charleville-Mézières, 1:06:39) and Geoffrey Le Déan (SPN Vernon, 1:07:40) completed the podium. Among the women, Émilie Gavens (Pont-Audemer AC) made history with a third victory in Caen (1:19:15), after wins in 2022 and 2025. “With the wind, it was tough at the end. But that’s also why we do this sport,” she said at the finish. Anne Le Cunuder (Stade Rennais Athlétisme, 1:20:51) and Émeline Siard (AS Tourlaville, 1:22:25) completed the podium.
| Pierre Emile and Noémie Brioul set 10 km records
The day before, Pierre Emile (AS Querqueville) had collapsed after a 1500 m race in Angers. “I fell after 450 metres. I wasn’t hurt, but it was over,” he admitted. A few hours — and little sleep — later, he crossed the finish line first in the 10 km, setting a new course record in 29:55, beating the previous mark of 30:11 held by Chris Davies since 2008. “We were together until the 5th kilometre. I broke away on the descent. I felt good, so I kept pushing,” he explained. “It’s not the fastest course, so I’m happy to go under 30 minutes in controlled effort.”
He finished ahead of Quentin Cornu (30:13) and Marc Lauret (30:39). Emile, who had never managed to race in Caen before due to scheduling conflicts, now has a personal best of 29:22… set after a fall. This summer, he targets sub-14:00 for 5000 m. On the women’s side, Noémie Brioul (AC Boulogne-sur-Mer) wasn’t even planning to race. She came to Caen to visit her brother. “I wasn’t supposed to race, but it was a chance to spend time with my brother. I decided at the last minute,” she said.
She noticed the course record stood at 33:59 — and broke it by five seconds in 33:54. “I had this small goal of trying to beat it,” she added. The 25-year-old Kiprun athlete (working for Decathlon) now focuses on track, aiming for qualification for the French Championships over 5000 m, despite no specific road preparation and finishing just seconds off her personal best (33:46). She finished ahead of Aurore Guérin (34:50) and Mathilde Degenetais (35:07). Caen’s mayor Aristide Olivier also took part, completing the 10 km in just over an hour — a symbolic presence on a deeply meaningful day.
✔ Full results of the 2026 Marathon de la Liberté
Dorian VUILLET
Journalist
