The Relay for Life in Somme: Where Sport Meets Emotion and Solidarity
This weekend, 1,500 runners and walkers took part in the Relay for Life in Somme at Parc de La Hotoie in Amiens, organized by the Ligue contre le cancer and the Comité de la Somme. A record number of participants attended this fifth edition of the event, with no fewer than 67 teams mobilized to support the fight against cancer during 24 hours of competition.
“We run, we laugh, we save lives” : this slogan was displayed on a sign to encourage participants ready to start the 24-hour relay.
Barely an hour into the event, after just a few laps, a torrential downpour struck the runners. Gusts of wind, hail showers, and heavy rain created a dramatic challenge for those taking part, facing relentless weather conditions. The organizers hesitated for a moment, but eventually the race resumed with renewed energy, each team deploying a strategy that suited them. Some teams rotated runners each lap, while others had one member run multiple laps in a row for around thirty minutes or more. Most participants completed the challenge, motivated not so much by performance as by a cause greater than themselves.
| A Race Full of Emotions
First and foremost, it is not sport that brings together the 1,500 runners and walkers at this event, but its solidarity and commemorative spirit. As Jean-Paul Joly, Vice-President of the Ligue contre le cancer de la Somme, points out, “struck by the smiles on every face for a cause that can make so many cry,” it was the resilience of each participant that motivated the organizers not to give up in the face of Saturday’s adverse weather.
“Everyone has a reason to take part: to raise funds, to walk, to exercise, or in memory of a loved one who has passed away or is battling illness,” explains Florian Fortin, who has been in charge of organizing the race for four years. This year, more than €23,000 was raised to fund essential and tangible projects at Amiens University Hospital.
Adeline Lemay feels deeply connected to this cause, having lost her daughter to cancer in 2017. To honor her memory, she created a branch of the association Le Point Rose, named Maëlycorne, in the Somme. Since then, around thirty of its members participate in the Relay for Life whenever they can. “The mix of healthcare workers and volunteers from the association, including bereaved parents, is the strength of our team: all united for these 24 hours. It’s a source of support for us, even though it’s emotionally intense,” shares the association’s representative.
She is not the only one filled with profound energy for this race. Members of the team Les Lièvres d’Handisport Amiens Métropole also draw great strength from it. “This year, what is particularly intense for us is that we are running for Ethan, a player from the basketball team who passed away last year. We really give it our all, just as he did in previous editions,”says Pierre Midou, an employee of the HAM association.
« I just want to say thank you to my mother because I did this for her. »
Noah Pioli, participant who ran for 24 hours
| Making it a point to push oneself, no matter what
The Chronos du Cœur team did not just show up this weekend; they were there “to take on the sporting challenge above all.” Registered “on a whim during a family meal,” the six team members gave their all. Among them was the mother, Séverine Casier, alongside her daughter Lola, the project’s initiator, who gathered her sporty friends to take on the challenge. “We figured we spend almost a lifetime fighting cancer, so 24 hours is nothing,” explains Zackari Crico. The group finished fifth, having “struggled a lot, but ultimately succeeded” without ever walking, even in the middle of the night.
Young Noah Pioli ran continuously for 24 hours in tribute to his mother. A performance both remarkable and moving, as it meant so much to him. On the stage set up for the occasion, he said into the microphone: “I just want to thank Team SAS, because I didn’t know anyone at first, and they helped me all along. Thank you all for supporting me, for giving me strength, because I couldn’t have done it otherwise. Finally, I just want to thank my mother because this is for her.”
Others also struggled in the final hours, like Florian Bertrand, president of the Fédération des Associations Étudiantes Picardes, who found it hard to stay on his feet an hour before the end of the relay. “I did 50 km, not all at once, but over 24 hours. If I could, I would have done less, I would have even wanted to do less… but there were only about twenty of us, including 4 or 5 present for the entire duration,” he joked, happy to have run for a cause close to his heart.
The Relay for Life was once again a great success, thanks to the commitment of associations, businesses, and numerous student teams, including the famous Kellian’s Team UPJV, victorious for the fourth time with 384 kilometers covered. Above all, this race remains a human challenge, beyond the physical effort, aimed at giving life (or renewed life) to those we hold dear.
➜ Find all the relay results here.
Sabine LOEB
Journalist
