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Vredestein Paris 20K: Étienne Daguinos Shatters the Clock at the Foot of the Eiffel Tower
For the first time in twenty years, the record for the Paris 20K has fallen. Étienne Daguinos obliterated the long-standing 57:19 mark, crossing the line in 56:18 to dominate the 47th edition of this Parisian classic. In the women’s race, Kenya’s Mercy Chebwogen came close to breaking the record but stopped the clock at 1:04:55, while Manon Trapp, last year’s winner, claimed third place. It was a showcase of power, poise, and precision before a crowd of 33,000 runners gathered in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.
Sunday, 9:00 a.m. The October light slowly filters through the autumn leaves as the Pont d’Iéna hums with energy. Under the watchful eye of Franck Leboeuf — the 1998 World Cup champion and event ambassador through the charity Le Bleuet de France — the handisport athletes in racing chairs took off first, followed by the elites and thousands of runners for the Vredestein Paris 20K. Shoes slapped the pavement, echoing in the cool air as the Seine embankments unfurled their gray ribbon. The Avenue Marceau reminded everyone by the third kilometer that this wasn’t going to be a sightseeing jog. The rhythm settled in, focus took over, and the city itself became the stage: Arc de Triomphe, Bois de Boulogne, and the riverbanks—Paris at its most athletic.
| Étienne Daguinos’s One-Man Show
Twenty years of waiting ended in 56:18. Averaging over 21 km/h (13 mph), 25-year-old Daguinos took the lead from the gun and never looked back. At one point, he narrowly avoided disaster when a car shifted over to let a wheelchair athlete pass. But the Frenchman from Talence, known for his smooth, metronomic stride, never lost composure. His run erased the 2005 mark of Kenyan Evans Kiprop Cheruiyot (57:19) from the record books.
Hitting halfway in 27:55 — 45 seconds faster than Cheruiyot’s split — the record was already in serious danger. Between kilometers 13 and 14, Daguinos briefly shared the pace with compatriot Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse and Spain’s Saïd Mechaal, before surging clear in the final quarter of the race. After the 15K mark, it was game over.
“I said I wanted to run fast, so I took responsibility,” explained Daguinos, the French 10K record-holder (27:04 in Lille, 2024), who pocketed €8,000 for his performance. “I expected to be alone earlier, but I threw in a big move between 14 and 15K that really hurt. Around 16K, I wasn’t sure I’d hold on — especially since my training’s been focused on the 5,000m. But finishing in 56:18, after passing 10K in 27:55, shows I’m in great shape. Without specific prep for this race, that’s a good sign for next year. And I had a blast — the crowd, the energy, the course… pure joy!”
Over the final five kilometers, Daguinos delivered a masterclass in control and composure. Roudolff-Levisse followed in 56:32, Mechaal took third in 56:34, and Nicolas Navarro rounded out the top ten in 59:22, using the race as a strong tune-up before season’s end. The fact that any of the top three could have broken the old course record speaks volumes about the level of this year’s field.
| Roudolff-Levisse Tunes Up for New York
Behind Daguinos’s solo act, Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse ran a smart and steady race. “We knew Étienne wanted the record,” he said. “His pacemaker didn’t last long, so he ended up doing it all alone.” Teaming up with Mechaal mid-race, the Frenchman held pace from start to finish — a solid effort ahead of his next big goal, the New York City Marathon in three weeks.
With nearly 200 km of weekly mileage, Roudolff-Levisse feels ready: “I’m feeling great. The goal in New York is a top 10 finish.” Beaten by a faster specialist didn’t bother him in the slightest. “Marathons are a different world,” he smiled. His long-term endurance base continues to pay off, proving he can now compete at the highest level across multiple distances.
| Mercy Chebwogen Dominates the Women’s Race
The women’s event was tighter and more tactical. Kenya’s Mercy Chebwogen bided her time before striking at 15K, pulling away from Morocco’s Kaoutar Farkoussi and France’s Manon Trapp. She won in 1:04:58, just shy of the course record (1:04:30). Farkoussi took second in 1:05:55, and Trapp finished third in 1:06:16.
Back from the World Championships in Tokyo, Trapp ran with no pressure and pure enjoyment. “I wasn’t chasing any goal, just wanted to get my rhythm back,” she said. With only two weeks of resumed training, she focused on sensations rather than the stopwatch. “I’m running by feel — no stress,” smiled the Savoyard. Her short-term plans include 10Ks and shorter races to sharpen up before tackling another marathon in spring, likely Seville or Barcelona. “To last, you have to stay light in your head,” she added wisely.
Among the French contingent, Célia Tabet finished fourth (1:06:52), followed by Inès Hamoudi (1:07:51), Mathilde Sénéchal (1:08:25), and Latifa Mokhtari (1:08:28). Anaïs Quemener, just three months after giving birth, impressively cracked the top 10 in 1:09:04.
| Wheelchair Race: A Photo Finish Among the Men
The debut of elite wheelchair athletes added another layer of intensity to the Paris 20K. The men’s race came down to a thrilling sprint, with Thibault Daurat (47:53) edging out Julien Casoli by a single second. Casoli, a six-time Paris Marathon champion and one of France’s top racers, had led most of the way before a small road bump disrupted his final sprint. “I think I had the stronger finish, but that bump really broke my momentum,” he admitted, praising the fierce yet respectful battle.
Lito King Anker of the Netherlands took third in 47:57, confirming the rising strength of Europe’s wheelchair racing scene.
Among the women, Ireland’s Shauna Bocquet dominated in 57:48, finishing nearly ten minutes ahead of Italy’s Rita Cuccura (1:12:21) and France’s Nadège Monchalin (1:14:37).
Adding to the emotion, 35 “joëlettes” — special wheelchairs for assisted running — also took part, offering a powerful message of inclusion.
Among the participants was Clément Gass, holder of the world record for a solo marathon run by a blind athlete. The Alsatian engineer completed the 20K in 1:38:01, far surpassing his goal of two hours. “You need total focus the entire time,” he explained. “I run with a white cane, arm extended at belly height, sweeping side to side — it’s not natural and throws off your balance. The cane has weight too, so every movement demands effort.” Equipped with a GPS and voice guidance system, Gass navigated the course alone — a feat that left the crowd deeply moved.
✔ See all the results from the 2025 Vredestein Paris 20K.
Dorian VUILLET
Journalist
