Sun, good mood, and an excellent atmosphere. The ingredients for a successful day came together to make this the 16th Nice International Half-Marathon. In the end, the French were well-represented on all four major podiums.
The day had already been underway for 45 minutes in the village when, at 8:45 AM, the middle school students from the “Défi Running College” took off for a two-kilometer race. The fastest would complete it in just over six minutes, the slowest in fifteen. This gave the organizers time to start, at 9:00 AM, the three-kilometer “Tout Nice court contre le cancer du sein” (All Nice Runs Against Breast Cancer) race, sponsored by Adeline Blondieau from “Sous le soleil.”
Then, the big moment that the large crowd lined along the course had been waiting for finally arrived. It was 9:30 AM, the race for the disabled had started five minutes earlier, when the starter set free some 6,000 men and women, ready to devour the Nice asphalt over 10 or 21.1 km. The heat was intense, the spectators cheered, and the athletes pushed themselves. Some reached their limit, the medical tent quickly filled up with cases of simple fatigue and heat exhaustion.
While waiting for these not very cheerful moments that everyone dreads but thankfully did not occur, David Ramard finished first in the 10 km (29’26”) just ahead of Philippe Remond (32’12”) and Nadir Bosch (32’35”), all three French. Among the women, it was the Italian Cristina Clerico who won the race in 36’47”. The other competitors gradually finished and continued to provide a spectacle for the thousands of Azurians who had come to the Promenade to welcome and applaud them.
Suddenly, the noises grew louder along the Half-Marathon course. The horns of motorcycles and organization cars sounded as if to rally the crowd. At the finish line, it becomes clear what’s happening. The first competitors arrive. Before the amazed eyes of the spectators, a surreal scene unfolds. Three runners sprint as if they were launching into a 2 km race, although they have nearly ten times more in their legs. Isaac Kiplagat (Kenya) emerges victorious from this great race in 1h02’04” ahead of Hellary Kipchumba (Kenya, 1h02’08”) and James Theury (France, 1h02’10”). A few moments later, it’s the women’s turn to finish. Anne Bererwe, who is the girlfriend of the winner (Kenya), wins in 1h13’13” ahead of Magdeline Joan Chemjor (Kenya, 1h13’53”) and Ingrid Lopergolo (France, 1h21’09”).
The athletes continue to cross the finish line and fulfill their dreams.
This day was experienced as true happiness. Everyone had their thanks, their congratulations for the organization. Everyone is proud to be able to say: “I did it!”
Half-Marathon Results:
Men’s Ranking:
1. Isaac KIPLAGAT (Ken) – 1h02’04”
2. Hellary KIPCHUMBA (Ken) – 1h02’08”
3. James THEURY (Fra) – 1h02’10”
Women’s Ranking:
1. Anne BERERWE (Ken) – 1h13’13”
2. Magdeline Joan CHEMJOR (Ken) – 1h13’53”
3. Ingrid LOPERGOLO (Fra) – 1h21’09”
Reactions:
David Ramard (AS Saint Julienne): “There wasn’t much opposition, but I am very happy. This is my first victory here. The setting is exceptional, it’s a great pleasure to run in Nice. It was hot, but it didn’t really bother me.”
Isaac Kiplagat: “The temperature is like in Kenya but I felt good. The race is tough but I held on, it’s great. Especially since this is my first race outside Kenya.”
James Theury: “I couldn’t speed up at the finish. I just couldn’t do it. I led the whole race, it’s frustrating. The two Kenyans hung on to me until I cracked, it’s a pity. They were too strong. Moreover, I felt good since I’m used to the heat when I train in Kenya. I’m happy with my ranking performance but not with the time, I was hoping to go under 61 minutes.”
Ingrid Lopergolo (Courrir en Pays de Grasse): “It wasn’t very hard, but I suffered from a lack of water. Usually, I don’t hydrate, but today, I had to. The main thing is that I’m happy with myself. I had several regional podiums, today it’s an international podium. It’s wonderful. I train a lot, about 120 km per week, and I do 40-45 hours of sports weekly. Today, I am rewarded for these efforts.
