On a rain-free Promenade des Anglais, the twelfth edition of the Prom Classic welcomed 6,100 participants this Sunday, January 9. For a 10-kilometer running course along the Nice seaside, high-level athletes and simple lovers of endurance mingled in a warm and friendly atmosphere.
The Prom Classic, some might say, is 10 kilometers of masochism. But for the enthusiasts of long-distance running who registered for the twelfth edition of the first 10 km in France, it’s more about self-surpassing or achieving a performance. Nevertheless, they were numerous on Sunday, around 6,100, a record for this competition, lining up at the start around 10 a.m. on the Promenade des Anglais.
Among them, of course, was the grand favorite Christelle Daunay. The French record holder for the half-marathon (68’34), marathon (2h24’22), and winner of the Prom Classic in 2008, was making her return. And she didn’t disappoint, as she won the race again this year, in 32’46, close to her personal record. “I felt very good,” she assured. “I even surprised myself by sprinting in the last 100 meters because I wanted to make a good time.”
But beyond the ranking and the stopwatch, the Prom Classic is also a collection of more or less significant stories, like that of Thierry Thomas. In September 2009, he learned he had Leber’s disease, a degenerative disease affecting the optic nerve. Today, he has only 1/40th vision in each eye. It’s his orthoptist who advised him to contact Sebastien Filippini, the president of the ANICES association, which promotes sports for people with disabilities. “Sébastien then introduced me to Marc Wallach, who is now my guide,” says Thierry. “This is not only my first participation in the Prom Classic but also the very first time I’ll be partnered with Marc in an official competition.” And for a first time, Thierry Thomas and his guide finished honorably under the 43-minute mark (42’57).
But the goal this time was to test this new partnership. “My role as a guide is to accompany the runner throughout the course. Thierry has a lot of difficulty evaluating distances, so I have to make sure he doesn’t hit another competitor during the race, for example. Even sidewalks are dangerous in such cases,” explains Marc Wallach.
And for every participant at this 2011 Prom Classic, there are stories, ordinary or not. That’s what makes this event popular: whether young or old, man or woman, able-bodied or not, everyone can enjoy the effort along the Nice coastline in a lighthearted atmosphere. The only question that remains unanswered is this: how many of you will want to attempt (or reattempt) the Prom Classic experience next year? In the meantime, you can always try the Nice half-marathon, which will take place on April 17, still under the auspices of Azur Sports Organisation.
