Col de Goudard, climb towards Chabrits, false flat of Casernes… 85 runners took on the Marvejols-Mende winter race and all its difficulties

Les 85 coureurs se sont élancés de l’Esplanade à Marvejols. Midi Libre – Célian Guignard

De nombreux inscrits et un soleil généreux : cette édition, qui s’est tenue ce dimanche 29 décembre 2024, a ravi aussi bien les sportifs que les organisateurs et les spectateurs. Le premier a bouclé la course en 1 h 41 mn.

Eighty-five. That’s the number of runners who took part in the winter Marvejols-Mende half-marathon, this Sunday, December 29. “We have a beautiful blue sky and a nice temperature. The date also falls well between the two end-of-year holidays”, explains Frédéric Mirman, the brand new president of the association that runs the event, both in summer and winter, to justify this very good turnout. “Last year, it rained and it fell on December 31st… We only had 50 people,” he puts into perspective.

The 85 runners set off from the Esplanade in Marvejols. Midi Libre – Célian Guignard

The go-ahead was given at exactly 1:30 p.m., after a reminder of the safety rules. The runners therefore left the Esplanade of the royal city in Gévaudan, heading for the prefecture city. They all had in mind the biggest difficulty of the course: the legendary Goudard pass, at an altitude of 1,022.

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The 85 runners set off from the Esplanade in Marvejols. Midi Libre – Célian Guignard

Ombre et soleil

Even though it was a training session, without an official stopwatch, Sébastien Fanguin quickly took the lead. He reached the top of the pass in less than forty-five minutes. The descent to La Planchette, in Barjac, which had remained in the shade all day, was dangerous in places, as was the RD 42, with frozen sections. “Be careful on the descents. They are sometimes slippery,” warned the runners before the start, Frédéric Mirman.

Sébastien Fanguin arrived first at the Goudard pass, in less than forty-five minutes. Midi Libre – Célian Guignard

The legendary Goudard Pass, the first difficulty. Midi Libre – Célian Guignard

As always, the climb of Chabrits made even the most seasoned suffer. The false flat of the Casernes, on the current Avenue Foch in Mende, was the last nasty quarter of an hour to pass before reaching the Place du Foirail and the Benjamin Bardy hall, the place of the finish. Sébastien Fanguin showed up after 1 hour and 41 minutes of racing.

The climb to Chabrits, not the least of the difficulties. Midi Libre – Célian Guignard

Sébastien Fanguin completed the Marvejols-Mende winter race in 1 hour 41 minutes. Midi Libre – Célian Guignard

The podium

Sébastien Fanguin in 1h 41mn Maxence Navarro in 1h 42m 26s Romain Proville in 1h 42mn 50m