the only Sarthe marathon, Festicap in Guécélard, was held this Sunday, October 31. 700 athletes took part in this fourth edition, including around 100 for the marathon and 300 for the half-marathon. Despite the wind and rain, the runners are delighted to be back in competition after the race was canceled last year due to the health crisis.
“I hadn’t run the distance for a few years and had no training“, recognizes the Sarthois Frédéric Martin, second in the marathon.”But it allows you to confront each other, I am a competitor at heart, I don’t like to train with nothing at the end. “
– Raphael Cann
Complicated finances
So since the resumption of competitions, some continue like Jérôme Léon. “I did 2:41 in Val-de-Reuil on October 10, otherwise I did Rennes last week and in two weeks I have Deauville“, says the one who finished at podium foot, “I go on, that’s why I’m quite tired, but since there were hardly any races, I made up for it!“
If some marathon runners are happy to find “the big family of running“, the low participation worries. 700 runners, it is twice less than in the first edition in 2017. “It’s really the minimum, we have partners who support us, but they are ready to support us provided there are people“, explains Yannick Heulin, chairman of the festival committee.”We have to look at the finances to see what future to give to the Festicap, and in what form we can start again. “