By Robert Fawdon from Paris, April 3, 2016: A record-breaking 43,317 people from 160 countries took part in the 40th edition of the Paris Marathon today with a further 250,000 spectators watching on and 3,000 volunteers helping to stage the race – highlighting the French capital’s capabilities and experience in hosting major global sports events.
The city centre race was started on the world famous Champs-Élysées by Paris Mayor, Anne Hidalgo, and Paris 2024 Co-Chairman and triple Olympic Gold Medallist, Tony Estanguet, before snaking along the banks of River Seine and taking in landmark sights such as the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Palais, Esplanade des Invalides, the Louvre and Place de la Concorde – all of which feature heavily in the Paris 2024 Games Plan.
The event, which also served as a qualifier for Rio 2016, was broadcast in 187 countries and in the lead up to the race the Paris Marathon digital platforms accumulated 1.7 million unique website visitors, 120,500 likes on Facebook, 16,500 followers on Twitter, 500,000 video views on YouTube and 46,000 official app downloads – making it one of the best connected marathons in history and a powerful way to engage the public through sport.
The 2016 Paris Marathon was also one of the greenest in history with an initiative launched ahead of the event encouraging runners to use public transport or car sharing on route to and from the race. Electric vehicles for officials were also used on the race route and litter left along the course is being collected for recycling.
42% of the field came from overseas to run in the famous race and the overall number of participants has increased by 41% since the 30th edition 10 years ago. The global growth of the race reflects Paris’ status as a major global sports hub with an appetite for Olympic sport and mass participation events – attracting athletes and spectators from around the world and across Paris and France.
Paris 2024 Co-Chairman, Tony Estanguet, said:
“The record-breaking 40th edition of the Paris Marathon has been a huge success and I’d like to congratulate all of the runners, spectators, volunteers and race organisers who contributed to a wonderful festival of sport.
“We have seen this weekend that Paris is one of the world’s most iconic and cosmopolitan cities with historic landmarks and breath-taking venues offering an incredible live setting and stunning broadcast pictures – the perfect platform to showcase sport.
“Sport underpins much of our social life in France with grassroots, amateur and elite sportspeople participating daily in the hundreds of sports clubs in the heart of the city.
Our promise is to harness this enthusiasm for sport and help the Olympic Movement to create a new generation of fans globally by offering the best possible platform for Olympic events.”
Elite race podium finishers:
Men’s race:
1. Cybrian Kotut (KEN) 2h07’11”
2. Laban Korir (KEN) 2h07’29”
3. Stephen Chemlany (KEN) 2h07’37
Women’s race:
1. Visiline Jepkesho (KEN) 2h25’53”
2. Gulume Chala (ETH) 2h26’14”
3. Dinkesh Tefera (ETH) 2h28’12”
Wheelchair race:
1. Rafael Botello Jimenez (ESP) 1h32’01”
2. Heinz Frei (SUI) 1h32’03”
3. Denis Lemeunier (FRA) 1h32’19”
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