"We are a little disgusted, simply because we trained anyway. It's been a month and a half that we run three times a week." Antoine, 21, left Amiens at ten o'clock on Saturday morning to reach Paris with Ambroise, 20. Like the 44,000 registered for the capital's half-marathon to be held on Sunday, he felt bitterness after the announcement of the cancellation of the race in the afternoon. A decision that follows that of the government to prevent certain outside demonstrations and any gathering "of more than 5,000 people" in a closed environment in order to limit the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus in France.
"It is understandable a little but it is hard to accept"
The runners were removing their bib when they heard the news in the Grande Halle de La Villette in Paris. Everything was ready for the next day: the stands of the sponsors were set up and dozens of volunteers were mobilized.
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"We have been running three and a half times for a month and a half. So here we are, we are a little disgusted. It is understandable a little but it is hard to take. If for our health it is better than it there is not this event must be respected but hey ... "continues Antoine at the microphone of Europe 1. He had already recovered his bib and a burgundy colored t-shirt that he had to sport on Sunday on the line of departure.
The Paris marathon scheduled for April 5
The most motivated, like Claris, a runner with more than sixty marathons under his belt, still tried to find something to do for the weekend: "Here we go back to the hotel, put on shorts and have a little session this quiet evening to stretch our legs. And tomorrow morning we will start again, we will have a little session of 20 to 25 kilometers. "
For Claris as for many, the objective was now the Paris marathon scheduled for April 5.