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The first edition of the French Half Marathon Race Walking Championships was held in Lens this Sunday and will be remembered for the quality of its results.
In her first experience at this distance, Pauline Stey flawlessly achieved the A qualifying standard for the European Championships in Birmingham, set at 1:34:00. Just one week after a stunning performance at the French Indoor Championships in the 3000m, where she lowered her own French record to 12:13.75, the Alsace Nord Athlé athlete confirmed her new status. Starting calmly alongside Clémence Beretta, the walker from the Bas-Rhin region quickly took control of the race, setting a sustained pace of 4:27 per kilometer. With remarkable consistency, the athlete, coached by Eddy Riva at the French National Training Center in Nancy, completed her first 21.097km in 1:33:54, obviously setting the best French performance of all time (the first French record will be officially ratified on September 1, 2026). Clémence Beretta unfortunately had to withdraw before the halfway point due to a virus contracted a few days prior. With her season just getting underway, the French 20km record holder preferred to rest and come back stronger for the upcoming events. Camille Moutard took second place in this inaugural edition with a promising time of 1:37:20. After a stunning debut in the marathon walk last November, finishing in 3:33:38, the athlete, coached by Bertrand Thierry, showed great promise in this half-marathon, where she was nonetheless “held back.” The podium was completed by Liv Masson who finished the second half-marathon of her young career in 1:40:07. In the U23 category, Nelly Lagrange took first place in 1:42:47, in front of Marine Merbitz in 1:44:02 and Lisa Guillard in 1:44:18.
Quinion as a Stakhanovite
Whether madness or genius, one thing is certain: Aurélien Quinion is a man of his word. The athlete from Entente Franconville Val-d’Oise Athletics added another extraordinary story to his record, undoubtedly making it the busiest weekend for French athletes. On Saturday, he started the Dudince marathon race walk in Slovakia to support his protégé, Martin Madeline-Degy. Following a four-minute penalty imposed on the Blagnac native, the two-time World Championship finalist from Tokyo decided to abandon his effort and focus on the French Championships the following day in northern France. He almost succeeded, as the Parisian athlete was indeed present at the starting line. Starting cautiously for the first two kilometers, he gradually moved up to the lead group and took the lead. Unfortunately, he had to end his race prematurely due to hip pain, likely caused by fatigue. “You don’t miss a French championship, you have to walk it,” declared Kilian Lebreton, the eighth-place finisher in the 20km race walk at the Paris 2024 Games, without a hint of regret. Lebreton seized his opportunity to become the first French champion in history with a time of 1:29:01. This impressive performance also sets a new French record for the distance. He was followed by Bastien Picard who achieved a spectacular negative split of 1:30:52, earning him silver in the Elite category and gold in the U23 category. Despite spending two minutes in a penalty zone, Dimitri Durand secured the bronze medal in 1:31:12.
The rising star of French race walking has once again made a significant impact. Clément Rabreau came with the ambition of walking under 41:00 to be selected. The 18-year-old athlete achieved his goal, completing the distance in 40:49, setting a new French U20 record, previously held by David Kuster at 41:02. Another French record held by David Kuster was broken in the same race: the U18 10km record, and not by one, but by two athletes. Gabin Vanhille and Mattéo Henault (delivered outstanding performances in their first 10km race: 44:23 for Gabin Vanhille and 44:24 for Mattéo Henault, finishing second and third overall, respectively.
From the start, Chloé Le Roch left no doubt about the outcome of the women’s race. Starting strong, the athlete coached by Axel Gaborit delivered a true demonstration in the U20 10km, which she finished in 44:16. A regular at breaking French records with each new race, she reserves the right to lower her personal best later in the season. Daphné Gateau-Fernez (U20) was competing in her first 10km. She handled this new experience perfectly, finishing second in the race with a time of 45:09: the second-best French U20 performance in history behind Chloé Le Roch, and a French U18 record. The U20 podium was completed by Lison Charpentier in 48:13. Also noteworthy: the very good first 10km by junior Eléonore Breney in 48:43.
(from Athlé – by Sarajh Ali – FRA)
Photo album by © Victor Dartois / FFA
Lens (8Mar26) HM and U20 Results