1ST QUALIFIERS FOR PARIS 2024 GAMES MASS PARTICIPATION MARATHON ANNOUNCED

USPA NEWS - As part of the Olympic Day event, which is being held all over France this weekend in partnership with the Festival of Sport, the first 24 numbered bibs for the mass-participation marathon at the Paris 2024 Games were awarded at the end of a 2,024-metre race. Organised with the support of the French Athletics Federation, the race was held in a stunning setting, on the Place de la Concorde in Paris. A further 22 bibs will be allocated today at the end of 11 more races held in as many French cities.
Noah, Sandra, Antonio or Laurence, they´re aged between 17 and 54 and they are some of the 24 first qualifiers (12 men and 12 women). In August 2024, they will all have the chance to take part in the mass-participation marathon at the Paris 2024 Games.

Back in February, Paris 2024 promised to embark on a new chapter in the history of the Olympics by becoming the first-ever Games to be open to the public, by inviting as many people as possible to experience the unique emotion and magic of competing in the Games in the same conditions as the world´s greatest athletes. This unique opportunity will be rolled out in several ways, one of them being this ground-breaking marathon event. Several race formats will be offered to enable every participant ““ regardless of their athletic ability or age ““ to enjoy this unprecedented Olympic Games experience.   These 24 members of the public will make Games history by competing over the very same course, on the very same day as the Olympic athletes, a dream that has today become a reality for them.   A stunning setting for selecting the first qualifiers   Every year, participants in the Paris Marathon and cyclists competing in the final stage of the Tour de France race across Place de la Concorde, which today provided the backdrop for a very different event: a 2,024-metre race around the famous obelisk in a bid to clinch an Olympic numbered bib.   Some 6,000 seasoned and occasional runners took part in Run Paris 2024 race, many with their family and friends, who all helped to make it a fun and celebratory occasion.   The start times (10am, 10.50am and 11.40am) were staggered to give everyone an equal chance of getting their hands on a numbered bib, regardless of their time. Once all three waves of runners had crossed the line, a draw was held to select the first 24 qualifiers for the mass-participation marathon at the Paris 2024 Games. THE 24 LUCKY QUALIFIERS WERE AWARDED THEIR NUMBER BY TONY ESTANGUET PDT OF PARIS2024 COMMITTEE------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The 24 lucky qualifiers were then awarded their number by Tony Estanguet, President of the Organising Committee for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.“Last February, we announced our desire to revolutionise the Olympic experience and our ambition to involve all French people in the Games adventure,“ said Estanguet. “This Olympic Day is a taste of things to come. By giving every participant the chance to win a bib ““ all over France, over 2,024 metres, whatever their time or performance ““ we wanted to make this outstanding opportunity to take part in the Games open to as many people as possible. The 24 lucky qualifiers reflect that ambition. They now have five years in which to prepare for this unique experience, when they will run over the same course and in the same conditions as the world´s champion athletes, in the mass-participation marathon at the Paris 2024 Games.“

REGIONAL RACES TO SLEECT 22 MORE QUALIFIERS ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Organised with the support of the French Athletics Federation, 11 more races, each of them also run over 2,024 metres, were held this morning all over France, in the cities of Angers, Bordeaux, Dijon, Marseille, Montpellier, Mulhouse, Rennes, Saint-Etienne, Tours, Villeneuve d´Ascq and Villepinte. On their conclusion, 22 more qualifiers were selected by way of a draw (one man and one woman for each race) to take part in what will be a truly memorable sporting event.  We now know the names of the first 46 qualifiers for the Paris 2024 mass-participation marathon, 23  women and 23 men, all with different athletic abilities and hailing from all over France. Over the next five years they will train for their Olympic appearance and strive to make the most of a unique experience as part of the world´s largest sporting event.(Source Paris 2024 Organisation)