Paris/Mantes 55k race report - Niandi Carmont

Well I don’t know what it is that motivates me to run 55km at midnight through forest mostly alone unless I can find like-minded eccentrics to accompany me but I think it’s a number of things.

Running through dark eery forest with just the mist you breathe out reflected in the light of your headlamp, the smell of frosty, leafy forest, the complete absence of traffic and noise and that remoteness you experience in situations like these are just a few.

Afterall the Paris Mantes is not a well known event internationally, not even locally but every year about 4000 people take part.

The idea started in 1935 when 3 French rail employees who cycled in their free time decided running might be more enjoyable than a long cycle ride against wind and in the rain. Albert Dampeyrou (Bébert to his friends) organized the first official event the same year. – 17 participants including a lady!!!!!

The start is in front of the Boulogne (on the outskirts of Paris) town hall at midnight and the finish is some 55km from Paris in Mantes la Jolie a troubled outer suburb. It’s officially a hike but I use it as ultra training at the start of the year when the local ultra season hasn’t started yet.

The event starts with a steady climb from Boulogne to Vaucresson along road and then you enter the forêt de Marly. Then lots of forest path until you get to the outer suburbs of Les Alluets le Roi, Maule through the tiny French villages of Senneville and then a 6km descent to Mantes la Jolie. There are 4 checkpoints.

This year most of my running friends chickened out when they saw the weather forecast but I managed to find two Frenchies, old running mates who agreed to run with me. Carbo-loading before in a local Trattoria ( the French like their pre-race and post-race food). Then Alain, Jean-Frédéric and myself set off for the start. A little bit of red lipstick – don’t want to be looking like a zombie at 3am at the checkpoint! A last-minute kit check- post-race bags to Béatrice who is Alain’s wife and also the lift back to Paris at 6am!

Off I go with my 2 frogs although I’ve stopped believing in fairytales for longer than I care to remember! Only this year temperatures dropped to -6°C and we had too stop in the forest so I could pull my wind-breaker and a second pair of gloves out my sack (much to the dismay of my co-runners who have no time for faffing females). Also the water in my bladder tube froze early on and I desperately sucked on it to no avail. Alain and JF had bottles – wise choice! Apart from a couple of pit stops for the guys we managed to keep up a steady pace throughout the night and the 6km to go at Senneville with the Mantes La Jolie lights on the horizon appeared much sooner than I expected. A final descent – I forgot about my maLe company and finished ahead of them at 5.45am first lady.

Béatrice was waiting with our kit and drove us back to Paris. Quick stop at the Boulangerie for a croissant and a pain au chocolat….and a well deserved lie-in!

Any volunteers for 2011?