MARSEILLE-CASSIS 2026: THE REPORT CARD FOR A BANGER OF AN EDITION!
Back to back for Jolie Foulée at Marseille-Cassis 2026, after a stellar 2025 when Elven won the U23 category (15th overall) and Lorsbach finished a race ahead of Cédric. Back in the old port city at the express request of New Balance, with a squad of untalented runners capable of throwing down serious times in the SC Elite v6 and SC Rebel. In this armada, it was Captain Fracture who looked rather pale next to a line-up of rockets. Without further ado, let's dive into the weekend and the results.
A last-minute entry, Anis wanted to back up his podium at the Run in Lyon half marathon on the Marseille classic. He “walked” up the Gineste at 3:50 per kilometre, then picked it up again and gained a few places on the descent, leaving the likes of Gilavert and Navarro in his rear-view mirror. At the finish: 13th place, his best time and best ranking ever on this course, and a nice 200 € cheque. We call that an Anisade.
For someone who loves both vintage and running, lining up at a classic like this was a no-brainer. Retired from the track, Alex now runs for fun. And for a former 800 m runner, he seems to enjoy going long, clocking more than respectable times without fully sending it. In a duel with Dorian over who would keep the last Jolie Foulée Smiley Sicilia jacket, Alex held firm and crossed the line ahead of Dodo. A good sport, and since both of them blew up and finished a little short of their goals, Alex handed the trophy to his younger rival. We never quite worked out whether he enjoyed the course's cheeky profile, but chances are we'll see him back on the start line to improve his time.
As in the number of minutes he added to last year's time. Dropped early by Alex on the Gineste, Dodo and his braids hung on as best they could, more worried about Jeannot catching them than hopeful of reeling in Alex (who was struggling too). Crossing the line just over a minute behind the founder of Rematch, Dorian still came out on top, since he was gifted the jacket that was up for grabs. And as if he hadn't suffered enough, Dorian then went to watch an OM match on his own. The self-sacrifice of the distance runner.
What better race than MK6 for a trail runner to get back on the road? In between seasons and not in the shape of his life, Jeannot had a good time at 170 bpm. He came within a whisker of catching his roommate Dorian, but the real win was elsewhere: no new DNF on his race record. Rumour has it he even enjoyed it.
Lionel (255th, 1:18:32): M40/10
Well maintained but long past his prime, Lionel had suggested a squadron strategy with Aurore, Mickaëlla, Emma and Zian. Just as Cédric predicted, he didn't keep his word and quickly decided to “run his own race”, as people say when the legs don't feel too terrible. By keeping the effort up, he finished faster than the 1h20 he would have settled for. That was before the hammer blow: on the results board, he discovered he had moved up into the masters 40+ category, when he thought he still had a year's reprieve. Officially old.
Emma (413th, 1:21:43) and Zian (???th, ?:??:??): 25.8K/10
As in Emma's follower count at the time of writing. This duo of athlete-influencers doesn't just run fast. Their Marseille-Cassis was an odyssey: they danced in the start corral, created content, walked, hyped up the crowd and finished with an epic sprint. In the end, after a flat-out descent, it's Emma who takes the crown among our women, with a final straight immortalised in a reel by her Instagram sparring partner, Zian.
Mickaëlla (465th, 1:22:44, 1st U23 woman): 10/10
When her boyfriend falters, she's the one who brings the trophy home. After going out a bit fast on the first flat kilometres, the runner who has already represented France at the World Cross Country Championships managed the Gineste perfectly to take first place among U23 women. For her first MK6, her longest road race ever, and after months of struggling with injuries, it's a well-deserved reward for Micka.
She gave us a scare. After feeling unwell, she still bagged the KOM on the Gineste, since she climbed it in the back of a fire truck. Once she got her colour back, she made her way to Cassis and its harbour to recover with a pizza. More fear than harm, but a quick reminder while we're at it: before a race, listen to your fatigue, eat and hydrate properly, and if you have any doubt about your health, ease off. No finish time is worth a ride in a fire truck.
After a masterclass on his first appearance (1st U23, 9th Frenchman, 15th overall), Elven came back with ambitions, until his knee started squeaking the week before the race. He still went out with the lead pack before wisely putting the indicator on. He ran a few kilometres alongside Micka, then jogged his way to Cassis. A sense of unfinished business that has surely given him the urge to come back for revenge next year.
Marseille-Cassis: 420/20
As in its 20 kilometres plus roughly 400 metres of climbing. If there's one race to do in France, it's probably this one. Sunshine (at least for the last two years), a stunning course, an amazing atmosphere and flawless organisation. A huge thank you to New Balance and a special mention to Laurent Manneveau, sporting director of SCO Sainte-Marguerite, the club that organises the race.
Go running. Run Marseille-Cassis.
Photos: @mattcxr, @bry_bastard, @jdmoon_, @alixm, @zian_qr