The 20km de Paris 2025 will go down in history. On Sunday October 12, Etienne Daguinos put his name to one of the capital's most prestigious races by shattering the event's record, which had stood for twenty years. With a time of 56 minutes 18, the member ofUS Talence Athlétisme wiped the record of 57 minutes 19 set in 2005 by Kenyan Evans Kiprop Cheruiyot. This performance was all the more remarkable in that the entire podium was below the old record.
Setting off from the Pont d'Iéna in Gironde... sorry, Paris (Etienne does indeed hail from Cestas near Bordeaux!), the 24-year-old set the pace from the very first kilometers. Trocadéro, Arc de Triomphe, Grand Palais, Concorde, Palais du Louvre: the capital's mythical course provided the backdrop for this historic performance. Passing the halfway mark in 27 minutes 55, 45 seconds ahead of the previous record, the French 10km record-holder (27 minutes 04) confirmed that he had come to make his mark.
Behind him, Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse completed a French double, crossing the line in 56 minutes 32, 14 seconds better than the previous record. Spain's Said Mechaal narrowly snatched third place in 56 minutes 34. Three men under the old record in the same race, a rare event that testifies to the exceptional standard of this 47th edition.
Born on February 15, 2000 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Etienne Daguinos grew up near Bordeaux, where he discovered athletics at the age of 13, after having tried his hand at tennis, soccer, basketball and even triathlon. Coached for eleven years by Emmanuelle Roux and Yannick Dupouy, the young cross-country runner has gone from strength to strength. Double French junior cross-country champion in 2018 and 2019, he reached a milestone in 2024 by briefly becoming European record-holder in the 10km before finishing runner-up in the 5,000 meters at the Tokyo World Championships a few weeks before this Parisian race.
His secret? A reasonable volume of training (between 90 and 120 kilometers per week), regular training at altitude in Font-Romeu and methodical progression over all distances. In October 2024, he became the fourth Frenchman to run under an hour in a half-marathon, with a time of 59 minutes 46 seconds in Valence. The machine is up and running.
In the women's race, Kenya's Mercy Chebwogen won in 1 hour 4 minutes 58, also breaking the event record that had stood since 2014. Morocco's Kaoutar Farkoussi finished second in 1 hour 5 minutes 56, while defending champion Manon Trapp of France completed the podium in 1 hour 6 minutes 17. A very high-level podium that confirms the exceptional density of this edition.
Full results are available on the official 20km de Paris website. The 33,000 finishers can be proud of having taken part in an edition that will go down in the history of French running. The atmosphere was great all along the course, with large numbers of spectators cheering on the runners in a festive atmosphere, punctuated by musical entertainment featuring bagpipes, DJs and percussion.
A 3,000 euro bonus was promised to whoever beat the event record. Etienne Daguinos and Mercy Chebwogen can therefore savor their performance while pocketing this nice bonus. But beyond the financial aspect, it's above all the sporting recognition that counts for these top athletes. Breaking a record that had stood for two decades is priceless.
In short, this 2025 edition will be remembered as one of the finest in the history of the 20km de Paris. Between the exceptional performances at the top, the popular atmosphere that is the hallmark of this event and the incomparable setting offered by the capital, all the ingredients were present for an exceptional morning. A date has already been set for the 2026 edition, but we'll have to run fast to match this historic vintage. Congratulations to all the finishers, and hats off to Etienne Daguinos, who has just written a fine page in French athletics!
Location
Pont d'Iéna
Pont d'Iéna
75116 Paris 16
Recommended age
For all
Official website
www.20kmparis.com
