French Runners Eye National Records at Lisbon Half Marathon

Three of France's fastest distance runners are heading to Portugal with history on their minds.

Etienne Daguinos, Valentin Gondouin, and Hassan Chahdi will compete in the Lisbon Half Marathon on Sunday, all aiming to break Emmanuel Roudolff's French national record of 59:37. Daguinos, who won silver at the European 10km championships, has already run 59:46 and appears positioned to make a serious attempt at the mark set just last month in Barcelona.

The Lisbon course has earned its reputation as one of the fastest in the world. In 2021, Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo ran 57:31 there to break the world record, a time that stood for three years and remains the course record today.

Kiplimo returns to Lisbon this weekend, joined by a strong international field that includes Norway's Awet Kibrab and Spain's Said Mechaal. Portuguese fans will cheer for Samuel Barata, their national 10km record holder, as he races on home soil.

Why This Inspires

The Lisbon Half Marathon represents something special in distance running. When British legend Mo Farah broke the one-hour barrier there in 2015, running 59:32, he became the first Briton to achieve the feat and set a European record in the process.

The course witnessed another world record in 2010 when Eritrea's Zersenay Tadese clocked 58:23. Now it serves as the stage where athletes chase their personal bests and national glory, knowing the conditions favor historic performances.

In the women's race, France's Mekdes Woldu arrives just 16 seconds away from her country's national record. She'll face defending champion Tsigie Gebreselama of Ethiopia, who ran 1:04:21 last year to shatter the course record and post one of the fastest times in half marathon history.

Sunday's race continues Lisbon's tradition of producing breakthrough moments where runners discover what they're truly capable of achieving.