Ed Mezzetti puts his legs to the test by attempting a marathon in the heart of France’s ‘green Venice’ region

The name Maraisthon may be a play on words, but organisers hope runners take its environmental message seriously. Set in part of France’s Marais Poitevin marshland area known as ‘Green Venice’, due to its many canals, the race prizes ecology at every level.

Runners can take on a full marathon or a 10k course, while there is also an 11k walk.

What makes it stand out, according to the organisers, is its focus on sustainability.

Indeed the multi-terrain race in the Poitou-Charentes region is billed as the world’s premier eco-marathon. Starting and finishing in the village of Coulon, set on the river Sevre and about 35 miles east of La Rochelle, it certainly offers runners a picturesque course.

And on meeting Maraisthon co-president Jean Marc Giraud, it was clear how passionate he was about the event he founded in 2009.

“The idea is not so much to make money for ecological causes as it is to make people aware of ecology,” he said. “At the end of the weekend, there is virtually no waste.

“This is the first marathon that goes so deeply into this approach.

“We are really trying our best to promote this. The aim is not to moralise. It is to make people aware and have a positive attitude. It is to encourage rather than anything else.”

Giraud has a background in sports organisation, including heading up the French track and field championships in 2007, and he has allied this experience with a passion for the environment in his home area to come up with this race.

Giraud said: “I went on a boat ride and found myself in a place of total fulfilment. I had this flash of wellbeing and that started the whole thing. I decided that there may be a way to start a race with a theme of sustainable development and nature.

“I looked up the Kyoto Protocol and developed an ethical charter based on that to organise the race.”

That charter, which was on display in the race village, covers ten key points from the materials used to the sponsorship partners they recruit.

The event generates 34 tonnes of CO2 emissions, which equates to €750 in carbon off-setting.

Organisers donate this money to the Group for the Environment, Renewable Energy and Solidarity (GERES), which supports ecological initiatives around the world.

The race tries to be ecologically sound down to the smallest details such as using natural rope fibres to hang up banners, which are all recyclable.

“In the first year of the race, the medals were made out of nougat,” said Giraud. “They were edible provided it was within six months of the race!”

Taking place on midsummer’s day in Mediterranean France, the sixth edition of the Maraisthon was always likely to be a warm affair. But with temperatures hitting 23C, the piercing sun made running tough, even for locals who stressed it didn’t get properly hot until August.

Having cycled close to the 42.2km marathon distance the previous day and being more used to running in single-figure temperatures, I opted to do one lap of the two-lap course.

This allowed me to sample the route without melting.

Witney Gazette:

  • Ed Mezzetti hits his stride in the race

After a mini lap of the village, runners are directed out on to a course that is 40 per cent country roads and 60 per cent chalky white paths. Largely flat, aside from the odd bridge crossing the river Sevre, it was a pleasure to run and well-organised. Such was the effort to avoid litter that every water stop had two large black bins in which to throw used cups and wrappers – nothing was left lying on the ground. Visual highlights include the charming village of La Garette and a wooden walkway as we neared Coulon again.

The race was won in an impressive time of 2hrs 37mins 50secs by Gwenael Talour, a member of the Stade Lavallois club. The first woman home was Guenaelle Chardon (Free Run Medoc) in 3.05.21 for 15th overall.

Running may not be everyone’s idea of a great holiday, but Marais Poitevin has a lot for tourists to do without the place ever feeling overrun by them. Much of this has to do with the area’s emphasis on eco-tourism, which among other things, means hotels are small. We stayed at a peaceful eco-hotel called Maison Flore in the village of Arcais, about 10km from Coulon, where you pay no more than €80 (less than £70) for a double room at the height of summer.

A great way to discover the area is to hire a bike and pedal the network of car-free paths that link the River Sevre with its grid of more than 1,000 canals. Or, best of all, put your feet up with a bottle of the Coulon-brewed Tete du Mule. Its name is a French idiom for a stubborn person who refuses to listen; something many a runner will identify with!

FACT FILE

Stay: Maison Flore: maisonflore.com
Ride: bicyclette-verte.fr
Run: maraishon.fr
Get there: Visit Voyages-sncf.com, download their free app or call 0844 848 5848
For more information visit: poitou-charentes.com and tourisme-deux-sevres.com