This previous weekend, a bit of rain within the south of France turned the end chute of the Marseille-Cassis 20K right into a shock slip-and-slide for the highest finishers, including a little bit of uncertainty to the in any other case intense race. Fortuitously, nobody was significantly injured, however the sudden wipeouts made for some spectacular (and entertaining) finish-line footage.
Main the wipeout brigade was Rwanda’s Felicien Muhitira, who crossed the end line first. Celebrating his victory, the 29-year-old unfold his arms and lunged towards the tape—solely to slide and tumble as he crossed. A minute later, it was Morocco’s Youssef Benhadi’s flip. As he tried to safe second place, the Moroccan hit the identical slippery spot as Muhitire, however landed even more durable, on his tailbone. He was reportedly down for a couple of minute earlier than being taken to the medical tent. He suffered no main accidents.
Third-place finisher Felix Bour of France should have taken notes from these forward; he managed to remain on his toes and end with type, avoiding the hazard.
Whereas rubber end mats are frequent in triathlons, they’re not the norm for highway races. These mats are sometimes comprised of sturdy, non-slip rubber or PVC and designed to resist heavy foot site visitors and dangerous climate. They’re engineered to stop slipping—although this specific mat appeared to overlook the mark. Let’s simply hope the race didn’t get it second-hand from Fb Market.
The Marseille-Cassis 20K has been a fixture within the French Riviera each October since 1979. What started as a modest race with simply over 700 contributors now attracts a large crowd, setting a brand new document this yr with greater than 12,000 finishers.