A young Frenchman does not stop the means of transport in which his fellow citizens are sitting. Instead, he sets himself in motion. Climate activist Nicolas Vandenelsken wants to run 100 marathons by December 10th. He belongs to a group of eco-adventurers.
Nicolas Vandenelsken has found a way to draw attention to climate change in a spectacular way and only harm himself in the process: he has been running a marathon every day since the beginning of September, the goal is 100 marathons in 100 days. "I do to my body what we do to the planet," says the 30-year-old. "That's the message I'm conveying."
On September 3rd, Vandenelsken started his violent tour of France's regions in Montargis in central France, and it should be over on December 10th in Valenciennes in northern France. Then its route will form a heart on the map. On the way, the young man talks to clubs, farmers, children - he says he has already met almost 2,000 boys and girls. As a member of the Sport Planète collective, Vandenelsken is one of the "eco-adventurers" who want to draw attention to the problems of climate change with the help of sport - and also through sport. On Friday, in Paris, his 84th stage, he briefly met French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, who is also in charge of the 2024 Olympic Games in the capital.
In a letter to organizers of sporting events and all responsible ministries, he and his fellow campaigners call for a rethinking of climate change: they think sporting events should respect the integrity of nature. This includes, for example, limiting the number of vehicles used for transport to major events such as the Tour de France - or renovating sports facilities instead of building new ones.
Before embarking on his 4,200-kilometer endurance run, Vandenelsken consulted doctors. He is well trained and also has the necessary mental stamina, he says. "But I don't advise anyone to run 100 marathons in 100 days - because maybe in five or ten years I'll feel it in my joints." In the words of Didier Lehénaff, initiator of the Sport Planète movement and former President of the International Triathlon Federation, sport is "historically behind" on climate change issues. But he can catch up quickly, Lehénaff is convinced: "Normal people no longer accept certain things," he tells AFP. "The sports media has understood what is at stake and is in the process of switching to the green side of power."
