This past weekend, a little rain in the south of France turned the finish chute of the Marseille-Cassis 20K into a surprise slip-and-slide for the top finishers, adding a bit of uncertainty to the otherwise intense race. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured, but the unexpected wipeouts made for some spectacular (and entertaining) finish-line footage.
Leading the wipeout brigade was Rwanda’s Felicien Muhitira, who crossed the finish line first. Celebrating his victory, the 29-year-old spread his arms and lunged toward the tape—only to slip and tumble as he crossed. A minute later, it was Morocco’s Youssef Benhadi’s turn. As he tried to secure second place, the Moroccan hit the same slippery spot as Muhitire, but landed even harder, on his tailbone. He was reportedly down for about a minute before being taken to the medical tent. He suffered no major injuries.
Third-place finisher Felix Bour of France must have taken notes from those ahead; he managed to stay on his feet and finish with style, avoiding the hazard.
While rubber finish mats are common in triathlons, they’re not the norm for road races. These mats are typically made from durable, non-slip rubber or PVC and designed to withstand heavy foot traffic and bad weather. They’re engineered to prevent slipping—though this particular mat seemed to miss the mark. Let’s just hope the race didn’t get it second-hand from Facebook Marketplace.
The Marseille-Cassis 20K has been a fixture in the French Riviera every October since 1979. What began as a modest race with just over 700 participants now attracts a massive crowd, setting a new record this year with more than 12,000 finishers.
