Marvejols-Mende and Spiridon: see you on July 19, 2026
On July 22, 1973, the Marvejols-Mende race started under a brilliant sun, against the authorities' advice. 153 enthusiasts contributed to building a true legend. René Murat (1h21) and Denise Seigneuric (2h07) were the first winners.
Marvejols-Mende and Spiridon, the pioneers
In a not-so-distant era (the early 1970s), performance was the sole "leitmotif" of the federations that ruthlessly managed the small world of running. Women were not allowed to participate in road races, nor were non-licensed runners. The federations only wanted future champions.
A handful of idealists, including the founders of Spiridon in 1972 and Jean-Claude Moulin, the creator of Marvejols-Mende in 1973, helped break the mold by advocating for "running for all" and instilling the notions of joy, sharing, and pleasure into this sport.
A community driven by an ideal
Within a few years, thanks to Spiridon magazine and races like Marvejols-Mende, they brought together a community of men and women driven by the same ideal: running all together (women-men-young-old-champions-novices).
Their doctrine: "Performance, yes; celebration, first." It illustrated their philosophy. Achieving a fast time was no longer an end in itself. What mattered was the shared experience, the joy of running together.
Their rallying sign: the Spiridon t-shirt, worn by thousands of runners not only in Marvejols-Mende but also across Europe and even in the United States.
Run with us all!
Today, Spiridon continues to uphold the values of these pioneers of free running through two clothing collections (Archive and Anthology). To the humanist commitments of the Spiridon runners of the 1970s, we have added attention to the environment—a historical concern of Spiridon, which advocated running as a means of reconnecting with nature. All our garments are produced in Europe (France, Italy, Portugal), in small series (to combat waste), and from recycled and eco-friendly materials.
50 years later, let's continue to run all together and celebrate a race and a movement that were at the origin of a true sporting and cultural revolution.