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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Cameron Estes typically runs in Mountain Brook or Homewood, sometimes pushing a stroller holding her two girls.
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Photo courtesy of Cameron Estes.
Right: Cameron Estes is a big fan of the Olympics, and she ran the Paris Mass Participation Marathon decked out in red, white and blue to represent America.
Not many runners can say they’ve had the chance to run an Olympic marathon route without actually competing in the games, but Mountain Brook’s Cameron Estes can.
Estes traveled to Paris in August to participate in the Marathon Pour Tous, an event held as a result of Paris’ promise to revolutionize the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games experience for the general public.
The Paris 2024 Mass Participation Marathon featured nighttime runs that allowed amateurs to follow in the footsteps of some of the world’s greatest athletes.
Estes found out about the event on a past trip to France.
“We were in France like two years ago, and our driver was telling us that they were having this marathon and you could sign up for this app and do these little challenges,” Estes said. “If you win the challenges, you’re gonna get a bid. That’s the only way you could get into this marathon.”
Over 20,000 people participated in the marathon, running 42 kilometers (just over 26 miles) through the streets of Paris at 9 p.m. on Aug. 10. Estes became one of them by chance — and a lot of running.
“I just kind of hooked up my watch to [the app] and kind of audited it. I didn’t really think much of it because I didn’t hear anything for so long,” she said. “And then in late April-ish, I got an email in French — and I thought ‘Is this fake?’ — saying that I got in, and then I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, the Olympics.’”
The initial email notified Estes that she had won a slot by completing the running challenges on Strava, a popular exercise-tracking app in the running community. She was skeptical of the authenticity, as it took two weeks for the promised second email to arrive, confirming her spot. It wasn’t until she had a conversation with her coach that she realized the gravity of the situation.
“I immediately called my coach and was trying to gauge; there are some marathons, like the London Marathon, which is a major marathon, and you can sign up to get in by lottery. Americans never get in, so if you do get in, it's a big deal,” she said. “So I was like, ‘Is this like London, is it a you get in and you have to go?’ and he said yes.”
Turning down this once-in-a-lifetime experience wasn’t an option. Estes hadn’t planned to run a marathon this summer, since she has two young kids at home and was slowly easing back into running after the birth of her one-year old. Despite that fact, she boarded a plane to France on Aug. 8.
Once in Paris, Estes took advantage of the opportunity to partake in Olympic festivities and ran the marathon. The route began at the Hôtel de Ville and finished at Les Invalides, passing through nine districts of Paris. Estes didn’t run for time, instead opting to enjoy the moment and take in the sights in a way most tourists never have a chance to.
