Rennes School of Business becomes the title partner of the Marathon Vert

The Marathon Vert: a local event with an international impact

Promoting sport in the city of Rennes and the Brittany region, while planting a tree for every kilometre completed: such is the double ambition of the Marathon Vert.

The event was originally founded in 2011, born of a meeting of Daniel Jeulin, founder of the Marathon Vert, and Jacques Rocher from the Yves Rocher foundation.

A flagship even in the region of Brittany, the Marathon Vert unites runners, volunteers and company partners during a two-day event that encourages sport at a local level, positively impacts the environment and strengthens regional ties. For each kilometre completed by participants of the Marathon Vert, a tree is planted by the organisation in specialised plantations throughout the world.

With trees planted from Pacé, just outside Rennes, all the way to India, the event has a positive impact on both a local and international scale, perfectly aligned with the identity of Rennes School of Business.

A press conference to announce the new type of partnership

On 28 February 2023, Rennes School of Business hosted a press conference on its campus in Rennes to announce the new partnership between the School and the Marathon Vert. Although the School has been an official partner of the event since 2022, this year, Rennes School of Business will replace Konica-Minolta as a title sponsor of the event, for a 4-year period.

The core values of the Marathon Vert; having a positive impact both locally and internationally, could not be more in line with the identity of Rennes SB, a French Grande École with great attachment to its roots in the Brittany region, and yet with a strong international identity and outlook promoted through its international Faculty, 55%* students coming from around the world and a 25% of its Alumni based outside of France.

In order to celebrate the new partnership, students from the Bachelor in Management (BiM) took to the starting blocks to participate in a symbolic race on the school campus accompanied by Duncan Perrillat, Champion of France for the marathon. In the true spirit of the Marathon Vert, for each kilometre completed by the students during this symbolic race, a tree will be planted to mark the occasion.

Speakers from both organisations took to the stage to speak about the mutual benefits of this new partnership with François Chatel, president de Rennes School of Business and Thomas Froehlicher, Director General and Dean, speaking on behalf of the School.

Meanwhile, Lourenço Berberan, Head of Digital Sales at Konica-Minolta spoke on behalf of the company passing over to the School and David Hervelin and Duncan Perrillat representing the Marathon Vert.

This year, the events take place on the 21-22 October, with 5 types of race available in 2023, adapted to the different levels and abilities:

Saturday 21 October (night-time) :

• 20h00: Yves Rocher Women’s 5km
• 20h00: Yves Rocher Family Walk (mixed)
• 21h00: Lamotte 10km race

Sunday 22 October

• 9h00: Marathon – McDonald’s Duo Marathon – Ouest France Relay Marathon

Key figures of the Marathon Vert

• 60,000 runners and walkers over 10 years
• 1 025,763 trees planted around the world
• 2H08’05 the marathon record in the men’s division
• 2h26’51 the marathon record in the female’s division
• 1,400 volunteers each year
• 70 partners

Find out more about the Marathon Vert (in French)