# Corrida de Houilles

The Corrida de Houilles, officially Corrida pédestre internationale de Houilles (Houilles International Footrace), is an annual 10K run that takes place at the end of December in Houilles, France.
The competition was created in 1972 by Alexandre Joly, a French politician who would later become Mayor of Houilles. He was inspired by the Saint Silvester Road Race in São Paulo and decided to set up his own local race in his hometown with the same format – hosting the race on New Year's Eve. Initially a men's event only on a course of around 9 kilometres (5.6 mi), the race attracted high level competition from the beginning, with Poland's Bronisław Malinowski winning the 1974 race the same year as his gold medal win at the 1974 European Athletics Championships. Due to the race's growing popularity, the competition was divided into two segments: an elite-level race and a public race.
Annick Loir was the first known women's winner in 1975, but a separate women's division (over around 6 kilometres (3.7 mi)) was not formally established until 1983. The race distances were set at 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) for both men and women from 1996 onwards, allowing the race to serve as a qualifier for the French 10 km championships. The date of the race has not always been 31 December due to organisational restrictions, but it is usually held within the final days of the year. No race was held in 1999 due to Cyclone Lothar and Martin. The races for 2000 and 2005 were held on New Year's Day instead. The competition gained IAAF Bronze Label Road Race status in 2013 and IAAF Silver Label Road Race status in 2014.
Top level athletes from both France and abroad have competed in Houilles. Jacky Boxberger had much success in the early days of the race, amassing four wins in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Morocco's Khalid Skah had a record eight wins from 1988 to 1997. Ethiopia's Ayelech Worku is the most successful woman at the race, having won four times consecutively from 1995 to 1998. Anpther Ethiopian woman had three straight wins from 2003 to 2006 Merima Denboba and Kenya's Micah Kogo achieved the same feat on the men's side from 2006 to 2008. The course records are 27:12 minutes for men (set by Daniel Ebenyo in 2019) and 30:32 minutes for women (set by Norah Jeruto in 2019).

## Past winners

Key:  Course record  Around 9 km race  Around 6.2 km race
| Edition | Year | Men's winner | Time (m:s) | Women's winner | Time (m:s) |
| 1st | 1972 | Jean-Yves Le Flohic (FRA) | ? | Not held | Not held |
| 2nd | 1973 | Lucien Rault (FRA) | 27:16 | Not held | Not held |
| 3rd | 1974 | Bronisław Malinowski (POL) | 26:56 | Not held | Not held |
| 4th | 1975 | Jos Hermens (NED) | 25:03 | Annick Loir (FRA) | ? |
| 5th | 1976 | Markus Ryffel (SUI) | 26:07 | Not held | Not held |
| 6th | 1977 | Jacky Boxberger (FRA) | 26:18 | Not held | Not held |
| 7th | 1978 | Jacky Boxberger (FRA) | 27:38 | Not held | Not held |
| 8th | 1979 | Jacky Boxberger (FRA) | 26:55 | Not held | Not held |
| 9th | 1980 | Gerard Deegan (IRL) | 26:46 | Not held | Not held |
| 10th | 1981 | Radhouane Bouster (FRA) | 26:46 | Not held | Not held |
| 11th | 1982 | Jacky Boxberger (FRA) | 26:43 | Not held | Not held |
| 12th | 1983 | Fernando Mamede (POR) | 26:32 | Francine Peeters (BEL) | 20:26 |
| 13th | 1984 | Fernando Mamede (POR) | 26:06 | Sylvia Kerambrum (GBR) | 21:30 |
| 14th | 1985 | Fernando Mamede (POR) | 26:12 | Ria Van Landeghem (BEL) | 20:11 |
| 15th | 1986 | Paul Arpin (FRA) | 26:19 | Ingrid Delagrange (BEL) | 20:55 |
| 16th | 1987 | Paul Arpin (FRA) | 26:48 | Linda Milo (BEL) | 21:02 |
| 17th | 1988 | Khalid Skah (MAR) | 26:35 | ? | ? |
| 18th | 1989 | Khalid Skah (MAR) | 26:48 | Linda Milo (BEL) | 21:27 |
| 19th | 1990 | Khalid Skah (MAR) | 26:33 | ? | ? |
| 20th | 1991 | Khalid Skah (MAR) | 26:11 | Zohra Koulou (FRA) | 20:54 |
| 21st | 1992 | Khalid Skah (MAR) | 26:13 | Karen Hargrave (GBR) | 20:41 |
| 22nd | 1993 | Khalid Skah (MAR) | 26:29 | Zohra Koulou (FRA) | 21:08.0 |
| 23rd | 1994 | Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) | 26:38 | Elena Fidatov (ROM) | 20:08.0 |
| 24th | 1995 | Khalid Skah (MAR) | 26:50 | Ayelech Worku (ETH) | 20:28.0 |
| 25th | 1996 | El Hassan Lahssini (MAR) | 28:20 | Ayelech Worku (ETH) | 33:39 |
| 26th | 1997 | Khalid Skah (MAR) | 27:57 | Ayelech Worku (ETH) | 33:04 |
| 27th | 1998 | Girma Tolla (ETH) | 28:12 | Ayelech Worku (ETH) | 33:29 |
| 28th | 1999 | Cancelled due to Cyclone Lothar and Martin | Cancelled due to Cyclone Lothar and Martin | Cancelled due to Cyclone Lothar and Martin | Cancelled due to Cyclone Lothar and Martin |
| 29th | 2001 (Jan) | Sammy Kipketer (KEN) | 28:31 | Rakiya Maraoui (FRA) | 33:59 |
| 30th | 2001 (Dec) | Benjamin Limo (KEN) | 28:38 | Inês Monteiro (POR) | 32:41 |
| 31st | 2002 | Sammy Kipketer (KEN) | 28:02 | Inês Monteiro (POR) | 32:42 |
| 32nd | 2003 | Mulugeta Wendimu (ETH) | 28:49 | Merima Denboba (ETH) | 32:43 |
| 33rd | 2004 | Jaouad Gharib (MAR) | 28:29 | Merima Denboba (ETH) | 32:18 |
| 34th | 2006 (Jan) | Sileshi Sihine (ETH) | 28:23 | Merima Denboba (ETH) | 33:14 |
| 35th | 2006 (Dec) | Micah Kogo (KEN) | 28:16 | Nadia Ejjafini (BHR) | 32:32 |
| 36th | 2007 | Micah Kogo (KEN) | 27:56 | Nadia Ejjafini (BHR) | 32:10 |
| 37th | 2008 | Micah Kogo (KEN) | 28:04 | Sylvia Kibet (KEN) | 31:50 |
| 38th | 2009 | Joseph Ebuya (KEN) | 28:35 | Sule Utura (ETH) | 32:23 |
| 39th | 2010 | Imane Merga (ETH) | 27:47 | Sule Utura (ETH) | 32:01 |
| 40th | 2011 | Edwin Soi (KEN) | 28:17 | Margaret Muriuki (KEN) | 31:29 |
| 41st | 2012 | Birhanu Legese (ETH) | 28:23 | Hirut Aga (ETH) | 31:50 |
| 42nd | 2013 | Cornelius Kangogo (KEN) | 27:58 | Afera Godfay (ETH) | 32:06 |
| 43rd | 2014 | Victor Chumo (KEN) | 28:04 | Peres Jepchirchir (KEN) | 31:34 |
| 44th | 2015 | Cornelius Kangogo (KEN) | 28:10 | Zerfie Limeneh (ETH) | 32:07 |
| 45th | 2016 | Cornelius Kangogo (KEN) | 28:19 | Viola Kibiwot (KEN) | 31:14 |
| 46th | 2017 | Julien Wanders (SUI) | 28:02 | Stacy Ndiwa (KEN) | 31:35 |
| 47th | 2018 | Julien Wanders (SUI) | 27:25 | Gete Alemayehu (ETH) | 31:12 |
| 48th | 2019 | Daniel Ebenyo (KEN) | 27:12 | Norah Jeruto (KEN) | 30:32 |
| - | 2020 | Not held due to the COVID-19 Pandemic | Not held due to the COVID-19 Pandemic | Not held due to the COVID-19 Pandemic | Not held due to the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| - | 2021 | Not held due to the COVID-19 Pandemic | Not held due to the COVID-19 Pandemic | Not held due to the COVID-19 Pandemic | Not held due to the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| 49th | 2022 | Telahun Haile Bekele (ETH) | 27:29 | Mercy Cherono (KEN) | 30:55 |