[Editor’s Note: This month’s Community Voices article was written by iRunFar reader and runner, Seth Luxenberg, who worked for the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and has run the Backyard Ultra Abidjan twice.]
When Marius Kouakou of Côte d’Ivoire ran 85 “yards” or laps on the 2025 Extremely Tour du Lac de Monteux yard extremely, he reset his African file — which he beforehand set on the What’s Your Restrict yard extremely in Beauraing, Belgium, in April 2025 — by 29 laps. It was an enormous step up that earned him the runner-up, or “help” place on the race. On the identical Belgian race, one other Ivoirian, Adele Al Khalil, set the ladies’s African file with 37 laps. Whereas Africa is thought for producing world-class runners in quite a lot of disciplines, these Ivoirian stars are among the many first to dive deeply into the yard extremely format, and with nice success. The small West African nation is thought for its warmth and excessive humidity, and operating there’s not for the faint of coronary heart.
Marius Kouakou (left) and Adele Al Khalil (proper) operating on the 2025 What’s Your Restrict yard extremely. All pictures courtesy of Seth Luxenberg.
The yard extremely format, which is comparatively new on this planet of operating, includes repeating a 4.167-mile (6.70 kilometers) lap each hour. Runners have to be prepared to begin their subsequent loop initially of every hour, and the winner is topped after they full yet another lap after everybody else has stopped operating, whether or not by selection or as a result of they miss the one-hour cut-off. The race format was began by Gary Cantrell, aka Laz, the race director of the Barkley Marathons, in 2011 in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. Lately, yard ultras have develop into more and more widespread as a better and fewer intimidating approach for folks to run extremely distances when in comparison with extra conventional race codecs. It’s additionally a lot simpler to create and host the occasions, as race administrators don’t need to mark out an entire extremely course, only a single lap. The benefit of the format makes it accessible to those that don’t reside in areas with many racing alternatives, and the rising Côte d’Ivoire path neighborhood has embraced the racing type.
The emergence of yard ultras in Côte d’Ivoire got here from an opportunity assembly between Frenchman Alain Jolivet and Laz on the 2022 Capital Yard Extremely in Washington, D.C. They mentioned the concept of Alain organizing an occasion in Côte d’Ivoire, the place Alain had been dwelling since 2021. When he returned residence, Alain started working with Isabelle Diomandé-Konaté, an Ivoirian runner, to arrange the nation’s first yard extremely.
Runners line up within the pen on the 2024 Yard Extremely Abidjan.
The primary Yard Extremely Abidjan was held in 2023 in Banco Nationwide Park, a 34-square-kilometer space of dense tropical forests, a favourite spot for a lot of native path runners. The city tropical forest provides an opportunity to flee the busy metropolis for a quiet run. Palm bushes present shade from the tropical solar, and the realm overlooks the Ébrié lagoon. In 2023, over 100 runners from 19 nationalities participated within the yard extremely. Whereas neither Marius or Adele ran that yr — although Marius had meant to run — the occasion was the beginning of the game within the small West African nation.
Marius Kouakou: A Pupil of the Sport
Marius grew up in Gagnoa, a small metropolis in southwestern Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa-growing area. He ran observe in highschool, competing within the 100- and 200-meter occasions. He finally moved to Port-Bouët, a working-class suburb of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire’s largest metropolis. He labored at a automobile dealership, and with a view to get monetary savings on transportation, he would run seven kilometers to and from work fairly than take the bus. He felt himself getting quicker and entered a half marathon in 2016 in Abidjan. Whereas he initially wished to run the total marathon, he couldn’t afford good sneakers, so he opted for the half marathon as an alternative. He says that when he completed in tenth place, he realized he might succeed as a runner. Marius continued to rack up spectacular performances, even with out having the ability to afford good sneakers, and says he completed eighth in Abidjan’s half marathon in 2017 after which received the half marathon in his hometown of Gagnoa in 2019.
Marius’s entrance into the yard extremely racing scene didn’t begin easily. His boss, who was energetic within the Abidjan operating neighborhood, paid his registration payment for the 2023 Yard Extremely Abidjan. Nonetheless, Marius confirmed up late and wasn’t allowed to compete. Undeterred, he returned for the second version in 2024. This time, he arrived early and able to compete. He received with 19 laps.
Marius Kouakou heads out on one other lap on the 2024 Yard Extremely Abidjan.
Alain, one of many occasion organizers, instantly noticed Marius’s expertise. Alain, who had expertise competing at occasions like UTMB and Diagonale des Fous, acknowledged Marius as somebody who had by no means skilled correctly however had numerous potential, and Alain wished to assist.
Alain started teaching Marius for the 2025 Large Canine’s Yard Extremely in Tennessee. The occasion would function the person world championships for the yard extremely racing format. By means of Alain, Marius discovered about power coaching, interval coaching, and correct diet. Marius was quickly calling Alain “El Professeur.” Marius had a naturally easy operating type and unbelievable endurance. He would commonly full 42-kilometer (26.2 miles) runs in below three hours and had a coaching quantity of 300 kilometers (186 miles) on some weeks. He additionally skilled for the specifics of the yard type, resembling taking five-minute naps and consuming earlier than, throughout, and after lengthy runs.
Marius’s efficiency improved nearly instantly, and in October 2024, he earned a spot for the 2025 Large Canine’s Yard Extremely by profitable the Côte d’Ivoire yard nationwide championships with 28 laps.
Marius Kouakou taking in gasoline on his technique to profitable the 2024 Yard Extremely Abidjan.
When evaluating race leads to Abidjan, it’s essential to remember the fact that the humidity is often round 70% to 80%, which makes consuming and ingesting sufficient tough. Sustaining a gradual coronary heart price is very difficult in these circumstances. Some equate coaching in circumstances like Abidjan to coaching at altitude, and as soon as runners depart the high-humidity surroundings, their performances typically enhance dramatically.
Certainly, racing outdoors of Côte d’Ivoire, Marius thrived. In April 2025, at his first large worldwide take a look at, the What’s Your Restrict yard extremely in Belgium, he ran 56 laps, ending second because the “help” and setting a brand new African file.
Though Marius was able to race at Large’s, the person world championships, he wasn’t capable of receive a visa to race within the U.S. Undeterred, he pivoted to the Extremely Tour du Lac de Monteux in France as a substitute take a look at in October. Once more, he exceeded his previous African file by an enormous margin, operating 85 laps to complete second general, behind Christophe Rouat, who set a brand new French yard extremely file with 86 laps. Whereas Marius fell in need of his aim of 100 laps, he doesn’t really feel like the gap is out of the query. After the race, Marius stated that his general operating aim is to have the chance to compete with elite athletes, and he’s nicely on his technique to reaching it.
Marius Kouakou operating comfortably on the 2025 Extremely Path Lac du Monteux.
Coming from a comparatively small group of runners in Côte d’Ivoire, Marius’s performances have garnered consideration. His humble type and pleasure in representing his nation have made him a fan favourite within the Abidjan operating neighborhood. After he returned from France, he acquired a reception from dozens of Abidjan-based runners in addition to his household and associates from Port-Bouët.
One of the crucial vocal supporters of Marius was Adele Al Khalil.
Adele Al Khalil: Chasing Private Limits
Africa’s different yard extremely file holder, Adele Al Khalil, additionally hails from Côte d’Ivoire. Alongside Marius, she set the ladies’s African file by operating 37 laps on the What’s Your Restrict yard extremely in Belgium in 2025.
With a background in athletics, Adele’s journey into endurance sports activities is deeply rooted in self-discipline, adaptability, and a love of problem. From a younger age, she was drawn to motion in all its types, exploring gymnastics, snowboarding, horseback using, and basketball throughout her highschool years. Every self-discipline sharpened her bodily consciousness and psychological resilience, laying the muse for a lifelong pursuit of efficiency.
At college, whereas incomes a bachelor’s diploma in Enterprise and a grasp’s diploma in Administration, she joined the observe staff and found the fun of pace, the intoxicating rhythm of the breath, the burn within the legs, and the satisfaction of crossing a end line quicker than earlier than. Observe taught her construction, precision, and the artwork of pacing, classes that might quietly form her future as an endurance athlete.
Marius Kouakou (left) and Adele Al Khalil (second from proper) on the 2025 What’s Your Restrict yard extremely.
However the love of path and long-distance operating got here later, nearly unexpectedly. What started as a technique to unwind from the pressures of each day life advanced into one thing a lot deeper. The paths woke up a unique type of pleasure — one not sure by instances or laps, however by freedom, connection, and discovery. Lengthy-distance operating turned meditative journeys by nature, a dialogue between effort and serenity, wrestle and surprise. Lately, Adele has develop into a fixture at operating occasions in Côte d’Ivoire, typically ending as the highest feminine and among the many prime general runners.
At her first try on the yard extremely race format, the 2024 Yard Extremely Abidjan, she accomplished 16 loops and knew she had the potential for extra. She competed on the Côte d’Ivoire nationwide championships in 2024 and ran 25 laps. In April 2025, alongside Marius, she traveled to Belgium for the What’s Your Restrict occasion, able to push her limits. She succeeded in doing so, finishing 37 loops and setting a brand new African yard extremely file for ladies.
Adele has stated that she loves the yard format, and from the race type the place there is no such thing as a end line, she has discovered that “the additional you go, the extra you understand what you’re able to, which is much past what you first imagined.”
Way forward for Yard Ultras in Côte d’Ivoire
The 2023 Yard Extremely Abidjan proved to be a powerful success, and the 2024 and 2025 occasions proved equally as widespread, with the utmost variety of laps run rising every year, from 16 in 2023 to 31 in 2025. The occasion additionally maintains a charitable element with a view to give again to the local people. In 2023, runners accomplished a complete of 464 loops, so occasion organizers planted 464 bushes. For the 2024 occasion, runners accomplished a complete of 692 loops, so organizers donated 692 units of faculty provides. In 2025, runners accomplished 900 loops, in order that they distributed 900 books to Ivoirian libraries.
Marius Kouakou celebrates one other lap on the 2025 Extremely Path Lac du Monteux.
One of many issues that makes operating in Côte d’Ivoire so distinctive is the range of individuals. The nation has a booming financial system, serves as a hub for a lot of companies working in Francophone West Africa, and hosts the African Growth Financial institution. This all attracts a big expatriate neighborhood, who usually make up the vast majority of individuals at endurance occasions. Côte d’Ivoire can be the world’s main producer of cocoa and a significant producer of cashews, palm oil, plantains, and different crops. The paths by and between these agricultural areas present a community of routes for runners to make use of.
Underneath the management of Alain, the Yard Extremely Abidjan appears to be a dependable fixture in Côte d’Ivoire path operating, offering a launch pad for runners like Marius and Adele to compete towards among the finest on this planet.
Name for Feedback
- What do you consider the rising recognition of yard extremely occasions all over the world?
- Have you ever had an opportunity to satisfy Marius or Adele?
