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ANGELO FACOETTI, THE INSPIRER
In the mid-50’s, the race walkers and managers of the C.A. Montreuil 93 used to meet at the Café near located on Boulevard Théophile Sueur near the Stade des Grands Pêchers, after training or for meetings.
The owner of this café, Mr. Angelo FACOETTI, often asked Jean-Dahm persitently: “Why don’t you ever organise a race walking event in our neighborhood?”
At that time, several associations set base and brought the city centre of Montreuil to life year after year. One day, Angelo bought a trophy we left in his Café… while waiting for his dream race walking competition to come true!
Unfortunately, he suddenly died in 1958. It is then that the CA Montreuil 93 decided to organise a race walking competition in the upper Montreuil, in memory of Mr Angelo FACOETTI but also to create an event in the district of the upper Montreuil.
It is in this context that on April 12, 1959, JEAN-PIERRE FACOETTI, the then very young Jean-Pierre FACOETTI, son of Angelo, kicked off a race of 38 competitors including 14 race walkers from the CA Montreuil 93. The CA Montreuil 93 won the first team trophy, a performance the local club repeated 14 times!”
For the record, this first edition saw the participation of two women race walkers… on the distance of 1.2km. It is not until 1969, 10 years later, that women were allowed back to compete in the Challenge Faocetti.
JEAN DAHM, THE PROMOTER & DEVELOPER
In 1965, the Facoetti became international. Exceptionally, it was organised that year over a distance of 50 km. The distance fluctuated and evolved over the years, depending on urbanisation and road works; until 1996, the race is set to cover a distance of 24km, give or take.
Since 1997, the competition is held on a circuit that is measured and certified for an official distance of 20 km.
To date, 20 nations, in addition to France, have come to walk the streets of Montreuil and have achieved 26 victories. The statistics are the same in the Challenge ranking (3 best walkers) where the Italians of the Centro Lazio of Rome are 4 victories behind the team of Montreuil, which has always been keen to shine at home.
Since 2015, the Jean DAHM Trophy has been rewarding the best league (a true French league championship); the ranking of this Challenge is based on 3 athletes according to the scratch results.
