The Nine Ponds Marathon
(Le marathon des 9 étangs)
Marathon # 509
The France Marathon # 6
Date: August 4, 2025
My Time : 7:45:52
By Dr. Barefoot Sidy Diallo
This is my 509th marathon, and 6th France Marathon in 14 days. I walked along or around nine magnificent ponds southwest of Paris to complete the race. These ponds (“étangs” in French) are: Étang des Noës, Lac de la Sourderie, Étang du Moulin à vent, Étang des Roussières, Étang Braque, Étang du moulin à Renard, Étang de la Minière, Étang du Val d’Or and Étang de la Geneste. The last six ponds are in the Bièvre High Valley.
I appreciated the opportunity provided to me by these France Marathons and other shorter races to revisit some of the most beautiful summer landscapes in the Paris area. Now it’s time to head back to Gran Canaria to resume the Maspalomas Dunes Marathons Series, as well as the gym and Zumba sessions.
It’s worth reminding that our hunter-gatherer human body is designed for long-distance running and walking—therefore for intense physical activity, not idling. So why shouldn’t we take full advantage of its exceptional capacities to reap all the physical and mental benefits, even after 70?
My book Running Barefoot for Human Survival is available on Amazon in paperback and e-book format (French edition: Courir pieds nus pour sauver les humains).
The France Marathon # 6
Date: August 4, 2025
My Time : 7:45:52
By Dr. Barefoot Sidy Diallo
This is my 509th marathon, and 6th France Marathon in 14 days. I walked along or around nine magnificent ponds southwest of Paris to complete the race. These ponds (“étangs” in French) are: Étang des Noës, Lac de la Sourderie, Étang du Moulin à vent, Étang des Roussières, Étang Braque, Étang du moulin à Renard, Étang de la Minière, Étang du Val d’Or and Étang de la Geneste. The last six ponds are in the Bièvre High Valley.
I appreciated the opportunity provided to me by these France Marathons and other shorter races to revisit some of the most beautiful summer landscapes in the Paris area. Now it’s time to head back to Gran Canaria to resume the Maspalomas Dunes Marathons Series, as well as the gym and Zumba sessions.
It’s worth reminding that our hunter-gatherer human body is designed for long-distance running and walking—therefore for intense physical activity, not idling. So why shouldn’t we take full advantage of its exceptional capacities to reap all the physical and mental benefits, even after 70?
My book Running Barefoot for Human Survival is available on Amazon in paperback and e-book format (French edition: Courir pieds nus pour sauver les humains).
Dr. Sidy Diallo at Lac de la Sourderie during his 509th marathon
Dr. Sidy Diallo’s Nine Ponds Marathon Garmin Data
The Étang du Moulin à vent in Guyancourt, Paris area
The Étang Braque in the Paris area
The Étang du moulin à Renard in the Paris area
The Étang du Val d’Or in the Paris area
The Étang de la Geneste in the Paris area
The Étang des Noës in the Paris area
Dr. Sidy Diallo on the boardwalk along the Étang des Roussières during his 509th marathon
Dr. Sidy Diallo’s Nine Ponds Marathon Course
Four of the eastern ponds on Dr. Sidy Diallo’s Nine Ponds Marathon Course: Étang Braque, Étang du moulin à Renard, Étang de la Minière and Étang du Val d’Or