L'AVIGNONNAISE

What L'AVIGNONNAISE does

L'Avignonnaise is a privately organized, women-focused annual running and walking event held on a single day each spring on the Ile de la Barthelasse natural island in Avignon, Vaucluse, France. Founded in 2011, it serves a regional female participant base aged approximately 7 to 77+, offering three distance options: a 6km recreational walk, an 8km walking challenge, and a timed 11km competitive run. Auxiliary on-site services include fast-food village restoration and childcare, with proceeds donated to cancer research via the Ligue contre le Cancer (Comité de Vaucluse) and Institut Sainte Catherine.

The organization operates with no proprietary technology, relying entirely on the third-party Njuko online registration platform and social media channels (Facebook, Instagram) for participant acquisition and community engagement. Revenue is derived from a flat €15 per-participant registration fee, capped at 2,800 participants, supplemented by corporate sponsorship from 23+ partners including Total Energies, Crédit Mutuel, Decathlon, Crédit Mutuel, and the Mairie d'Avignon. Distribution is hybrid: online self-serve registration plus in-person packet pickup at Decathlon Avignon Nord and the Maison du Parc on the event island.

The business model is event-driven and community-led rather than technology-driven, with the venue itself constituting a meaningful point of differentiation. Multiple leadership transitions have occurred since founding — from the three original co-founders (David Boulfroy, Lionel Picard, Julien Pansier) to Maélys Vuitton and Christelle Pesenti, and most recently to an unnamed new team in 2023 that repositioned the event at the new island venue. No external funding, venture capital, or institutional investment is disclosed; ownership and operations appear entirely founder/local-team-based.

Name

L'AVIGNONNAISE

Legal name

L'Avignonnaise

Website

https://lavignonnaise.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Short description

L'Avignonnaise organizes an annual women-focused running and walking event in Avignon, France, serving up to 2,800 regional participants aged 7-77+ with timed and non-timed distance options while fundraising for cancer research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recreational Sports Events

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Road Running Events (Marathons, Half Marathons, 10K/5K) (MPAKAIAA)

Keywords

• Women's running events
• Charity running races
• Recreational sports events
• Mass participation races
• Community running events

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Event Registration Fees: Flat registration fee of €15 per participant for the 2026 edition. Limited to 2,800 participants maximum.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

L'Avignonnaise organizes an annual women's-focused running and walking event held on Ile de la Barthelasse in Avignon, France. The event offers three distance options: a timed competitive 11km run, a 6km recreational walk, and an 8km walk challenge, with on-site childcare and food vendor village. Registration is a flat €15 fee per participant, capped at 2,800 participants, with proceeds donated to cancer research charities (Ligue contre le Cancer and Institut Sainte Catherine).

Product overview

L'Avignonnaise is an annual women's running and walking event held at Ile de la Barthelasse in Avignon, France. The event offers three distinct race options: a competitive timed 11km course for experienced runners, a 6km recreational walk, and an 8km walking challenge. Auxiliary services include a village restaurant and on-site childcare. The event operates on a single-day format (Sunday 12 April 2026) with online registration through the Njuko platform, and race packet pickup at Decathlon Avignon Nord and Maison du Parc.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Course 11 km (Course Chronométrée)
• Marche 6 km
• Marche 8 km
• Village de Restauration
• Garderie Enfants

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Total EnergiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEnergy company sponsor providing financial support and visibility at the event.
• Crédit MutuelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBanking partner supporting the event with financial sponsorship.
• AgisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business partner supporting the event.
• Mairie d'Avignon (Avignon City Hall)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial municipal partner providing venue access to Ile de la Barthelasse and administrative support for the event.
• IFC (Institut de Formation)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTraining institute partner supporting the event.
• QEnergyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEnergy company sponsor supporting the event.
• CBAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal partner providing support and visibility.
• Ici Vaucluse (France Bleu Vaucluse)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional radio station partner providing media coverage and promotion.
• AdagiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerHotel partner providing accommodation support for out-of-town participants.
• AIST 84minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealth/safety partner supporting the event.
• CNR (Compagnie Nationale du Rhône)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerInfrastructure partner supporting the event.
• CowoolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoworking space partner providing support.
• DecathloncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSporting goods retailer providing packet pickup location and likely in-kind support for participants.
• EHTP (Groupe NGE)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerConstruction/infrastructure group partner supporting the event.
• Granier AssurancesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInsurance partner providing financial support.
• Groupe BelmontminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness group partner supporting the event.
• SAS MaurinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business partner.
• Mutualité FrançaiseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealthcare mutual insurance partner supporting the event.
• MX CREATIONminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCreative/marketing agency partner.
• NF ImmominorGTM or Marketing PartnerReal estate partner providing support.
• Running ConseilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpecialty running retailer partner providing visibility and participant support.
• NOUGAT SYLVAINminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal food partner providing sponsor products.
• TalenzminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrinting/communication partner providing materials support.
• Ligue contre le Cancer - Comité de VauclusecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary charitable beneficiary receiving donation from event proceeds. Supports cancer research and patient assistance in Vaucluse region.
• Institut Sainte Catherine (ICAP84)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary charitable beneficiary - cancer treatment center in Avignon-Provence receiving donation from event proceeds.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Decathlon: Decathlon is a core-tier GTM partner of L'Avignonnaise providing packet pickup at its Avignon Nord store. It is an enabling partner rather than a competitor, but is relevant as the dominant sporting goods retail ecosystem that supports and co-promotes regional French running events.
• Njuko: Njuko is the third-party online registration platform that L'Avignonnaise uses for participant sign-ups. It is an ecosystem enabler/technology supplier rather than a competitor, but is materially relevant as a benchmark for technology-platform peers in the mass participation road running space.

Regional players

• 20km de Montpellier: 20km de Montpellier is a major mass participation road running event in the Occitanie region of southern France. While mixed-gender and longer-distance, it shares L'Avignonnaise's southern-French mass participation event organization profile and participant overlap in regional road running communities.
• La Sportive de Marseille: La Sportive de Marseille is a women's running event in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region where L'Avignonnaise also operates. Same regional geography and similar women's mass participation road running format, though serving a different sub-region (Marseille vs. Avignon).
• Semi-Marathon de Nice: Semi-Marathon de Nice is a Côte d'Azur mass participation road running event. Comparable to L'Avignonnaise as a southern-French endurance event organizer with municipal partnerships and regional sponsor ecosystems, though serving a different geography and longer distance.

Direct peers

• La Parisienne: La Parisienne is a prominent women's-only running event held annually in Paris, typically a 6km to 7km walk/run format. It is the most directly comparable French women's mass participation road running event to L'Avignonnaise, with similar female-focused positioning, multiple distance options, and charitable/CSR framing.
• La Marseillaise des Femmes: La Marseillaise des Femmes is a women's running/walking event in Marseille with a similar format combining 6-8km walking options and a timed running race. Comparable to L'Avignonnaise as a regional French women's-only mass participation event with charitable partnerships.
• Odyssea: Odyssea organizes a nationwide series of women's running and walking events in France dedicated to breast cancer research fundraising. Closely comparable to L'Avignonnaise in terms of women's-only positioning, charity alignment, multi-distance formats, and mass-participation road running model.
• Courir pour Elles: Courir pour Elles is a women's running/walking event held in the Lyon region with explicit cancer-research charitable beneficiaries. It shares with L'Avignonnaise the women's-only format, walking + running distances, charity-driven marketing, and regional French mass participation positioning.
• Les Impératrices: Les Impératrices is a French women's-only running event series. It competes for the same female recreational runner demographic and offers comparable walking/running format combinations to L'Avignonnaise.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/261091850620346
• Instagraminstagram.com/lavignonnaise84

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about L'AVIGNONNAISE