Free to run, on the Road to the Paris 2024 Marathon
Temporary exhibition from 11.05.2023 – 03.03.2024
FREE TO RUN: ON THE ROAD TO THE PARIS 2024 MARATHON
The Olympic Museum presents “Free to Run”, a multimedia experience that explores the fascinating world of marathon and long-distance running. From the marathon’s first appearance at the Athens 1896 Olympics to the Paris 2024 Mass Participation Marathon, the exhibition tells the story of how personal and social freedoms were achieved through running.
ABOUT
Pierre Morath – a Swiss athlete, sports historian and documentary filmmaker – is the curator of the “Free to Run” exhibition. In 2016, he directed the film Free to Run, which looks back at how running went from being an unconventional hobby to a worldwide phenomenon.
EXHIBITION
The exhibition features an immersive audiovisual experience in three languages (English/French/German). The exhibition displays contribute to the immersive experience, with large-screen projections of beautifully captured images.
The visitor will discover beautiful images, from the archives of the first Olympic marathon to the Paris 2024 Mass Participation Marathon. A blue line – the iconic marking used by runners to navigate marathon circuits – will guide visitors round the exhibition space through the following themes:
- Born To Run?
- The Marathon: Blood, Sweat and Tears
- The Trailblazers
- Revolution!
- Running Boom
- Records
- Running for All!
SPECIAL EXHIBITION - 30TH ANNIVERSARY LAUSANNE MARATHON
The Lausanne Marathon is a must for running enthusiasts. Thousands of runners now take up the challenge every year, setting off along Route du Lac to fulfil a dream. To celebrate this shared history, The Olympic Museum has put together a photo retrospective looking back at the Lausanne Marathon over the past 30 years.
Visit the exhibition until 12 November in the Art Lounge (level -1).
ACTIVITIES MUSEUM
Cultural Events
- 10 MAY 2023, FROM 6 TO 10 P.M.
- Exhibition opening
- Round-table discussion with marathon legends Bobbi GIBB and Kathrine SWITZER, with exhibition curator and running expert Pierre MORATH. Talk in English, moderated by Thérèse COURVOISIER.
- Concert by ROXANE (SUI) – folk, pop.
- MARATHON PREPARATION PROGRAMME WITH ENMOUVEMENT – “RUN @ OLYMPIC MUSEUM” (MAY - OCTOBER 2023)
Beginner runners will get the chance to take part in an eight-week training programme in the Olympic Museum Park. The sessions will focus primarily on functional training, which is often neglected by people taking up running for the first time. The programme will be split into two eight-week session (max. 25 people for each session).
- Group 1: from Tuesday 16 May to Tuesday 4 July
- Group 2: from Tuesday 29 August to Tuesday 17 October.
- 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OLYMPIC MUSEUM – 24 JUNE 2023
To celebrate its 30th anniversary, The Olympic Museum is organising a series of activities throughout the year. There will be a special day of festivities on 24 June to mark its three decades of existence.
- MUSEUMS NIGHT – 23 SEPTEMBER 2023
- Mini tours of the temporary and permanent exhibitions
- Workshops for the whole family
- Running regime stand
- 23 NOVEMBER: THE WORLD OF RACING
A round-table discussion, moderated by Rémi DUCHEMIN, about different types of races and the specific features of each, with: Maude MATHYS, Grégoire MILLET, David POLETTI et Franco FOGLIATO
- FEBRUARY 2024: LE MARATHON SANS FIN – THE AFTERLIFE
With Pierre MORATH and some of the participants from the RTS programme Le Marathon sans fin.
SCHOOL WORKSHOP
The « Urban Playground » workshop invites school groups to think about the perception and use of public spaces through sport, with the aim of perceiving and inhabiting the city differently. A tour of the Museum can also be booked.
The workshop is open until 1 March 2024.
Booking is required.
Info and reservations:
Tel.: +41 21 621 67 20 & Email
Two documents are available to help teachers prepare a self-guided tour with a class.
A detailed map with an overview of the temporary exhibition and two suggested routes.
A visit guide presenting the different chapters of the exhibition, detailing their contents and suggesting some activities to be carried out with a group.
ONLINE
- Online
360° virtual tour of the exhibition
Discover
- The Google Arts & Culture experience
This new online exhibition on the rich history of Olympic marathons features videos, photos and exclusive Olympic heritage archive material, plus interactive activities for virtual visitors.
- Podcast - À la croisée des Jeux
The fourth season of the podcast “À la Croisée des Jeux” (At the Crossroads of the Games) is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, YouTube and the Museum website. Listen to athletes, experts and journalists discuss running and the marathon from a historical, Olympic, sporting, scientific and grassroots perspective in English and French.
- Audio experience: Access to the immersive audio experience created for the "Free to Run" exhibition.
Available in 3 languages: French - English - German
