A new expense for racing enthusiasts. In a press release published recently, the French Athletics Federation (FFA) announced that the Health Prevention Pathway (PPS), until now free, will be replaced by a Health Prevention Pass, which is subject to payment. From next January, all non-licensed participants will have to pay 5 euros to run a race.
Until 2024, runners had to present a medical certificate to participate. But faced with the saturation of medical practices, the State asked the FFA to find an alternative. In January 2024, the PPS was launched in the form of a health status declaration form, replacing the medical certificate.
PPS: what is actually changing?
The major differences between the Health Prevention Pathway and its successor, the Health Prevention Pass, are the cost and the duration of validity. The first, completely free, is valid for three months, while the second is paid and valid for one year. Furthermore, the new version also includes civil liability insurance, as the club license already does. “This system will mark a new stage in the democratization of a supervised practice», justifies the federation in its press release.
The process for obtaining the document remains the same and will always be done online on the FFA website. Applicants will have to complete a form on their state of health and watch three videos of three to four minutes each, but this time produced by professional athletes.
What are these 5 euros for?
With 2 million unlicensed participants each year, the Health Prevention Pass could generate almost 10 million euros per yeara substantial budget that the FFA intends to dedicate to the development of its projects.
The federation plans to set up resources accessible from its site on themes such as nutrition, sleep or risk of injury. “This new format aims to make the practice more secure and raise everyone’s awareness of the key messages», insists the organization.
By spring 2026, the FFA also plans to deploy DataRunning, a new public platform “dedicated to data processing and data visualization“. On the same principle as private applications like Strava, Garmin or RunMotion, it will allow each runner to follow their progress, compare their performances and plan their development.
What do the organizers think?
Despite these announcements, some of the organizers and runners grind their teeth faced with this new pricing. In a press release published on Friday, November 28, the France Outdoor association, which brings together nearly 200 players in outdoor sporting events, denounces a lack of consultation and calls for the suspension of this measure.
The association also reports “fears among many organizers, particularly of small events, in which many occasional practitioners take part», and calls on the FFA to set up a “real collaboration” which includes the organizers, but also the runners.
