The competition was created in 1972 by Alexandre Joly, a French politician who would later become Mayor of Houilles.

Initially a men's event only on a course of around 9 kilometres (5.6 mi), the race attracted high level competition from the beginning, with Poland's Bronisław Malinowski winning the 1974 race the same year as his gold medal win at the 1974 European Athletics Championships.

The date of the race has not always been 31 December due to organisational restrictions, but it is usually held within the final days of the year.

Ethiopia's Ayelech Worku is the most successful woman at the race, having won four times consecutively from 1995 to 1998.

Anpther Ethiopian woman had three straight wins from 2003 to 2006 Merima Denboba and Kenya's Micah Kogo achieved the same feat on the men's side from 2006 to 2008.