Casquette Verte's advice on the Trail 80km

For me, the EcoTrail Paris 80km is the benchmark race in the Paris region.

‍

Discovering the woods and forests of south-west Paris and an incredible finish on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower, we're simply lucky that this event/adventure exists.

Personally, I see the 80km EcoTrail Paris as a fairly challenging event. It's a mental and physical workout, thanks to a very rolling terrain that's runnable over almost 100% of the course. It's possible to set a very good pace all the way through, and "send" almost two marathons in a row. That's the big difficulty: there's very little respite. Of course, if you want, you can slow down and take your time, and that's also part of what we do. But if you want to be ahead of the race, it's really very difficult.

If I had to give three pieces of advice:

The first: Don't go all out!

The first few kilometers are particularly rolling, and you quickly get sucked into the atmosphere. You quickly get into the red, without really realizing it. And generally, you really regret it from the 50th kilometer onwards. Each time I took part, I lost places until 2/3 of the race. After that, and without having to accelerate, I always caught up with those who went off too fast. So that's something to remember. By the time I reach Buc (km 23), I should be as fresh as I was at the start. If not, then I'd better ease off.

The second: Condition yourself to the fact that you're going to have "long moments".

What I call long moments are those moments in life that seem interminable: a straight stretch where you can't see the end, a hill that never seems to end, an uninterrupted running sequence lasting dozens and dozens of minutes. All these types of moments are real mental challenges: you have to be patient, not get worked up, not lose hope, stay motivated. And there's no secret to managing this well: you simply have to condition yourself before the race to the fact that it's bound to happen, and that it's perfectly normal. Once you've understood that, it's much easier to manage these moments mentally.

Third: The race begins at the Saint-Cloud ravito, at kilometer 70.

I'm hardly exaggerating when I say that. For me, the race starts at this point in the head, not in the legs (they'll surely be totally cooked after the 70km you've run beforehand, and after the climb up to the Horseshoe that will take you to that last refreshment point). If I say the race starts here, it's because there's still 10km to go. On paper, it's not much, but if you look up, you'll realize that the Eiffel Tower isn't just a few strides away. These 10km are certainly the easiest of the race, technically speaking. What makes them so difficult is that they are very rolling and on a hard surface. To be able to pick up a good pace, it's important to have kept a little under your foot, because if you don't, these 10km can be very long when you're walking. My advice on this: if you have the opportunity to spot those last 10km, you'll have the distance in mind. That's a big plus.

One last trap to avoid on the EcoTrail Paris

You'll be spending a lot of time with other runners on this race. Sometimes, you'll find people who are in exactly the same rhythm as you, and that will be great. But more often than not, you'll find yourself with people who are in a different shape to you, and it's absolutely vital to avoid taking on someone else's pace. Very often, it's better to separate yourself: to ease off or go ahead, to keep your own pace.

It remains for me to wish you all a very happy EcoTrail Paris. Enjoy this magical adventure to the full!

PS: Fun little game I've played with all my entries: try to get to the bottom of the Eiffel Tower at xx h 55 min. You'll thank me later ;)