Meet Jérôme Toulouse, race director

Jérôme talks openly about the cancellation of the 2020 edition, the health situation, the forthcoming edition, the challenges of eco-responsibility, ...

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Could you introduce yourself in a few words?

A keen sportsman, especially Trail-running, and a finisher of the EcoTrail Paris® in 2011 and again in 2012, I joined this great adventure in 2014, and this year will be my seventh EcoTrail Paris behind the curtain. I'm now in charge of the overall management of the project, the link between the different organization divisions and the strategic decisions for the future of the event.  

How did you experience the special year 2020?

The arrival of Covid19 was a real upheaval in everyone's personal and professional lives. The health and economic crisis that followed was particularly hard on the events sector, which was hit particularly hard. The postponement of the 2020 edition, a week before it was due to take place, and then its cancellation, after a year and a half of preparation, was a real heartbreak not only for the riders, but also for the entire organization team. Our job, which is a passionate one, demands a great deal of personal investment, but we find our daily satisfaction in offering runners a unique experience, and seeing them smiling on D-Day, after so much effort.

After this cancellation, how is the EcoTrail Paris doing today?

Like many others, we've been hard hit by this long-lasting crisis. The cancellation of an event is far from neutral, and it will take us several editions to return to a normal economic situation. The economic situation means that some partners, including the main one, can no longer support us in the future. I would like to thank those who continue to be with us in these complicated times.

90% of the 2020 budget had been committed before the postponement, and other expenses had to be incurred in preparation for the postponement to October 2020. We decided not to pass on this loss to the riders, and tried to find the best possible compromise by proposing an acceptable scheme (50% reimbursement or postponement to 2021 or 2022). The economic reality would have required us to reimburse the riders up to 20%, but this was absolutely out of the question!

Is the opening of registrations a strong signal that you're optimistic about the event?

Yes, we can be optimistic, but with all due caution. We are currently putting in place all the necessary guarantees to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved in the event (runners, volunteers, partners, service providers).

To date, we have no certainty and no information from the competent authorities, but an event of this scale cannot be prepared in a few weeks. We have been working actively on the 2021 edition since the cancellation of the 2020 edition.

We are working on different scenarios with limit gauges to ensure that the event can be held in good conditions with all those registered. Changing the start times and staggering the successive waves is one of the scenarios we are considering and will be submitting to the Prefectures. This would make it possible to avoid too high a concentration of runners in a given place.

Should it prove impossible to hold the event on July 3 and 4, 2021 for health reasons, we will do our utmost to find another date in the autumn, but this is obviously not the scenario we would like to see.

Does the announcement of new measures in Ile-de-France have an impact on the organization of the EcoTrail Paris?

The reinforced measures in the Paris region change absolutely nothing for us or for the riders. The summer date was not chosen by chance. We know that the government will do everything in its power to ensure that the French can get away this summer. The information provided by the Minister of Culture on outdoor festivals gives us confidence that the event will go ahead. We have also set up a cancellation guarantee to cover the risks associated with the pandemic. Riders will be reimbursed in full if the event cannot go ahead.

For the first time in its history, the EcoTrail Paris® will be taking place in summer, an unusual date. What's the difference?

The EcoTrail Paris® is traditionally held in March, with weather conditions varying from year to year. The health situation meant that there was far too much uncertainty about this period at the time when we had to position ourselves in the federal calendar. After consultation with our institutional partners, we agreed on the first weekend in July, just before the school vacations.

Holding the event in summer will indeed be a first in the young history of the EcoTrail Paris®. The days are longer and the weather conditions are certainly milder than in March. The forests to the west of the Paris region will take on a different look and a different color. Runners familiar with the March event are sure to discover another. We look forward to seeing you on the trails.

Can you tell us more about the 2021 edition of the EcoTrail Paris®?

Initiated in 2020, the Trail 10km, which has yet to see the light of day, will be the real novelty on the competitive side; a 100% nature trail entirely laid out inside the Domaine National de Saint-Cloud. It's a real introduction to trail running.

Next, we're going to take our sustainable development strategy a step further. It's been in the event's DNA since its creation in 2008. We've got lots of ideas and a lot of work to do on this theme, particularly with regard to the total relocation of our purchases and energy.

The first major action was the discontinuation of the finisher T-shirt. For several years, we had felt that this gift, offered to runners, was not in line with our values. This decision, taken in consultation with our equipment partner, before he unilaterally decided not to continue the adventure with us, is a strong one.

We are also currently working with local partners on "responsible" food products to be supplied to runners at refreshment points. We want to change people's mindsets on this subject. Eating bananas and oranges (foods that are mostly found at running events), whose carbon impact is too high, must be banned from events. Runners will have at their disposal organic or sustainable, local and seasonal products with the same nutritional qualities necessary for the human body.

Other actions are being developed and will see the light of day very soon.