Trail heads: portrait #2

Julien describes himself as a Parisian banker. But that doesn't stop him from finishing all the EcoTrail formats. And he wants to challenge the UTMB next August.

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Always unexpected, Julien has the art of stirring up trouble. Having been a funboarding nut in the 90s, he chose banking as his profession. And trail running as his favourite sport. Marathon running at first, to avoid turning into a desperate forty-something. Then trail running, so as not to give in to the dictates of the stopwatch.

The story

Julien is now an ultra-trailer who, in seven years of racing, has made choices that are neither complacent nor easy. A hard worker with a thirst for adventure and self-improvement. A gentle dreamer fighting against... age. "If I signed up for the Paris Marathon in 2011, it was first and foremost to prove to myself and to those close to me that I was not yet a crumbling old man. The challenges then came naturally. And even if Julien says that it's sometimes difficult to reconcile his mountain fantasies (or rather, the height difference) with his Parisian life. Deep down, he's found the right compromise. Even if it means inventing his own little theatrics. On a daily basis, he frequents gyms rather than nightclubs. Twice a week, the businessman spends his lunches training in the Bois de Boulogne. And his weekends are largely devoted to running. On Saturdays, Julien wakes up at dawn to go running when everyone else is asleep, including his phone. That's for long runs. And on Sundays? No better for him than a family jog in the woods with his wife and their two daughters Capucine and Olympe, aged 12 and 9 respectively. The idea is "not to isolate yourself, because that's the biggest risk you run when you practice intensely".

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80 km with your head in the stars

For Julien, running is worth all the antidepressants in the world. "This sport energizes me. It makes me feel euphoric. In my job, I use it to prepare for meetings, deal with big files and anticipate my weeks". It's only a short step from there to saying that he's obsessed with running. Even if he denies it. Julien manages his races with an unquestionable mastery based on very specific codes. His preparations are close to perfection. Cardio, muscle strengthening, visualization... nothing is left to chance. Whatever the event...

He has already conquered the Saintélyon, the Templiers and the Grand Raid du Morbihan. And all the EcoTrail formats. "This race is a ritual. In fact, it's one of my fondest running memories. In 2015, Julien completed the 80 km for the first time. "I climbed the steps of the Eiffel Tower as it lit up. My head was in the stars...". A real dream for the trailer. And a foretaste of the emotion Julien is set to experience at the UTMB next August. He'll be taking up the challenge by once again running the 80 km EcoTrail. But by including it as a long outing in his preparation. It's a challenge we hope he'll finish on a high note, before finding the challenge that will help him digest his approaching fifties.