Trail heads: portrait #4

Fabien, 41, is a runner for his time. He doesn't take himself too seriously. He trains a little, but not too much. And yet, he's a finisher of a bunch of ultra trails and every edition of the Ecotrail Paris.

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Fabien is lively. With him, you go straight to the heart of the matter, to his guts. Sport has always been part of his life. First soccer and basketball. Then came running. It's all down to his parents, who are addicted to endurance. One, running. The other, cycling. "When I was little, I used to go with them. So it was natural for me to take up athletics and then cross-country running," Fabien explains. "Especially as, with soccer, I had the basics down pat," he adds. At 15, the young boy from Montigny le Bretonneux naturally found himself at the start of Paris-Versailles. The local race... which he finished in 1h10 and which has also become a great classic for him.

The story

Growing up, the desire to run was multiplied. After having been a marathon runner, he needed an excuse to increase the distance. In 2008, he celebrated his thirtieth birthday by crossing the line for the 80 km Ecotrail Paris. This was his first ultra race, before he went on to realize a number of other challenges and dreams: the UTMB, the Grand Raid des Pyrénées, the Diagonale des fous... And not the least... Fabien knows the consequences of his sporting upbringing. He's determined. And when he signs up for a race, it's to finish it. To make an effort and live a solo moment. Indeed, for this 41-year-old from the Paris region, running is not something to be shared. "It's my moment. An outlet for my everyday frustrations. Besides, I'm incapable of keeping up with anyone else. He is barely willing to exchange a few strides with his children Nathan (11) and Léna (8), to whom he hopes to pass on the passion he inherited from his parents. "They're still small, but Léna has already signed up for athletics. Maybe one day we'll cross a finish line together. In the meantime, my children follow the live broadcasts of the races I take part in". A good start...

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Multi-finisher

A healthy mind in a healthy body. Fabien has made this his obsession. It's what his parents instilled in him. In fact, they both follow him as far as possible on his races. With his mother, he even had the opportunity to run the last few meters of the 2013 edition of the Ecotrail Paris. "I was in a tough spot. We finished together. That helped me. A beautiful memory for this modest man who struggles to acknowledge his feelings. But not the best. Nothing will make him forget the Ecotrail 2018. Armed with his panache, Fabien loved moving forward in the snow and mud. For this mountain lover, it was even the obvious thing to do: "I love snow, mountains and trail running. It was crazy, even if it was hard. I felt like a warrior. It was enough to once again put stars in the eyes of his family, who are very proud of his achievements. But also to make him want to run the UTMB again and again. Once again, Fabien knows what he wants. And who he is. A runner of his time, yes. But one who deserves to be taken seriously.