ST: How many folks do you expect in that event and what precautions are being taken?
Sébastien: There are 500 runners in both races with 87 kilometer and 62 kilometer run options. In these events wearing a mask is mandatory at the start and finish and also at the aid stations. There are waves of 100 people departing every 30 minutes and everything is designed to limit contact between the runners, the public and the volunteers who are very often elderly.
ST: I believe you finished twice on the podium at the coveted
Ultra Trail Du Mont-Blanc event in 2009 and 2011. Where do these finishes rank among all the events you have competed in?
Sébastien: Those were very special moments in my career for me because I was able to see the evolution of the event having taken part in the first edition in 2003 on the short course and having started in it 12 times. What is interesting is this connection that is made with the public and that binds and grows as the race progresses. Indeed, as we go along, we feel that there is an energy that rises and explodes during this final stretch with all these people who want to be there and live in this moment, even if just by proxy.
ST: You won the Hardrock 100k in Colorado in 2013. Was that the only ultra-distance event in the USA that had caught your attention?
Sébastien: When I looked at the races that appealed the most to me in the US, I found this event to be the most beautiful and the most representative of this sport and this country. Racing in Colorado was incredible for me and I felt fortunate to be among the 140 people at the start. What I liked the most about America were the interactions with the local people. The welcome is exceptional, friendly, on a human scale, far from these big mass races which are multiplying in Europe. As for the course, it is incredibly vast and you feel very small in these large spaces. In this amazing place you also are aware that you are part of the food chain, bear, puma, elk and I loved it. Also a few weeks before the event I received a message from Scott Jureck offering me his support as a pacer. What else, we did 80 kilometers together and had an incredible time. A lot of great memories.
ST: Have you been back to the USA since and have you done any other big races here?
Sébastien: No unfortunately I would have liked to come and try other races like the Western States or go do the Nolan's 14 Ultra. I only came back for The North Face in San Francisco as well as Sedona for athlete summits.