For his 40th birthday, Mathieu Choaler wanted to run a “three-digit” distance. It will be 100 km. Licensed to Quimper leisure jogging, he will start the raid, one of the events of the 19th edition of the Ultra Marin, Friday June 28, at 11 a.m., from Sarzeau, to reach Vannes. Such a distance will be a great first.
“I have been running for around ten years. And I have gradually increased the distances over the past five years,” confides this trail enthusiast. 10 km, then 15, 20… up to 60 km. It has become almost addictive. “I got a taste for the distance, I felt capable, so I wanted to see how far I could go.”
He has already raced L’Arvor
Mathieu Choaler knows Ultra Marine well. He ran L’Arvor (56 km) three times, setting his best time (6h46) in 2022. For his 40th birthday, he needed a new “challenge”. And has prepared accordingly since the start of 2024. “I only did three official races: the Glazig, the Bretagne Ultra trail and the Guerlédan trail, which allowed me to check that everything was ok on a physical and material level. In Ergué-Gabéric, where he lives, he found the ideal training ground. Every week, he runs between 30 and 70 km, opts for long outings on weekends, and also forces himself to cycle.
A look, a word, a gesture can restart the machine when you are at rock bottom.
“There will be some slack”
Friday June 28, Mathieu Choaler will leave for ten to fifteen hours of effort. ” It’s very long ! There will be some slack. After 60 km, I risk getting into the hard part. The body gets used to the distance and duration. But at some point, the physical aspect, I know that I will no longer have it. It’s the mind that will keep you going. We will have to find the resources.” His family and friends will be among them. “Over such a period, this support is very important. They will follow me throughout the course, it is a great help psychologically. A look, a word, a gesture allows you to restart the machine when you are at rock bottom.”
The race should benefit from sunny weather, with 25°C. “I fear the heat, it can quickly destroy the efforts. We will have to think about hydrating well, even when we are not thirsty, and cover our heads well.”
The rolling route, a “trap”
The Gabéricois plans to “arrive during the night”. An atmosphere that he particularly appreciates. “But with fatigue, both physical and emotional, we will have to watch out for accidents. The main thing for me will be to finish the race in good condition. No matter the weather.” His strategy? “Save money. The route is rolling. The trap would be to leave too quickly and get burned.” At the risk of waking up a knee injury that has been treated for several weeks. The Quimper leisure jogging licensee will therefore alternate running and walking, thus taking advantage of the panorama: “I’m not aiming for the podium! So I’ll take the time to look! The Gulf of Morbihan is very pretty, it’s great to explore it, especially since the atmosphere is also magnificent, there are people everywhere to encourage us.
