Biathlete Julia Simon made it to the podium in the 10 km of the Mont Blanc Marathon last weekend. The opportunity for the reigning sprint and pursuit world champion to “test” herself while having fun and preparing for next season.
There were some very good people in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. In addition to Sunday’s Marathon, which saw Moroccan Elhousine Elazzaoui win, the other races (10 km, 23 km or 90 km among others) offered very good performances like that of Julia Simon. With a time of 47 minutes and 34 seconds, the French biathlete finished in 3rd place in the 10 km.
Are you a regular trail runner?
I am a regular trail runner but in training. Living in the Beaufortain massif, I love putting on my sneakers to get some fresh air and run in the mountains. On the other hand, I am not used to wearing a bib, but it was a real pleasure.
You ran the 10km, are you planning to run the Marathon next time?
As long as I am a professional biathlon athlete, it seems complicated to me to do a race of more than 23km in trail. Indeed, a longer race leaves traces and it is difficult to fit into a millimeter program to perform in biathlon.
Do such races help you stay in shape during the biathlon summer break?
A race like this allows me to break my routine, put on a bib and therefore do some intensity. It’s perfect for testing myself, having fun in a discipline that I love and preparing for the winter season. I run very regularly but at a training pace. Trail running is a very good way to train our endurance.
As in biathlon, you use glasses for running. How is this beneficial?
My glasses are an essential accessory. I have light eyes, they are sensitive to the sun. They therefore allow me to be well protected. In my sport, it is also very useful to protect me from the wind on the descents and to avoid arriving on the shooting range with tears in my eyes.
Are you going to come see the Olympic Games in Paris?
I have no plans to go to Paris for the 2024 Olympics at the moment because I have a very busy schedule and I will unfortunately be watching the events on television.
The Winter Olympics will be held in France, is that a goal for you?
I don’t know yet what my future will be. For now, I’m focused on the 2026 Olympics.
