The former hero of the TF1 show Koh-Lanta, Claude Dartois, was at the start of the Ultra du Trail du Saint-Jacques. A “demanding” event that he completed in just over 21 hours, and in which he was able to count on the support of hundreds of fans who encouraged him.
“You would have to deduct the overall time I spent taking selfies because I really stopped a lot during the race!” he said jokingly at the finish.
The Koh-Lanta adventurer, Claude Dartois, was at the start of this 2024 edition of the Saint-Jacques Trail. It is no coincidence that he has always been very far in the television adventure: the man is above all a great sportsman.
Accustomed to ultra trail running, his presence in Puy-en-Velay has not gone unnoticed. On arrival, after a few photos with many fans, he confided all the difficulty of this Ultra of the Trail du Saint-Jacques.
It is truly a demanding test. By the end, I was tired of climbing! I could only run downhill. I walked the last 30 kilometers…
Despite everything, since sunrise he has been able to appreciate the beauty of the landscapes and the route. “I discovered some very beautiful traces, but I was too in the dark to fully appreciate them!”
Claude Dartois even got lost for a moment, making a small extension of about one or two kilometers. When we only make 133, it’s not so fair!
Despite everything, the three-time finalist of Kho-Lanta remains a competitor at heart. “I had set myself 20 hours to do the race. Now I’m doing more than 21 hours…” A result that he explains lucidly. “I started too quickly already, I didn’t have enough training when I arrived here. In addition, I mismanaged my diet during the race…” 109th at daybreak, he then slowly fell back in the general classification. Claude Dartois finishes the Ultra du Trail du Saint-Jacques in 166th place overall.
Lionel Ciochetto
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