At 23, Baptiste Grosjean surprised everyone by covering the 42 kilometers of the Toulouse marathon in sandals this Sunday. A thoughtful choice that he explains with the help of his studies on the human body.
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We could easily believe in a lost bet between friends seeing Baptiste Grosjean present himself on the starting line of the Toulouse marathon this Sunday. And for good reason, the young 23-year-old student finished the race wearing only sandals. Enough to set the Internet on fire in no time.
His feat, shared on his TikTok account, has already been seen nearly 900,000 times and does not fail to raise questions about the reasons which pushed him to complete this challenge.
In reality, his choice comes from a deep reflection on running. “I’m not anti-shoes but they remain an anesthetic. The more you run naturally, the more you train at the muscular level and the more protective it is for the body in the long term”explains this trail enthusiast.
His studies in chiropractic, a technique for manipulating nerves and joints to relieve pain, particularly popular in the United States, allows him to have precise knowledge of the human body.
Combined with numerous scientific readings extolling the benefits of “minimalist race”Baptiste did not hesitate to embark on this new way of running. “With my sandals, my muscles are much stronger and I have a better stride. Thanks to that, I didn’t have any aches the day after the marathon”rejoices the student.
He encourages running enthusiasts to try the experience: “The first times in sandals it’s difficult, but with adaptation everything goes well. The sensations during the race are increased tenfold and this allows us to better understand our muscles and our weak points.”
Anyone who runs 70 kilometers per week on average will have completed the Toulouse marathon in 3 hours and 23 minutes. “I wasn’t there for the performance. I had fun dancing in front of the marching bands and above all I chatted a lot with runners who congratulated me on my challenge”he smiles.
This trail enthusiast is above all proud to have worn sandals designed in Occitania, precisely from the Salanqa brand in the Pyrénées-Orientales.
Baptiste Grosjean does not intend to stop there. For his next marathon, he promises to wear Lightning McQueen Crocs, named after the hero of the film Cars. Enough to surprise its competitors and ignite social networks again.
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