she is preparing to participate in the 100 km running world championships

Louise-Marie Thévenin will participate in her first 100 km running world championships, in India, on December 7. The 26-year-old from Abbeville is experiencing a meteoric rise in the discipline after having already distinguished herself in the half-marathon and marathon. She is currently finalizing her preparation in the Somme.

“I did my first 100 km in 7h57, in Amiens, in October 2023, which immediately put me into international performance to join the French team.“By evoking this success, Louise-Marie Thévenin, originally from Abbeville in the Somme, sets the scene.

The enormous result allowed him to obtain a bib for his first world championships in the discipline, in India, on December 7. If this seems out of the ordinary, nothing is due to chance. The 26-year-old athlete follows an almost daily routine. Early in the morning or late in the evening, whatever the weather, Louise-Marie swallows the kilometers, alone or supervised, on her training routes which saw her develop into long-distance running.

All the firsts were for Louise-Marie an indicator of high performance. After being double French junior half-marathon champion (21.1 km), “I started marathons four years ago slowly, passing the three-hour mark. But I was quickly blocked by the speed because I like to run for a very long time and not necessarily fast. In the marathon, I felt that I was very good in this discipline, but I could still do more.“

So his mind turned to long distances. With less than a year of practice, she was launched into the world’s elite. These world championships will represent only his third race in this format, absent from the Olympic Games. For Julien Spillebout, vice-president of the Louise-Marie club, Courir à Abbeville (CAA), it is an atypical journey. “We see the average age over a 100 km, we exceed 40 years. It’s true that to do a 100 km at 25 years old, you have to be able to keep up. It’s not given to everyone.“

Between two sessions, Louise-Marie works full time in the Abbeville green brigade. “I don’t make a living from running, not at all. I do some shopping, but that’s not enough to make a full living from it. So, I work like everyone else, and I train diligently on the side.“

The preparation program is busy and precise. Met at the end of October, after returning from Covid, the Samarian summarized her schedule over the past few days. Starting from a marathon integrated into his training, run on a Sunday, in 3h08, far from his record of 2h53. The next day, she mentioned having carried out “a complete recovery run. It was a leisurely 1h15 to see how the legs were doing. I did about 16 km. Then, on Tuesday, I had two hours of running (25 km in total). The second hour, I did a 100 km pace, I was between 4’35 and 4’45 per kilometer.“Louise-Marie Thévenin therefore runs the 100 km at an average of 12.5 and 13 km/h.

L’Abbevilleise indicated, last October, to do between 120 and 150 km per week, before increasing the volume, where 200 km per week were planned as part of a training course for the French team in Reunion, beginning november.”Obviously, there are specific paces and very slow jogging to recover from the morning or the day before, depending on the sessions.“

To perform at this level, the surroundings are essential. His mother is never far away. And his companion is present during the intense sessions and most of the races, such as during his 100 km record, in Belgium, last May. Pierre Lesieur, companion of Louise-Marie, expresses: “It’s not a sacrifice because even before knowing Louise-Marie, I was such a sporty person. Obviously, not at the same level. I have the same values ​​as her, so I know the sacrifices that are necessary.“

Pleasure is also essential. “It’s a sport where as soon as you can go running, your head follows. We forget everything. It always does the soul good. I still enjoy running as much. The day I no longer feel like it mentally, I think I will need to rest.“

We’re going to have over 20°C suddenly. I think the body will not necessarily acclimatize well.

Louise-Marie Thévenin, member of the French 100 km team

The time to relax is still far away with this competition in India. Louise-Marie will honor her first selection with a little pressure. And a part of the unknown regarding the climatic conditions. “Here, in Picardy, it is cold. We’re going to have over 20°C suddenly. I think the body will not necessarily acclimatize well. So, I’m really going to favor the place for the women who are going to race. And the individual place before the timer.“

At the end, she will perhaps glean a team medal. One thing is certain, this is only the beginning of a unique path in the world of running for the Samarian whose future is promising.

With Maxime Lictevout / FTV