In Reunion, this runner from Loire-Atlantique aims to cover 175 km in 66 hours without sleeping!

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The inhabitant of Sainte-Pazanne (Loire-Atlantique) Emmanuel Guillome and his twin brother flew towards theReunion Island in Indian Ocean, for two weeks.

The goal: to participate, with 3,000 other runners, in the Diagonale des fous, an ultra-trail of 175 km and 10,500 m of elevation gain.

Thursday October 17, at 10 p.m. Reunion time, they will set off through breathtaking landscapes, from lush forests to steep rocky ridges.

A select race

Access to this race is limited and difficult: “You have to have a good level to participate in this trail,” confides Emmanuel.

However, Emmanuel Guillome, now 44 years old, started racing “only” in 2017. The one, who had played football in his youth, was caught up in his life as a father and his professional life.

But seven years ago, when he tried running, the father of three fell in love with exercise and decided not to stop.

“There is no age to start”

This sport, discovered thanks to his twin Olivier, allows him to escape from his daily life. Aeronautics project manager, Emmanuel works in an office. “There is no age to start. You just have to go little by little, climb the kilometer scale and let your mind do the rest. It’s an escape, you clear your head while discovering the landscape. »

An ultra-trail, the Val d’Aran in the Spanish Pyrenees

Despite the distance that separates him and his twin brother, the two men train together. “We know that we are leaving at the same time and that despite the kilometers, we are experiencing the same thing. It’s motivation. »

Since 2017, Emmanuel has completed several trails:

I had always done trails of 20 to 85 km, between 2017 and 2022, until Christophe, a friend, suggested I do an ultra-trail, the Val d’Aran in the Spanish Pyrenees. We took 32 hours to complete the 165 km and here we are qualified for the UTMB in 2023. On the UTMB with Olivier, we reached the finish in 29 hours 39.”

An unknown territory

For four months, the two men have been following the same intensive training to prepare for the big trail that awaits them. Following the same training plan, Emmanuel and his brother carry out strengthening sessions, races and 5 to 6 hour outings on the weekend.

Without sleeping

To avoid encroaching on his family life, Emmanuel gets up very early to go running, with the help of his headlamp, in order to return when his children wake up. “It is important for me to take time for my family and not let my projects encroach on our daily lives and our organization. »

For the Diagonale des fous, Emmanuel and Olivier’s objective is to finish the 175 km, and the numerous elevation changes, in 66 hours… and without sleeping! “This is uncharted territory for us. Temperature and humidity, two important factors to take into account during races, which are not the same as in France,” confides Emmanuel.

To follow online

The diagonal of fools, its 3,000 participants and Emmanuel and his brother Olivier can be followed on the internet where the race will be broadcast. “Being a sport that has not yet been professionalized, it is an immense pleasure to say that we are going to race alongside the elite and the world champions. »

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