The Thionvillois Sébastien Jacquemin runs with his legs and with his head. The trained engineer who is part of the closed circle of extreme runners will set off on his second ultra-trail of Mont-Blanc: 170 kilometers and 10,000 meters of elevation gain which he hopes to swallow in less than 28 hours.
Catherine Roeder – Today at 05:00
Trained as an engineer, Sébastien Jacquemin, 37, is also an extreme runner. Sportsman “touches everything”, he discovered the trail in 2018 by participating in the Kanerdall (20 km). “Batten” by this discipline which combines sport and nature, the Thionvillois who likes challenges will push further, see bigger with the ultra-trail of Haut-Koenigsbourg (110 km) which he will swallow by finishing on the podium , and, in the process, that of the Sultanate of Oman (130 km) in 2019. “I am in serious training and I have a good mind”, indicates the ultra-trailer who, if he has a good sports capital, advance alone. The engineer documents, analyzes, plans, calculates down to the smallest detail. “I do everything on my own,” Sébastien Jacquemin adds, who can nevertheless count on the presence and commitment of his companion, Coralie Dupont, who accompanies him on all his races.
A better workout
In 2021, he is still gaining momentum by qualifying for the Mont-Blanc ultra (170 km and 10,000 meters of elevation gain +) which he completes in just under 29 hours, which earns him 81st place on 2,500. Three participations in the ultra-trail of Corsica in 2021, 2022 and 2023, the Infernal trail of the Vosges in 2022 which he won – “It’s my most successful race despite a tear in the calf” – , the Beaufortain Ultra in July 2023 and again the UTMB on September 1st for which he is showing his ambitions. “I leave with an advantage, I already know the route and I have better training”. For his second participation in this legendary race, the Thionvillois trains hard between 10 and 20 hours a week. And it is at Fort Guentrange, in the forest, on its difficult trails, that he climbs all year round. In less than a fortnight, he will be on the starting line in Chamonix with the aim of “doing better than the first time”. The engineer that he is in the city has already calculated everything and hopes to save an hour on supplies.
“A Privileged One”
And that’s where his partner, Coralie, comes in, since she’s the one in charge of following him in the car and providing him with the logistical and moral support he needs every 20 or 30 kilometers. “Everything is ready in the trunk (water, energy drink, snacks, dry clothes, etc.). The goal is to go as quickly as possible”. And to resume: “I know by his face if it’s okay or not. Sometimes I even shake him when I feel he’s less well,” admits Coralie, who is living her own adventure through that of Sébastien. “Beyond the stopwatch, being able to run really long distances gives me access to amazing places. I then have the feeling of being privileged”, confides the extreme runner who never ceases to marvel.
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