Touché, mais pas coulé. (UTMB 2025)

Down, but not out. It's easy to talk about a victory or a podium finish. Talking about dropping out, on the other hand, is a whole different story. In this video, I wanted to share the story of my first UTMB, this slightly crazy dream that pushed me to take up trail running in 2017. The first images I have of it date back to the 2017 edition, when François d’Haene triumphed over a certain Kilian Jornet. On September 1st, 2017, I was starry-eyed in front of my phone screen, watching someone I only knew from social media raise his arms in victory at the Place du Triangle de l’Amitié in Chamonix. That day, I promised myself that one day, I too would take part in this legendary race. A few years later, I had the chance to meet the man who had inspired me so much—and who continues to do so. Even better: I got to share hours of mountain training with him. And eight years after that first thrill, here I am beside him, under that starting arch… This year, my goal was clear: to arrive stronger than ever on August 29, 2025, under the starting arch, ready to give my all, with my only obsession being to savor every second and every meter of that day. With Enzo Besson (director), we wanted to give you an inside look at this race, to immerse you in this dream as I experienced it: with intensity, with passion. Blood, a few tears, suffering, but above all, an enormous amount of love. —————————————————————————— This video is the culmination of a lot of work, and I wanted to thank Enzo Besson once again for producing this series of videos. Thanks also to everyone who contributed to this project, whether directly or indirectly. It's not a victory, but this setback will teach me a lot for the future. Thanks also to our video partners, New Balance and Overstims, who gave us the resources to create this video series. See you soon. Théo