Canadian UTMB Crusher sets new FKT in Paris

based in montreal Mathieu Blanchard sets a new FKT (Fastest Known Time) on Friday at the Grande Randonneis 75 (GR 75) in Paris.of 2 UTMB Once on the podium, he seemed to explode as he raced through the City of Light. The GR 75 was created by him in 2017 as his route for urban hiking as part of Paris’ bid for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. (Grande Randonnée loosely means long walks, and has a network of his GR trails across Europe.)

For the GR 75, its website It is 51.56 kilometers long and has an elevation difference of 367 meters. Blanchard’s Strava route took him over 52.10 kilometers over the 500-meter summit in 4 hours and 9 minutes, and throughout the trek he maintained an average pace of 4:47/km.

Blanchard’s journey traversed nine Parisian districts and 75 green spaces, some of which were unknown to the public. The GR 75 skips major sights such as the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral, but as Blanchard points out, it passes iconic monuments and structures such as the Vélodrome de la Cipale and the Zenith of Paris. increase.

The GR 75 is often recognizable by its white and red painted sign, a trademark of the French Hiking Federation.Blanchard is Instagram To share his experience, he said that while the markings were effective, it was a little strange to find the signs for telephone poles and traffic lights when “we were used to seeing them in the mountains and in natural spaces.” rice field.

With his usual enthusiasm, Blanchard called FKT: have to adapt. ”

Blanchard was born in France but has lived in Montreal since 2014. He says his love for trail running comes from Quebec, where he first encountered his community on the trail. Navigating the streets of Paris was a fun challenge for him.

“We discovered the suburbs of the capital with stylish spots, old railways, tunnels, parks and tranquil gardens,” writes Blanchard. He posted the challenge on Instagram. who’s going to ride soon? “