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Canadian UTMB crusher sets new FKT in Paris

Mathieu Blanchard had all the fun on a quick jaunt around Paris

Mathieu Blanchard Paris FKT

Montreal-based Mathieu Blanchard set a new FKT (fastest known time) on the Grande Randonnée 75 (GR 75) in Paris on Friday. The two-time UTMB podium finisher looked like he had a blast as he sped through the City of Light. The GR 75 was created in 2017 as an urban hiking route, set up as part of Paris’s bid for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. (“Grande Randonnée” loosely translates to a long walk, and there is a network of GR trails throughout Europe.)

mathieu blanchard running Paris FKT
Photo: Instagram/mathieu_blanchard

The GR 75 is described on its website as being 51.56 kilometres long, with 367 metres of elevation gain. Blanchard’s Strava route took him over 52.10 kilometres and 500 metres of vert in four hours and nine minutes, managing an average pace of 4:47/km throughout the trek.

Blanchard’s run crossed nine of Paris’s districts and 75 green spaces, some not known to the general public. While the GR 75 skips the big tourist attractions like the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame, it does pass iconic monuments and structures like the Vélodrome de la Cipale and the Zénith of Paris, as Blanchard noted.

Blanchard's Paris FKT Strava
Photo: Mathieu Blanchard

The GR 75 is well marked, with white and red painted signs, a trademark of the French Federation of Hiking. Blanchard took to Instagram to share his experience, noting that the marking was effective, but that it was a bit weird finding the signs on electric poles and traffic lights when he was “accustomed to seeing them in our mountains and natural spaces.”

With his usual enthusiasm, Blanchard called the FKT “a very urban challenge with a particular environment to consider: crossings, bridges, bikes, cars, scooters, fires, dogs, kids, work, etc. It’s all part of city life, you have to adapt.”

GR 75 Mathieu Blanchard
Photo: Instagram/mathieu_blanchard

Blanchard was born in France, but has lived in Montreal since 2014, and says his love of trail running comes from Quebec, where he first encountered the trail community. Navigating his way around the Paris streets was an enjoyable challenge for him: “I like to tell myself I can run anywhere,” Blanchard said.

“I discovered the capital’s outskirts, with stylish spots, old railways, tunnels, parks and peaceful gardens,” wrote Blanchard. He threw down the gauntlet on Instagram.”It’s your turn! Who’s getting on it soon?”

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