The enduring French path ultrarunner François D’Haene has run in a number of the greatest mountain ultras on the earth. When somebody has received UTMB 4 occasions, the Hardrock 100, Diagonale des Fous, and numerous different races, it’s honest to imagine that they know one thing about what makes occasion. And because it seems, it’s not all about setting a aim of going as quick as doable over rugged mountains.

The inaugural Extremely Spirit, created by D’Haene and his spouse, Carline D’Haene, embodied the imaginative and prescient he has for the way forward for ultrarunning. The occasion included three days of working within the Beaufortain Massif of France, distinctive challenges, a phone-free expertise, native foods and drinks, group bivouacs each night time, and limitless surprises for the members.

After over a decade of path ultrarunning, D’Haene felt prefer it was time to make use of his expertise within the sport to create one thing distinctive. Desirous to share the world close to his hometown of Beaufort, France, he explains, “It’s my flip to provide some experiences and a few concepts and a few values.”

Based mostly out of the Arêches-Beaufort area, the three-day occasion coated practically 100 kilometers of path within the space with members tenting at distant bivouacs every night time. The occasion was half spirited aggressive working and half cultural immersion within the area, and 25 groups of three folks every have been invited to return take part.

“We simply wish to present them how extremely life is for us, that it’s not nearly racing, it’s not nearly path working. It’s greater than that. It’s a lifestyle, it’s steadiness between many issues.” And to make every day of working extra about simply the ultimate ending time, D’Haene and firm threw in some surprising twists and challenges.

Along with creating a novel expertise for the members, D’Haene needed to make the occasion as environmentally low-impact as doable. Utilizing inspiration from the brand new Salomon marketing campaign of Tomorrow is Yours, D’Haene needed to “create one thing new for our future,” a path working occasion the place every little thing was sourced as regionally as doable, and members acquired time bonuses for arriving on the venue in an environmentally pleasant method.

The Extremely Spirit occasion showcased the Beaufort Massif of France. Photograph: Extremely Spirit/Paul Viard Gaudin

Extremely Spirit Is Not a Conventional Race

D’Haene understands the significance of working quick in a race setting, however he additionally understands the significance of the neighborhood created by working occasions. He selected the 25 groups for this yr’s occasion not primarily based purely on race resumes. As an alternative, he needed a mixture of elite runners and those that didn’t recurrently vie for the entrance of the sphere, however love the game.

“We wish the individuals who can have enjoyable and end it,” D’Haene explains. He felt it was necessary that the three-person groups all labored effectively collectively and received alongside. In spite of everything, they might spend each waking and sleeping hour collectively for 3 days.

One of many targets of Extremely Spirit was to have the entire runners end as shut to one another as doable every day by making a day extra than simply working. D’Haene admits, “It was very, very arduous to make them arrive all collectively.”

However by posing in-race challenges to all groups that required expertise that decidedly weren’t working, and permitting the slower groups to take shortcuts on the course, he was pretty profitable in getting everybody to the bivouac websites collectively. “There will not be many races the place you may arrive one hour after Jim Walmsley. And he was by no means in first place, so I believe it was a little bit of a hit.”

A number of challenges rewarded groups that would work collectively. Photograph: Extremely Spirit/Paul Viard Gaudin

All through the three days, groups have been confronted with 12 actions, each through the runs and at night time. D’Haene believes that there are enjoyable methods to each assist folks stretch their private limits and study invaluable working and mountain expertise on the identical time. After a full day of working, members have been despatched out for an evening exercise, even in opposition to the protest of drained legs.

“The concept was to indicate them that after 12 hours, you assume you’re completely destroyed, and you are able to do nothing. However lastly, when you have a small heat up, then your physique can go once more. And possibly simply after a small exercise, you’ll really feel higher and higher,” D’Haene explains. “It was to [teach] them tips on how to run with a headlamp. As a result of everyone has a headlamp, however a few of them didn’t know tips on how to run with [it].”

The actions didn’t cease with an evening run. Throughout one of many days, members needed to get in a mountain lake and keep in for 22 seconds, with out having the good thing about a watch to time themselves. Whereas some members initially considered the submersion as a foolish sport, they got here out of the water feeling refreshed with a brand new outlook on the advantages of a chilly soak for restoration. It was a sport, a problem in the midst of a working occasion, however it was additionally a lot greater than that. “Sure, we simply wish to play, however in a manner that it may possibly [teach] you one thing,” based on D’Haene.

Not all of the challenges have been essentially a studying expertise. One would argue that the night Beer Mile on the finish of the second day was simply pure enjoyable.

Members have been capable of get bonus factors for varied challenges. Photograph: Extremely Spirit/Paul Viard Gaudin

Human Connection at Extremely Spirit

Creating an occasion that promoted human connection was necessary to D’Haene. When members arrived, all of them put their telephones away in the course of the occasion. For the following three days, they ran collectively, ate collectively, and slept in group bivouacs excessive in distant areas. The occasion wasn’t simply in regards to the working — equally as necessary was the time at camp, sharing, stress-free, and consuming. Members have been fed native meals, tasted native Beaufortain cheese, and drank space beer in addition to wine made by the D’Haene household.

Whereas initially D’Haene envisioned rising the occasion sooner or later, he realizes the worth of getting a small variety of folks. “In the long run, it was like an enormous, completely happy household.” He credit the members, volunteers, occasion companions, and, most significantly, his spouse for the ambiance. Not solely did members get to know themselves and their teammates higher, however the intimate ambiance of the occasion additionally allowed everybody to combine and mingle, offering the chance to develop deep human connections.

Runners ending off one of many distinctive non-running challenges. Photograph: Extremely Spirit/Paul Viard Gaudin

Extremely Spirit’s Dedication to Sustainability

D’Haene understands the environmental affect of path ultrarunning, from the carbon emissions related to journey to the burden placed on the native trails and communities. Extremely Spirit aimed to scale back the environmental footprint of the weekend with all elements of the occasion, from minimizing the quantity of vitality used and waste created to selling the native financial system.

Even the timing of the occasion, mid-September and nonetheless in the midst of D’Haene’s race schedule, was primarily based on the native affect. Of the timing of the occasion, he mentioned, “It’s essential that the cows can eat the grass and the herbs the place we make the camp, and we would like the camp very excessive and really wild.”

So, with a view to present the expertise that he needed for the runners, whereas nonetheless being respectful of the native farmers and land, he selected a date that different elite racers, particularly those that perceive the stresses related to occasion promotion, would shake their heads at.

Extremely Spirit aimed to do every little thing as regionally as doable. Provides have been sourced inside a 100-kilometer radius. Meals was all native, from the beer to the cheese to the bread, and water in camp was restricted, and in a single occasion, members needed to haul their very own water from a close-by supply. Dry bathrooms have been used for human waste, and members didn’t get a full bathe till the tip of the three days.

There have been no plastic bottles, and even race indicators have been product of wooden in order that they might be reused yr after yr. To carry themselves accountable, the occasion weighed all waste produced and made plans for additional enchancment.

The Way forward for Extremely Spirit

D’Haene and his spouse have each intention of carrying on the occasion sooner or later. The expertise of placing on an occasion, though tough, time-consuming, and nerve-racking at occasions, was in the end a optimistic expertise for the complete household.

D’Haene is philosophical about the kind of occasion he needs to placed on. “In three years […], possibly 5 years, possibly we stopped racing, we proceed to run. And if we had to participate at one occasion, which occasion will probably be? And we tried to create this occasion.”

Name for Feedback

• What different occasions share a number of the values and format of Extremely Spirit?
• Have been you one of many fortunate runners to take part in its inaugural version?

Extremely Spirit runner having fun with a ridgeline. Photograph: Extremely Spirit/Paul Viard Gaudin