François D’Haene is used to running 100-mile races through ultra-challenging mountain environments. But when he took on the Tor des Géants in Chamonix in 2024, he had no real idea what he was getting into.
He overcame injuries, trained harder than he imagined, and set out to win one of the most grueling races in the European Alps. Not only is it 205 miles (330 km) long, but you also climb an astounding 78,740 vertical feet.
Along the way, he faced doubts, challenges, hallucinations, and even received a menacing letter mid-race, threatening him with blackmail if he didn’t drop out of the race.
It was a race unlike any other Salomon athlete had run before. D’Haene endured, though. He pushed through all of the challenges ahead of him. He put one foot in front of the other for all 205 miles of the course. When he finally crossed the finish line, victory was his. He finished the Tor des Géants in 69 hours, 8 minutes, and 32 seconds.
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