Alex on Trails

The Saint-Etienne to Lyon trail race is a 77km (~50 miles) journey that begins at 11:30pm, ensuring a night spent entirely outdoors. As a trail race, it requires participants to carry their own food, water, headlamp with extra batteries, and anything else they might need, including a change of clothes. There are five checkpoints along the route for food and water—and for those who need to bow out. This year’s race was exceptionally challenging. It rained relentlessly, transforming the event into the most difficult in its 35-year history. My dear friend Nico, overwhelmed by the conditions, had to quit after 53km. The weather forecast was so daunting that 20% of the participants didn’t show up, and another 20% quit during the race. The relentless rain turned the trail into a muddy obstacle course. I experienced two significant falls in the mud and had to cross two cold rivers with water reaching above my knees. Despite these hardships, the most surprising part was how my legs started to ...