François D'Haene
François D'Haene (born 24 December 1985 in Lille) is a French elite athlete who specializes in ultra running and mountain running.[1]
He won the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in 2012, 2014, 2017 and 2021.[2] and the Grand Raid on Réunion in the Indian Ocean in 2013, 2014 and 2016. He is the winner of the first Ultra-Trail World Tour, in 2014. He holds the speed record for the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB), 167 km in 20 h 11 min 44 sec, a record that he improved in 2017 (170 km in 19 h 01 min 32 s). He's also known for being the fastest on the GR20 in Corsica, crossing it in 31 h 06 min.[3]
On 17 October 2017, he set a new record on the John Muir Trail in California's Sierra Nevada, finishing it in 2 days, 19 hours, and 26 minutes.[4]
On 17 July 2021, D'Haene won the Hardrock 100 mile ultramarathon in 21:45:51; breaking both the counter clockwise and overall record, both previously held by Kilian Jornet. On August same year, he won the UTMB (Ultra-Trail de Mont-Blanc) in 20:45:59.
He used to be a physiotherapist, and became a wine-grower in 2012. He is married and has three children, and lives in the Beaujolais winemaking region.[1]
References
- "François D'Haene: Profile". François D'Haene.com. 28 December 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
- "D'Haene makes history at Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc". International Association of Athletics Federations. 2 September 2017.
- Granger, Dom (8 June 2016). "Watch this guy break a running record in Corsica: A mythical trail, a record to beat and a super-athlete – the perfect mixture for a unique adventure". Red Bull #ultrarunning. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
- Judd, Wes (17 October 2017). "François D'Haene Breaks John Muir Trail Speed Record: Less than two months after winning UTMB, D'Haene ran the 210-mile trail in under three days". Outside. Retrieved 21 October 2017.