Étienne Daguinos: the future of French middle-distance running

A born runner 👶

Born near Paris and quickly moved to the Bordeaux region, Étienne grew up in athletics and quickly developed a taste for effort. He ran his first cross countries at the age of 7 and dominated all the regional races he participated in (Gujan-Mestras, Bègles, Cenon…). The young French rocket 🚀 then joined his first club and started testing all athletic practices 🎽 (javelin, long jump, discus, shot put, sprint…), but it is in the middle-distance where he excels the most. Initially a member of the Sort Athlétique Gazinet-Cestas, he quickly switched to the US Talence Athlétisme for better coaching and a more performance-oriented approach 📈. It is here that he met his coach who still accompanies him today: Emmanuelle Roux. A former versatile athlete herself, she guides Étienne in his training and allows him to quickly advance to a high sporting level 🔝.

A rise in power... 👀

More than jumps or throws, Étienne quickly realizes that it is running that makes him tick 🏃. He positions himself on cross country in winter, track and road in summer. 1,000 m, 1,500 m, 3,000 m, 5,000 m no distance stops him, so he increases the kilometers over the years. He earned his first selections in 2018 and went to compete in Italy 🇮🇹 for his first 10 km on the road under the colors of France. His motivation drives him upwards and pushes him to constantly surpass himself 💪.

His hard work finally paid off in 2018 and 2019 when he was crowned twice in a row as "French Champion" of cross-country, junior category 🇫🇷. Moving into the under-23 category, he continues his momentum and also achieves several national feats (French champion of 5,000 m twice and new French under-23 record holder in the discipline).

In search of records 🏆

Entering the senior category, he now has to compete with established French and international athletes. The Paris 2024 Olympics are also fast approaching ⌛️, and Étienne is being watched closely. Unfortunately, despite intensive training and an iron will, the minimum requirements are not met, and fate turns against him. Denied the Olympics, he keeps his head high and does not decrease his training 🧠. A mentality that proves to be the right one, as he secures in November 2024, 3 months after the 2024 Olympics, the title and the European record in the 5 km 🇪🇺. The finish line is crossed after a race of 27 minutes and 4 seconds, and all eyes are once again on him.

On October 12, 2025, lined up for the 20 km of Paris, Daguinos strikes again by smashing the previous course record by several tens of seconds, then set at 57 minutes and 19 seconds.

So don't forget these few lines, because you are likely to hear his name echo around the world soon! 🌎