Mathieu Blanchard

From scuba diving to ultra-trail: a late start 🤿

At first, nothing destined Mathieu Blanchard to run 175 km around Mont Blanc. As a teen in Cavaillon, he moves from scuba diving to snowboarding, BMX and kitesurfing: an athlete’s body forged far from the standards of trail running ⚡. He even taught diving for several years, never imagining he would one day run at the highest level.

After engineering studies, he works in thermal energy. In 2014, he moves to Montreal and obtains Canadian citizenship. It’s there, at 26, that he discovers running: the spark is immediate, almost a revelation. The kilometers add up, the distances grow, and his versatile adventurer profile proves made for ultra-endurance. In 2019, he leaves his engineering job. His decision is radical: to live from running, full time. Meanwhile, his participation in Koh-Lanta makes him known to a much wider audience than the trail community.

Records soon begin to fall: in 2020, he sets a new best time on the International Appalachian Trail Québec GR A1, covering 650 km in 7 days, 12 hours and 2 minutes 🏔️. A performance that intrigues the trail community. What follows confirms the potential of the young runner with an atypical path.

The legendary duel against Kilian Jornet ⏱️

2021 marks his first official breakthrough among the pros: 3rd at UTMB in 21h12, then 5th at the Marathon des Sables in 25h01 over the 234.2 km of the Moroccan desert 🏜️. From mere revelation to proven athlete, he reaches a new level: these results open the doors to Team Salomon International, one of the most selective teams on the circuit.

But 2022 will remain the year that changes everything. At UTMB, Mathieu Blanchard goes head-to-head with Kilian Jornet, one of the greatest champions in trail history, for much of the race. The duel is fierce, fought shoulder to shoulder over dozens of kilometers, under the eyes of a crowd holding its breath. He ultimately finishes 2nd, in 19h54: the first time a runner goes under the 20-hour mark over the full course, aside from the winner 🏆. Overnight, the former engineer becomes a global reference in ultra-trail.

In 2023, he broadens his scope even further and tests his speed on the road: he finishes the Paris Marathon in 2h22'36, in 35th place, proof that endurance doesn’t stop him from going fast.

An adventurer who fears neither sand nor frost 🥶🏆

It’s in 2024 that Mathieu Blanchard snatches his first victory at a Major: the Diagonale des Fous, on Réunion, won in 23h25 on his very first participation 🌴. A win that resonates particularly strongly for him, having grown up in the tropics, in Guadeloupe. The same year, he also wins the MaXi-Race around Lake Annecy, in 9h10 over 94 km, confirming he excels both over long distances and in shorter formats.

2025 pushes his limits even further, and his legend continues to be written in extreme settings: winner of the Yukon Arctic Ultra, more than 600 km covered at -40°C in Canada’s Far North, he follows up with a 2nd place at the mythical Hardrock 100, in the United States ❄️. From the scorching sand of Réunion to the ice of the Yukon, Mathieu Blanchard proves a resilience-tested versatility, able to perform at all latitudes. In April 2026, after 9 years with Salomon, he turns a new page and joins Kiprun as an “Athlete-Engineer,” a role tailor-made for this former engineer turned trail star 🔧.

Mathieu Blanchard now aims for an even higher podium at UTMB, the race that changed his life in 2022. While waiting to see him run toward that goal, move toward yours by reserving your bib!