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| ANNIE JEAN (CAN) Annie is a trail runner living in Chelsea (Qc), with the Gatineau Park as her backyard and playground. As an avid cyclist and cross country skier, Annie enjoys all her spare time in the outdoors. For the last 2 years she also had the opportunity to represent Canada at the World’s mountain running and trail running long distance races in Slovenia and Italy.Outside of the athlete scene, Annie is a full time podiatrist with an area of expertise in the treatment of athletes and evaluating running form through gait analysis. PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
| SARAH KEYES (USA) Sarah Keyes is a mountain and ultra-trail runner based in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. When not working as an RN or fitting runners for shoes at The Fallen Arch in Lake Placid, you might find her and her dog Mocha living out of her truck. “If I could spend all my days on the trail pushing my limits physically in the mountains, I would.” PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
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| LUIS TOMAS VILLAGRAN (CAN) Movement defines me and running makes it happen. Running on a trail or a road, absorbing my surroundings, dancing around obstacles: people, rocks, roots or trees. This is my passion… Feeling the air entering my lungs with each breath. My heart beating to the rhythm dictated by the road, the trail or the steepness of a climb. Experiencing that oneness with the place I’m running in. Sharing the possibility of reaching that state of euphoria that only running provides me. From the local 5K to the more demanding ultras, you can find me enjoying the moment doing what I love. LATEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
| ANNE BOUCHARD (CAN) I’m a very passionate runner, I started to run at the age of 38, after giving birth to my second child. Since then, running has become my morning meditation that leads my day with happiness. I divide my time between my professional career as a tax director at Cirque du Soleil and my kids, so waking up every morning before sunrise and taking the trail to the top of the hill near my house has become a privilege of life. I consider running an opportunity to explore myself and become a better person in all my different roles. I’m proud of every start line I have crossed but more specifically:
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LAURA PERRY (CAN) I am a 35-year-old ultra-marathon runner with the Salomon International Team. I started running ultra-marathons in 2012, focusing now on events ranging from 50 to 100 miles. I live for the trails, and for time in the mountains. That’s where I find peace from my hectic and demanding job in the Federal Government. I am blessed to be able to travel the world and participate in events around the globe. I am also a running coach, with athletes in Canada, the U.S., Europe and Australia. NOTABLE RACE ACHIEVEMENTS:
| FLORENT BOUGUIN (CAN) Balancing a family, a career and an active lifestyle is a daily challenge, especially in this world which seems to run at light speed and where certain human values are eclipsed. I see myself as a modest ambassador of these values. As a father, engineer and ultra-marathoner, I try to use each stride to embody the intensity, emotion and authenticity of this quest for a better society. I look forward to running with you all!
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KEVIN VERMEULEN (FR/CH) Kevin Vermeulen is a 24-year-old trail runner from Isère, France, whose home base is now Crans-Montana, a resort town in the Swiss canton of Valais. Working in ergotherapy for the past year, he discovered Quebec during a student exchange program at University Laval. His favourite playground for the moment is the Swiss alpine valley of Val d’Anniviers, known for the Sierre-Zinal race. The terrain is much appreciated for its breathtaking views and grueling slopes. Back to running after an injury, he should be in top shape to have some fun at The Ultra-Trail Harricana. NOTABLE RACE ACHIEVEMENTS:
| VIVIEN LAPORTE (FR) Vivien Laporte is a trail runner and ultra-marathoner from Rennes, in Brittany, France, and a Bruz Athlétisme / Sobhi Sport athlete. He is also a computer engineer at SIB in the field of health. This will be his first time in Canada. “I’m really looking forward to running the 125-km race at Harricana and to discovering Quebec, its beauty and its people!”. NOTABLE RACE ACHIEVEMENTS:
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DAVID JEKER (CAN) The rhythm of running changed my life, and I started to live for running. I now have a Master of science in human movement and sports sciences. Despite being curious about everything related to running, I like to keep it simple. I dream of the perfect race, a performance that I would be entirely satisfied with. I’m not sure if that’s possible, but I will give everything I have to find out NOTABLE RACE ACHIEVEMENTS:
| DAVID SAVARD-GAGNON I’ve been running ever since I was a kid. I hated taking the bus to school. When I started running, I challenged myself to get to school before the bus. I beat that bus many, many times! I ran my first marathon at 16. After 19 marathons, I decided to plunge into a new adventure: ultra-trail running and eventually the 125-km race at Harricana. I’m from Baie-Saint-Paul, and the locals call us runners “wolves.” It feels completely natural to take on this challenge on my turf, and I hope to do the pack proud! NOTABLE RACE ACHIEVEMENTS:
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HEADLINERS RUNNERS
| Athlete | Sex | Country | Distance | ITRA | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Jeker | M | CAN | 125 km | 800 | |
| 2 | Florent Bouguin | M | CAN | 125 km | 794 | |
| 3 | Vivien Laporte | M | FR | 125 km | 798 | |
| 4 | Kevin Vermeulen | M | FR/CH | 65 km | 787 | |
| 5 | Luis Tomas Lopez Villagran | M | CAN | 125 km | 756 | |
| 6 | Annie Jean | F | CAN | 65 km | 737 | |
| 7 | Sarah Keyes | F | USA | 125 km | 711 | |
| 8 | Mélanie Boultbee | F | CAN | 125 km | 622 | |
| 9 | Anne Bouchard | F | CAN | 42 km | 616 | |
| 10 | Laura Perry | F | CAN | 42 km | 521 |
Learn more:
The complete list of elite runners to keep an eye on