Mathieu Blanchard

ITRA 914

I discovered trail running in Quebec.

It’s there that I learned to love the mountain, the cold, the heat, the mud, the roots, and those long hours spent alone with my thoughts. It’s also there that I built my very first trail community, a family of passionate individuals who, even today, hold a special place in my heart. My very first ultra-trail race was here, at the UTHC, on the 80 km format. I still remember seeing those 125 km runners, those wolves of the Charlevoix trails, returning in the early morning with something wild and grand in their eyes. That day, a dream was born: one day, I too would run that 125 km. The years flew by. My career took a professional turn, taking me to all corners of the world, but always preventing me from returning to attempt the adventure. And then… 2025. The opportunity is here. I’m seizing it. Next September, I will be at the starting line of the Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada, the 125 km format. A return to my roots. A dream coming true. A tribute to where it all began.

Charlevoix, here I come.