Benoît Girondel

About

Benoît Girondel is a French ultrarunner and SNCF railway worker from the Drôme who came to ultra running almost by accident: his employer covered half his entry fee for a Sainté-Lyon ultra-trail race in 2010, and the sport never let him go. He won the Festival des Templiers twice (2014 and 2016) on the Grands Causses limestone plateau before announcing himself on the world stage with a solo victory at the Grand Raid de la Réunion – Diagonale des Fous in 2017 in 23:53, upsetting the experienced favourite Antoine Guillon. He returned to Réunion in 2018 and produced one of the sport's most celebrated moments: finishing hand-in-hand with François D'Haene in a shared victory in 23:18:50, both men choosing to cross the line together rather than race to a decision — an image described at the time as transcending teams, sponsors, and competition itself, and one of trail running's defining photographs. He has since maintained a steady podium presence at major European mountain ultras — second at TDS by UTMB in 2021 and second at the MIUT Madeira Island Ultra-Trail in 2023 — demonstrating the durability that balancing a full professional life alongside elite ultra competition demands.

Notable Wins

• — Grand Raid de la Réunion - Diagonale des Fous 2017
• — Grand Raid de la Réunion - Diagonale des Fous 2018 (co-win with François D'Haene)
• — Festival des Templiers 2014
• — Festival des Templiers 2016
• — TDS by UTMB 2nd 2021
• — MIUT - Madeira Island Ultra-Trail 2nd 2023

Race History