Martin Kern

About

Martin Kern is a French ultra trail runner and Arc'teryx athlete born in Marseille to a family of architects passionate about outdoor sports. A trained engineer, he left a permanent job in Toulouse in 2016 to discover something different, relocating to New Zealand where he found his calling in ultra-trail running. He made an immediate impact in Oceania, winning two of the toughest ultras in that part of the world — the Great Southern Endurance Run (180km) and Northburn 100 Miler (162km) — both in 2017. Returning to Europe, he established himself on the alpine circuit with wins at the Swiss Canyon Trail (2019), Marathon du Mont-Blanc (2021), and 90km du Mont-Blanc (2021), and a 4th-place finish at the TDS at UTMB in 2022. In 2024 he placed 2nd at the Madeira Island Ultra-Trail (MIUT), and in 2025 he placed 11th at the TDS at UTMB Mont-Blanc and 4th at the MaXi-Race. Known for technical precision on steep alpine terrain, he also runs his own endurance coaching platform.

Notable Wins

• — Swiss Canyon Trail 2019
• — Marathon du Mont-Blanc 2021
• — 90km du Mont-Blanc 2021
• — Great Southern Endurance Run 2017 (180km)
• — Northburn 100 Miler 2017 (162km)
• — UTMB TDS 4th place 2022
• — MIUT Madeira Island Ultra-Trail 2nd place 2024

Race History