1 PM. Team Pharea is in Montreux, Switzerland, to take on the Run Mate challenge, covering 220 km and 2,600 m of positive elevation gain around Lake Geneva, divided into 25 legs, to be covered by running.
Claude, Baptiste, Florian, and Romain are present to represent Pharea in the “Ultra” category, which includes teams of fewer than five runners. Bib collection, coffee, sunbathing – the atmosphere is focused yet relaxed before the start! The race strategy is simple: one leg each for the first 12 legs, then alternating with double legs at night to allow everyone a few hours of sleep. The estimated time is 21 hours of racing, but the team’s primary goal is to finish!
2:10 PM, and they’re off! Romain sets out for the first leg. The weather is beautiful, even warm, and the first legs proceed at an excellent pace for everyone, first along the lake shores, then through the vineyards and hillsides that border it. Julien, the team’s “fifth man,” expertly drives the team from one relay point to the next. First lesson from the race: TIMING!
8 PM, with fatigue setting in, the kilometers accumulating, and night falling, the first difficulties emerge: Claude, the team’s elder, who was feeling moderately well after his second leg, is now in real trouble at the end of his third leg, struggling to eat and, especially, to drink.
Simultaneously, Baptiste, the youngest member of the team, experiences severe back pain, which will prevent him from running after his fourth leg. Team discussion: the strategy changes! Romain and Florian will share the legs throughout the night, while Claude and Baptiste recharge their batteries. Second lesson: ADAPTABILITY!
It is now well past midnight, and Geneva is the turning point. All that remains is to head back to Montreux!
Florian then embarks on a half-marathon from 2 AM to 4 AM, which he finishes exhausted, to pass the baton to Romain, who adds another 10 km to the team’s total. PHEW!
It is 5 AM, and the team is complete again; Baptiste feels better and rejoins the rotation.
Claude, despite a physical condition that is slow to improve, gathers his courage and will set off for a final leg with significant elevation gain. Third lesson: SOLIDARITY.
It is now 8 AM, the sun has risen, and the morning light is magnificent over the lake and the Swiss mountains. After the doubts of the night, this time it is the certainty of finishing that drives Team Pharea! Fourth lesson: RESILIENCE.
The remaining legs can be counted on one hand, and Baptiste, Florian, and Romain each contribute their part. Finally, here is the last handover, which Baptiste and Florian will complete together, joined by Claude and Romain for the last 200 meters. Final lesson: FRIENDSHIP.
Finally, the finish line arch is there, after 21 hours and 19 minutes of effort. What an adventure! A Vacherin fondue and a beer offered by the organization later, the team finally gets to rest.
Ultimately, a 15th place out of 30 in the ultra category, and a 135th place out of 250 in the general classification. But above all, a wonderful human and sporting adventure!
Thank you, Julien, for transporting us throughout the race, a sleepless night following us and providing both logistical and psychological support. Thank you to the organization and volunteers, and especially thank you to PHAREA, who allowed us to experience this human adventure, among colleagues, and ultimately among teammates and friends.
Romain and Julien