Some words to describe this crazy adventure...

Excitement
For all our athletes the practice of running is an excitement.  This fever was tenfold amplified during the Grand Raid organized in the Reunion Island : sporting, surpassing oneself, incredible landscapes, moving encounters…all the ingredients were reunited to make an unforgettable experience out of these few days.

“The best moment was when we crossed the starting line and Franck told me to pay good attention at this, the next one that we’re going to reach will be the finishing line ! …these words stayed with me during the entire raid.”

“The arrival was like a cherry on the cake, each travelled kilometer gave me great memories.” “For me, this raid was a pure flush of excitement.”

Solidarity
Before the raid, our runners put a lot of efforts into fundraising for Les Enfants de l’Ovale, collecting 15 000 € from our customers, suppliers and partners. They kept the same determination during the raid.

“When things got really rough I thought at “Les Enfants de l’Ovale” and this helped me a lot. I said to myself that the association, our suppliers, customers and colleagues counted on us and it became unthinkable to not finish the raid.”

“It was very stimulating to run and surpass myself for children in need.”

Sharing 
Our athletes will all remember the generosity of the inhabitants of the island who, even in the middle of the night, were present on the roadside to encourage them. They will also recall the unconditional support of hundred of volunteers who help them finish their raid.

But above all, our athletes will bear in mind the sharing and mutual support between runners who have encouraged one another during the entire 59 hours of the raid.

“My goal for the Grand raid was to help Denis finish his longest foot race. His emotions as he crossed the finish line were extremely moving.”

“All our colleagues were there to support us, they pampered us before and during the run. Telenco ensured us the utmost conditions to take part to this extreme adventure. To show them our gratitude, we all wanted badly to cross the finish line.”

Unbelievable
The Grand raid brought us also unexpectable encounters. We met people on the running paths whose stories force to admiration like these 10 runners who took turns during the 167 km to carry a disabled person installed in a Joëlette ( a single wheel all-terain chair) or this Reunion guy who ran across the island in flip flops.

“During this raid everything was tremendous : distance, organization, logistics, terrain, temperature, difficulty but above all, the fever covering up the event. Everything was intensified one hundredfold !”

Our six courageous runners return from the Reunion Island with tons of fabulous memories and the satisfaction of having experienced magical moments both on a human and a sporting level.

Congratulations to our 6 champions and once again, thank you to our partners!