Motto: Passion first and foremost

Whether he’s wearing skis or trainers, Rémi Bonnet likes to climb. Quickly. Every day. In the space of just two seasons, he’s become one of the best performers in the history of skimo and trail running. This inexhaustible athlete has a single driving force: his passion for the mountains.  

Golden boy

Winner of the Patrouille des Glaciers, crystal globes and world champion skimo titles; top overall ranking in the Golden Trail Series, record ascent of Pikes Peak, best ITRA trail running performance of all time... Breathtaking, stratospheric – the list of superlatives could go on and on because he’s so amazing!  

But the man from Switzerland is perhaps most impressive in his ability to produce major performances one after the other in both disciplines. Yet for him there’s nothing extraordinary about this. Rémi exudes that quiet strength specific to the greats: the strength of those who know they’re where they should be and that they’re doing what it takes to get there.  

So how exactly does he do it? 

Firstly, he does a huge amount of training. For example, covering more than 500,000 meters of elevation gain per year. And only taking one week off between the trail running season and ski season. His body must be used to it...

He also has good people around him. The support of his coach has been decisive in helping him channel his energy and plan his training. And his partner makes sure that he keeps one foot outside the world of elite sport. His friends and family are all around him in Charmey, his native village – an ideal spot for combining trail running and skiing while enjoying his favorite mountains, the Gastlosen.

But first and foremost, he has a mind of steel. On the starting line, this allows him to feel that nothing can touch him and that he’ll win. It also allows him to push himself to the limit.  

The pleasure principle

After he first burst onto the youth scene, Rémi went through a period of doubt and uncertainty. In order to bounce back, he refocused on the most essential thing: pleasure. 

Since then, rather than chasing records (he sees them as a great reward and a source of much pride but not as motivation in themselves), Rémi has cultivated his passion for the mountains. Not only in training and during races but also in his everyday life: for example, in Charmey he enjoys looking after his chickens, cycling with friends or simply walking in the forest. 

The life of a mountain man is the foundation for his success, because as he nicely puts it: “Without pleasure, it may work for a while but you can’t perform well in the long term. My strength is always being motivated to train. My primary goal is to be in the mountains every day.”

Recent achievements

Skimo: 

• 2nd in the Pierra Menta with Werner Marti, 2021

• 1st in the Patrouille des Glaciers with Werner Marti and Martin Anthamatten, 2022
• Double world champion in vertical and individual, 2023

Trail running: 

• Winner of Neirivue-Moléson and race record, 2022 and 2023
• Best ITRA performance of all time, 2023 in Neirivue-Moléson race
• 1st in the ascent of Pikes Peak, 2022 and 2023 with the race record
• Winner of the Golden Trail Series overall ranking, 2022 and 2023