Rémi Bonnet and Thibaut Baronian join the Julbo Team.

Rémi Bonnet and Thibaut Baronian, two friends who live life at full speed and share the same vision of their sport, have joined the Julbo Team. One prefers Comté, the other Gruyère. One has just finished his season, while the other has already strapped on his skis, preparing for the alpine ski mountaineering world cup. Both run fast. Both now wear Julbo.

Welcome to the Julbo family. Can you explain why you chose to join the brand?

Rémi: When I started sports, I was already wearing Julbo. For me, they have the best lenses on the market and that's a big reason why I wanted to wear them again. It also makes sense to have partners who are close to home.

Thibaut: Being from Haute-Savoie and living in Besançon, it makes sense for me too to join a Jura-based, French brand. I really like the family dynamic of the brand as well, and the fact that the athlete is part of the creation and development process. In trail running, we have specific needs, especially regarding support. I really appreciate having glasses that meet the demands of our sport and are also suitable for my other outdoor activities, like skiing or cycling.

Both of you specialize in short-format trail running, like marathons. Explain what you like about these formats.

Rémi: First, because I like to run fast. There's strategy involved too. These are races of a certain length, during which you can't go all out from the start but on which you can push the machine really far. And then, there's a density of runners that we've never seen before. You know there's going to be a fight and that it's the best who will win in the end.

Thibaut: These are formats with a good mix between speed, race pacing, race management, and then you can string a few together in a season. They are also formats where you need to be versatile, able to run fast on all terrains.

Rémi and Thibaut, are you interested in trying other race formats?

Rémi: As long as I have the speed and enjoy these distances, I will stick with them! Especially since this allows me to ski in winter, with similar race durations and equivalent training. I think I still have many good years ahead of me in both skiing and short trail running.

Thibaut: After 5-6 years on the Golden Trail series, it’s true that it's become a bit less exciting, and there’s a desire to discover other, longer formats. I want to set new challenges for myself, face new sensations, new training techniques, and evolve my practice to avoid falling into a routine. I also have FKT projects, tracks on summits, records...

When we look at your track records, we are impressed by your consistency and constancy at the highest level. What's your secret?

Rémi: Training is an important part, but you especially need to be consistent in your training. For your body to improve, you need to keep at it every day, all year round. It’s also important to be well-supported. I'm lucky to have found the right coach, who knows how to guide me. And then, it's in the mind. Feeling, when you're at the starting line, that you're going to win. It took me a while to get there. You need to learn about yourself and also have a good balance in your personal life. That's what helps you push further.

Thibaut: There were many small steps, I didn’t succeed right away. I would say there are several pillars. I started early in the trail running scene, in the 2010s, and I honed my skills on different formats before really understanding myself. It took me about 4 years to build a good working base and perform consistently. Then it’s about planning over several years with the coach and manager, not betting everything on one season. And then, in 2018, I made the decision to stop practicing as a physiotherapist and professionalize my running.

The trail season is over for both of you. How will your winter go and what are your objectives for 2024?

Rémi: This winter, I'll be at the World Cup of ski mountaineering and the European Championships in Flaine starting in January. Then there will be the Patrouille des Glaciers and probably the Pierra Menta, but I need to find a teammate.

In trail running, Sierre Zinal will really be the focus of 2024, but I also want to have a full season from start to finish. I don’t want to win one race and then lay low. I think you can do both!

So, I will try to win the Golden series again. For me, it's really the circuit where the level is the highest. If you win, you show that you were really the strongest of the season.

Thibaut: My calendar is not yet finalized, but the 2024 season should lean towards formats between 80 and 100km. I also want to discover more alpine races, a bit slower, with more technicality.

There are many races I would like to do, in France and abroad. Participating in a race of the UTMB is an important step in a season, but all this is being built. There are also questions: will I enjoy the training and the sensations in the race? There will be new things, that’s for sure, but I can't say more for the moment.

Rémi, can we talk about the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics?

Rémi: When it was announced, I was really motivated, but many of us were disappointed with the choice of race formats, especially the relay. We have to see how the selections will go, it might be tough. I'm not putting too much pressure on myself about it. It would be cool to go to the Olympics once in my career, but there are other things to do so if it doesn’t happen, that's okay. For me, it’s more important to be happy every day with what you do, to be in the mountains, than to focus on a single race.