Anne-Lise Rousset

FROM HORSE TO TRAIL

Running has always been a part of Anne-Lise Rousset’s life. But maybe not in the way you might think. Especially at the very beginning when she was still just a teenager. “At school, my sports teacher would pester me to do cross-country with the national school sports federation (UNSS), but I preferred to ride horses,” she says. “I’ve always been into nature – when I was little, my dad would take me out for walks.”
Despite her initial reluctance, she eventually found herself pinning on a bib in a regional cross-country race in Cantal, where she grew up. Her hesitancy was transformed into passion in record time. In high school, she chose the athletics option. Not for the competition, but for the simple pleasure of running.
This may explain why instead of putting everything on hold while studying veterinary medicine in Clermont-Ferrand, she chose to continue her sporting activities by entering the world of adventure racing. Closer to nature and more focused on sharing experiences than competition, she made her name here alongside Adrien Séguret, who would become her trainer and then husband.

A practitioner of mountain biking, climbing, canoeing and running, she quickly settled on trail running as this was better suited to her abilities. In 2013, she won the Trail des Hospitaliers. A year later, she achieved the first big success of her young career with victory in the CCC (Courmayeur – Champex – Chamonix). In 2015, she was a member of the French delegation selected for the Trail World Championships in Annecy.
Step by step, stone by stone, she became a stand-out athlete in her field. But she was also unusual in the running world, choosing to pursue her professional life at the same time. She works as a vet in Haute-Savoie, dividing her days between training, family life and hours in the office. “I never wanted to turn pro. I’ve been offered the chance, but I love my job,” explains Anne-Lise Rousset. “Sport is a passion and that’s definitely the case for me. Once trail running becomes your job, the challenge is no longer the same.”

The GR20 as driver

The GR20 long-distance trail was her challenge. And that of her husband Adrien as well. Their adventure dates back to 2021. The arrival of Faustin in their daily lives changed nothing – he simply added color and even stronger emotions. If the GR20 record, less than a year after giving birth, seemed crazy, “Adrien had calculated everything,” she explains. “I trusted him.” After 170 km and 13,000 m of elevation gain, on 14 June 2022, she smashed the old record by more than 5 hours and became the first woman to go under the 40-hour mark.
This performance marked a turning point in the construction of her career. While her results continued to be the common thread, they were now accompanied by the words challenge, sharing and pleasure. Powerful words indeed. Driven by this different approach to performance, she took the title of French Long Trail Champion in 2023, finished second in the Hardrock in the same year, and continues to aim even higher.