François D'haene

François is a winemaker, physio and father of three. He is internationally recognised as one of the best ultra-trail runners, with an impressive list of achievements. Amongst these include being the quadruple winner of the mythical Diagonale des Fous and the iconic UTMB, as well as a win and second place at Hardrock in 2021 and 2022, respectively. In the winter, Francois practises ski-mountaineering and partook in this year’s Pierre Menta, a race with 10,000 m of elevation gain in Areches-Beaufort, France, across 4-days. In 2023, Francois dealt with a series of unfortunate injuries, which at one point had him thinking he may never run again. However, Francois made a determined recovery, proved by a top-10 finish at Diagonale des Fous. Francois’ motivation for the sport of trail is driven by combining his passion for pleasure, competition, discovery, and travel. Outside of his competitive endeavours, Francois and Carline, his wife, created ‘Ultra-Spirit’, an event that allows people to experience the joy of ultra-trail without the intensity of competition. Ultra-Spirit happens every year in September in Beaufort, where Francois and Carline live.