This year, France’s Anne-Lise Rousset Séguret is running the Transvulcania Ultramarathon for the fourth time. In this interview, Anne-Lise talks about why this and other races like the CCC keep drawing her back, what she thinks of the fact that she has the most Transvulcania success of all the women starting this year’s race, and what her winter and spring of training looked like in Annecy, France.
Be sure to read our preview to see who else is racing and, then, follow our live coverage on race day!
Anne-Lise Rousset Séguret Pre-2019 Transvulcania Ultramarathon Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Meghan Hicks of iRunFar and I’m with Anne-Lise Rousset Séguret. It’s a couple days before the 2019 Transvulcania Ultramarathon. Hi Anne-Lise, how are you doing?
Anne-Lise Rousset Séguret: I am well and I will do the ultramarathon on Saturday.
iRunFar: The trail ultramarathon. Now, you have been to Transvulcania three times before, you keep coming back?
Rousset Séguret: Yeah. I love this race, it’s a crazy race, it’s a very beautiful race and this year I want to do the Skyrunner World Series. So I know this race and I want to do it a lot.
iRunFar: And this race, for the Skyrunner World Series, there are some bonus points. So if you do well, some extra points.
Rousset Séguret: Yeah, yeah.
iRunFar: Well, I think you are the woman who brings the greatest Transvulcania resume to the race this year. You have three finishes, two second places and one fifth place. Is that correct?
Rousset Séguret: Yeah.
iRunFar: I think you have had the best performances here than all the women in the field.
Rousset Séguret: No, no, no. I never win. Never. And I am always far behind Ida [Nilsson, the course-record holder and multi-time winner.] I know the race, I upped my training, it was good. I will try to do my best.
iRunFar: Like you said before, this race was very particular and there are things about it that you like. Can you describe the particular-ness of it?
Rousset Séguret: Well, the race is very beautiful because we do all the top of the island, all of the volcano. So it is very beautiful. And people are also excited by the event so there are crazy people all around the trail. And I like the Canarias; I think it is very beautiful island, not a lot of people. It is very wild, so I like this race.
iRunFar: It makes for a good weekend, like a little getaway vacation.
Rousset Séguret: Yeah, because in France it was snowing this morning.
iRunFar: Time to leave.
Rousset Séguret: Yeah. So it is super to be here where we have beautiful weather.
iRunFar: This year has been kind of a cold, difficult spring for France. You said you now live in Annecy so there are mountains surrounding you, which I guess probably have been snow covered and muddy longer than usual?
Rousset Séguret: Well in January and February, we can run easy because not a lot of snow. We don’t climb the top of the mountain, so it was easy to run. But now in April and May it is worse weather. We try, we run, but the rain and the snow. Sometimes we have snow until the knee, so we try running but now, we can’t run.
iRunFar: The snow to the knee is kind of like running on the cinder sand that you see at the beginning of the race?
Rousset Séguret: Maybe, maybe.
iRunFar: You have been doing this sport for a number of years now and there are certain races that you keep coming back to. I noticed also in the past you have ran the CCC and then you ran it again this past year too. What brings you back to certain races over and over?
Rousset Séguret: I like to try lots of race and discover of a country, of a trail. But I like special trails and I think Transvulcania is one of my favorite race.
iRunFar: And the CCC also for having done it a second time?
Rousset Séguret: Yeah, it’s my longest trail. My first time doing 100 kilometers.
iRunFar: I don’t think I knew that.
Rousset Séguret: Well, the first time I did it. The first time I did it, it was very, very difficult because it was too long for me.
iRunFar: But you still won the race.
Rousset Séguret: Yeah but I don’t think I have a very well time. It was super because I win, but it was very, very difficult and I would like to try again and to feel better. And last year, well I finished forth but I think I did a better race than 2015. So I prefer last year.
iRunFar: Finishing fourth in a more competitive field, having a better race is more.
Rousset Séguret: Yeah. I prefer, I think it is better.
iRunFar: So what other races are on your calendar for this year?
Rousset Séguret: I will do the Olympus Marathon and the Buff Epic Trail…
iRunFar: What was the second one?
Rousset Séguret: The second one was in Spain, Skyrunning in Spain.
iRunFar: Is it the Zegama Marathon? Is it Buff Epic Trail?
Rousset Séguret: Buff Epic, yep.
iRunFar: The longer one, got it.
Rousset Séguret: Buff Epic, Matterhorn Ultraks, and the Zacup Skyrace.
iRunFar: I don’t know that one.
Rousset Séguret: Zacup, it’s in Italy in September.
iRunFar: Got it. It’s a pretty full schedule and it is all Skyrunning races?
Rousset Séguret: Yeah. It’s a new race; I don’t know the trail so I would like to discover it.
iRunFar: Well, best of luck to you this weekend on the trails of Transvulcania.
Rousset Séguret: Thank you.
iRunFar: Have fun with all of those crazy fans next to the trail.
Rousset Séguret: I will. Thank you.
iRunFar: And I look forward to chasing you around the trails.
Rousset Séguret: Thank you so much.
