Lining up for the first time, France’s Camille Bruyas brings the experience of racing some of the biggest 100-mile events in the world to the 2024 Hardrock 100. In the following interview, Camille talks about her training in Silverton, Colorado, her appreciation of using pacers in a race, and her impressions of trails in America.
For more on who’s racing, check out our in-depth 2024 Hardrock 100 preview and follow our live race coverage on race day.
Camille Bruyas Pre-2024 Hardrock 100 Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Meghan Hicks of iRunFar. I’m with Camille Bruyas. It’s a couple days before the 2024 Hardrock 100. Hi, Camille. How are you?
Camille Bruyas: I’m fine. Nice to be back in Silverton. It’s so nice.
iRunFar: You were here a couple of years ago. Was it to watch the race?
Bruyas: Yeah, to watch the race after the Western States 100. I decided to come to Colorado. And I was super surprised. It’s super nice here.
iRunFar: And then, I guess, did you just get it in your brain that someday you’d like to do Hardrock?
Bruyas: Yeah. Yeah, it was the idea to put the tickets each year. I’m lucky to have a ticket this year.
iRunFar: Yeah. You have done some of the most iconic races around the world. You have done Western States. You’ve done Diagonale des Fous, UTMB. So many races. This one is a little bit different though from most of the races out there, wouldn’t you say?
Bruyas: Yeah, it’s different because first, it’s not in France.
iRunFar: [laughs]
Bruyas: So for us, it’s more easier, I think. And I know Reunion Island. So, it’s always in U.S. When I went to Western States, the first year you are just to see and to understand the race, to understand the atmosphere, to know how it works. So, two years ago, I have a vacation around the Hardrock race. So I’m more comfortable this year to come back. But it’s a long one, too. 100 miles. So we’ll see what happens.
iRunFar: It’s funny for me to hear you say that it’s a long 100 miles, because you’ve done some very long ones. UTMB runs takes a long time. Diagonale des Fous takes a very long time. So for me, this is sort of like in the middle in terms of length.
Bruyas: Yeah. I think so. It’s in the middle. But with the altitude, you feel more, how do you say? You feel it’s long. You go not fast. So I think it’s just in the mind. You’re just going slowly and slowly.
iRunFar: The miles pass so slowly.
Bruyas: It’s long for sure. But we’ll see. But for sure, the altitude is really different.
iRunFar: You have been here for a couple of weeks, and also you’ve made the Softrock where you covered the course in, was it three days or four days?
Bruyas: Four days.
iRunFar: Four days. How has the altitude been for you?
Bruyas: It was not too bad. But we spent a few days in Boulder before, after the Softrock. So, no, the altitude, I think it’s okay. Just you have to accept to be slower and I think just that. But no, I have no headache or something like that. It was okay.
iRunFar: What has been your favorite part of being around Silverton and around Hardrock? Either these couple weeks doing Softrock and being here, or in the past, what are the things that you really like about being here?
Bruyas: I love this city because it’s in the mountains. And it’s not a big city. It’s a small city.
iRunFar: Little.
Bruyas: Compared to other U.S. cities. It’s super nice. People are super nice, super love nature. And I love the trails here because it’s super nature. For example, you don’t have a bridge above each river, you know. You have to run inside the river.
iRunFar: Cross the river.
Bruyas: Every river you can cross. In France, you have a bridge, a beautiful bridge. So, we were laughing about that, because my friends would come with me, search the first bridge around the river, to do the race.
iRunFar: Yeah.
Bruyas: Start of the race, and say, “Where is the bridge? There is no bridge here.”
iRunFar: I love that.
Bruyas: That’s amazing. And so the mountain is super rough. I like this.
iRunFar: Have you had any interesting wildlife experiences with animals?
Bruyas: No, we didn’t see a lot of animals during the Softrock and the other run we did, but maybe during the race.
iRunFar: You have raced in America before, so you’ve taken pacers, and done that whole experience. What is your plan for pacers and crew at this race?
Bruyas: I really like to have pacers, but one time in the Western States. In France, it’s not allowed. But I’m lucky because Marianne [Hogan] will pace me, I think, all along the way from Ouray.
iRunFar: Okay, like 40 miles or 50 miles, over 50.
Bruyas: Yeah. It’s the first plan, but we’ll see what happens. But she really takes this role like a goal for her, to prepare UTMB at the end of August. So she decided to not do her races at the end of June or beginning of July. It’s always like that, when you prepare UTMB. But she decided to come with me, do the Softrock, do all the travel with me, so it’s super nice.
iRunFar: Awesome.
Bruyas: Yeah.
iRunFar: You’re like a built-in best friend for these travels.
Bruyas: Yeah.
iRunFar: She is going to have to come up with 55 miles of stories. [laughs]
Bruyas: Yeah, sure.
iRunFar: It’s a lot of miles of stories to tell and time to pass.
Bruyas: But we have a lot.
iRunFar: Yeah. Well, best of luck to you in making your first loop around the Hardrock course, Camille.
Bruyas: Thanks a lot. Thank you.
