For ordinary mortals, it takes two weeks to overcome the GR20, a hell of rock that requires constant attention. But for the Haut-Savoyard Anne-Lise Rousset, 35h50 were enough, between Monday 13 and Tuesday 14 June, to cover the 180 km and 13,000 m drop of this mythical path which crosses Corsica following its mountainous backbone.
This new female record on the GR20 lowers by 5h30 the mark established ten years ago by another athlete from Haute-Savoie, Émilie Lecomte. “It’s a time that I dared not dream of, because I had never run such a distance. The other big unknown is that I gave birth only 11 months ago, ”says Anne-Lise Rousset, 33, still groggy a few hours after her triumphant arrival in Conca (Corse-du-Sud).
A dozen runners carry his water
But her husband and trainer, Adrien Séguret, specifies that her pregnancy did not deprive her of sport for long. “She was walking above Chamonix (Haute-Savoie) the day before she gave birth! Until 8 months she was running almost normally. Then at the end of the term, she took a ski lift pass to… go back down by gondola, and thus limit shocks. She continued to climb the mountains on foot. »
On the GR20, their little boy had his eyes wide open this time to follow his mother’s feat during the refueling. “I was very surrounded”, continues the trail champion, also a veterinarian in rural areas. “A dozen runners took turns accompanying me, carrying my water when it was very hot. Among them was Lambert Santelli, the Corsican who holds the men’s GR20 record (30:25). It was a great moment of sharing with the locals. »
