His victory at the Diagonale des Fous in mid-October is one of the highlights of French sport in 2025. Baptiste Chassagne, who was preparing to celebrate his 32nd birthday, made the history of this legendary crossing of Reunion by hurtling down the 175 km and 10,500 m of positive altitude difference in just over 23 hours and 30 minutes, an hour ahead of his first competitor. And for his first participation.
A trained footballer, the native of Lyon always loved running but took his time before putting on his first bibs. In two years, he became one of the strongest French long-distance runners. This lover of words, fan of poetry, passionate about football and crazy about the Saint-Étienne club, told us his story through all his “first times”.
