Élise Poncet: "A Podium Finish in the Golden Trail World Series Would Be a Great Achievement!"

4th in the GTWS 2022, Élise Poncet now has her sights on the podium. She will enter the circuit at the DoloMyths Run, a race that suits her skills perfectly.

She is one of the world’s best downhill runners. Élise Poncet (Millet, France) can do some serious damage on short, technical courses, as she proved last year with her second place in Stranda and her superb performance at the final in Madeira. Originally from Versailles and inspired by her top-level rock climber mother, Élise Poncet has always been attracted by trail running. Without daily access to the mountains in her youth, she enrolled in athletics with the dream of one day racing at elite level on the trails. She was quickly spotted in the junior categories and joined the French mountain running team while still living in Paris. It wasn't until she was 18 that she decided to continue her sports studies in Chambéry, so she could finally fulfil her dream of enjoying the mountains on a daily basis. Specialising in mountain running, she gradually forged her path with a pro-level approach. At 27, she is now one of the world’s best short-distance trail runners and hopes to prove it again this year at the Golden Trail World Series.

You didn’t compete in the first two legs of the GTWS and are making your entrance at the DoloMyths Run, why is that?

It’s typical of me! I often enter the Golden season later, for several reasons. The first is that I prefer to focus on mountain running at the start of the season, so July races like the DoloMyths Run fit in better with my schedule. The second is that Zegama and the Marathon du Mont-Blanc race profiles are too long for me. I much prefer shorter, more dynamic races. I love the DoloMyths Run profile, it’s a dynamic Alpine course route.

That’s true! When we look at the profile and your trail runner’s skill set, this race seems to be designed just for you! 

It would be a mistake to merely consider this race as technical. You need to be pretty versatile to perform well at the DoloMyths Run. It’s a steep climb up to Hell’s Couloir but it's not at all technical, so you need to be able to run fast uphill. I have memories of a pretty awful section on a ski slope where I really suffered in 2018. After that you have to climb steep terrain, with the famous couloir. This year I'll be using poles for the first time, I never have before. Then the descent is really technical but there's a section where you suddenly put on the gas, and I have sweet memories throwing up in that part. There, I’m not particularly the top dog. So, no, it's not simply running fast downhill to win, you need a ton of different skills.

If we focus on the downhill, do you think you're currently the world’s best downhiller?

I know who’s better than me: Tove Alexandersson. I’ve never had the chance to compete against her but I think she’s more versatile than me. On mega technical downhill, almost mountaineering style, I think I could be in front, but on more runnable downhills I think she’s better than me, I’m just normal. I must admit though, the downhill is my strong point.

Last year, you turned up at the final almost as an outsider, yet you made quite an impression: what is your personal feeling about it?

Outsider, yes and no... I think a lot of people wondered how I would manage doing one race after another as I'm used to very short formats. In fact, the funny thing is, the only stage I didn't do in the final was the shortest one. But I'd already clinched two podiums, one at the Skyrhune in 2021 and one at Stranda in 2022. I think people expected me to compete in short, very technical formats. In Madeira I managed to hold my own and surprised myself from day to day. Of course, I relied on my skills, widening the gaps on the downhills and in the more technical sections, but in the end, I was very pleasantly surprised by the result.

What are your chances at the DoloMyths Run? 

So far, I haven't had a brilliant start to the season for several reasons. I've had to deal with a few organisational changes and my preparation has suffered. I wasn't in my best shape at the French Championships and the World Mountain Running Championships, but I've continued to work hard over the last month. I'm getting fitter all the time and I'm very motivated. Now, I know that to clinch a podium spot in a GTWS race, everything must be perfectly aligned, both physically and mentally. We'll see on race day. I’ll see how I'm feeling on the day and change my strategy accordingly: I'll either push harder on the climbs, or I'll take more risks on the downhills. Right now, I don't really know how fit I will feel, but I do know that generally, the more the season progresses, the better I perform. Objectively, I'd be very happy with a top 10 finish.

What’s next in your diary? 

I’m planning on running both American races. Pikes Peak because I found it very challenging last year and I surprised myself by not being left for dead in a race that's uniquely uphill. I finished 8^th, not far from beasts like Blandine, and I loved the course route, the atmosphere and everything we were able to share with the Golden team. Besides, I can't always rely on the downhills! This race is good training for me and a good way of preserving myself physically for the final. I’ve never done the second race at Mammoth before, but the distance suits me well and I know I don’t have a problem with altitude. I'm looking forward to these races because it's also an opportunity to test myself against the American runners and I know there's a very stacked field there.

Give us some insight into your rivals this season.

Some of the "mutants", as I affectionately call them, are injured, which includes Maude Mathys, Nienke Brinkman and even Sara Alonso. We don’t know if they will be able to do all the Series. But other mutants are coming. For example, I know Grayson Murphy has a stratospheric level, very similar to Nienke. Others are rising mutants, Sophia Laukli and Caitlin Fielder who are progressing fast. Judith Wyder is also back… All this means whatever happens the women’s field will be loaded, especially if we add the Americans, who are getting stronger with every breath! It’s great! I prefer finishing 8^th in the world’s toughest circuit than win something where there’s no-one!

So, with this high-profile women’s line up what are your aims for this season? 

I finished 7^th in 2021 and 4^th in 2022, so I think a podium finish in the GTWS would be a great achievement! I can tell I'm performing better and better, I'm keen to be constant and climb up the ranks one by one.

What do you like about the Golden Trail World Series?

It's the best compromise I've found in short-distance trail running, the only circuit where I can really show who I am. For a long time, to become a pro trail runner you had to move up to ultra-distances. I know it's a discipline that I'll never do. The Golden Trail Series focuses on short distances and in a very brief space of time has managed to professionalise the sport. It's highly competitive, I'm not interested in being first locally I want to race against the world’s best! 

Also, in terms of media coverage, the Golden puts us in the limelight, the organisers’ support us, and this visibility attracts sponsors. That's why I'm back for my 3^rd full season!