Comedian Hugues Lavigne named ambassador for the Onatera Paris 17 10K

He spent years playing on Toulouse’s rugby pitches. On Sunday, November 29, Hugues Lavigne will line up for the Onatera Paris 17 10K, where he will serve as ambassador. It is an honour for the former 17th-arrondissement resident, a powerfully built man who sees running above all as « a way to feel alive ». Known for his self-deprecating humour and his mischievous takes on everyday situations, Hugues finds a form of rest in endurance sport. « Running long distances, or even 5K, and being exhausted at the end, I think it’s brilliant. It calms my brain down », he says. He has firsthand experience of hyperactivity-related difficulties, a subject he discusses openly, notably in his current show, « Hyperactif ».

From rugby player to marathon runner

For a rugby player, becoming a runner can be just one step away. Moving house, wanting to protect his body and getting older gradually pulled him away from the oval ball and towards a new discipline. When he moved to Paris at 26, just a stone’s throw from Pont Cardinet, Hugues still had one foot in rugby, but spent most of his time cycling in support of the peer-to-peer delivery start-up founded by his brother. Running then entered his life « more seriously ».

Alongside a few friends, he began training for the Frankfurt Marathon. At that point, his experience amounted to a single 10K, run at the age of 18 in 42:36. But the German race’s famously fast course gave him confidence about tackling the distance, especially as he was gradually discovering how much he enjoyed it. « I started to enjoy the longer distances. Once you go beyond 20K, the effort is different. You push yourself to the limit, and the suffering feels really good », he says.

Now 35, he has three marathons under his belt and is preparing to race the much-anticipated Onatera Paris 17 10K, with a target of 42 minutes. It is an ambitious goal for this running enthusiast, who trains three or four times a week with a remote coach. « Right now, I can hold the right pace for 5K, and then I die », he admits, unsure whether he will get there. Hugues draws a parallel between the nerves at the start of a race and the butterflies before going on stage. « We’ve prepared for this, and now we have to give it everything », he says. Running has become part of his daily life because of its simplicity: « When I’m on tour with my show, I can run at the same time, discover new places and recharge my batteries as much as possible. » But also because of its communal side. « You find a team spirit in an individual sport, and that’s incredibly important », he insists.

When failure makes a good story

Sometimes, the comedian takes over from the runner. At certain races, he spends some of his energy filming himself to create humorous content, as he did at the Toulouse Marathon. « I filmed myself every 5K, making little jokes. You can clearly see that by the 35K mark, I’m really not doing well. It may not have helped my performance, but it made people laugh, and above all, it caught their attention because it was natural. You can’t always succeed in your challenge, and it’s good to show your failures too. »

That is precisely the message he wants to share as the figurehead of the 17th arrondissement’s sporting and festive event at the end of November. « Everyone taking part, whatever time they run, should be proud. It’s huge. It’s months of preparation, it’s training, it’s sport, it’s life. » For him, success starts the moment you sign up. Whether participants take on the challenge alone, as a pair or in a team, what matters is rising to it, from completing a first 10K to qualifying for the French Championships.

Back to his roots in the 17th arrondissement

In 2027, we will see him at the Paris Marathon, chasing his « dream » of running 3:50. In the meantime, on November 29, he will reconnect with the neighbourhood where his Paris story began, hoping to pass close to two of his favourite streets, Rue Lévis and Rue Dulong. « They’re incredible streets. The first is a really wide street, full of shops, with a café at the end. In my imagination, when I had just arrived in Paris and was doing my shopping on Rue Lévis, even though I didn’t have much money, I would tell myself: ‘I’m a Parisian,’ and I thought that was beautiful and very stylish. » The date is set for a fast, flat course, and it is not to be missed.