Salomon EcoTrail Paris unveils a fresh identity and two major new features

On Wednesday, EcoTrail Paris organisers gathered the running media on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower to unveil two new developments planned for future editions as part of their partnership with Salomon.

What better way to start a Wednesday than with an event at the Eiffel Tower? The morning begins at the foot of the iconic landmark for the day's lucky guests: journalists, press officers and other figures from the running world, all given a particularly warm welcome. After a quick lift ride, the thirty or so guests find themselves in the magnificent space privatised for the occasion on the first floor of the Iron Lady, a nod to the legendary finish of the EcoTrail Paris 80 km. And for good reason: two major announcements are unveiled during presentations by representatives of the two organisations, now linked for another four years. Hervé Pardailhe-Galabrun, president of EcoTrail Organisation, and Philippe Perier, managing director of Salomon France, are preparing to write a new chapter together.

18 years on, EcoTrail Paris is moving into a new dimension

The first edition of EcoTrail Paris took place on 16 February 2008. Nearly 900 runners lined up at the start, with 1,700 taking part across all distances. It was bitterly cold, but the sky was a brilliant blue. A genuine success for the founders of a race whose concept had initially met with scepticism from most of the people they approached. “We created EcoTrail Paris to reveal something many people didn't know: Île-de-France is one of the finest natural playgrounds in France”, declared the man behind this pioneering event, conceived with the ambition of bringing city dwellers closer to the nature around them.

It all goes back to the early 2000s. “In 2003, we discovered the existence of UTMB. It was actually one of the first times we'd heard the word. So we had this crazy idea of organising a trail race in Paris to show that trail running could take place in an urban and peri-urban environment, and that it wasn't reserved for the mountains”, Hervé Pardailhe-Galabrun recalled. The association Les Traileurs de Paris Île-de-France was then founded. And because this outdoor sports enthusiast explored the region by day and by night, he knew it by heart and mapped out a route of just over 80 km from the Île de loisirs de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines to Paris. The finish was initially in the Bois de Boulogne, before one idea took hold: the Eiffel Tower. After a day spent recceing the route, two members of the team emerged at the foot of the landmark. “I'll remember it for the rest of my life. We sat down on a bench and watched it sparkle. We said to each other: this is crazy, we've come out of the forest and we're arriving here ”, he recalled.

Eighteen years later, EcoTrail Paris has become a fixture on the French racing calendar, with bibs in such high demand that runners fight to get hold of them. Its growth has been built with the backing of public institutions and private partners who have supported it over the years. Since its creation, the event has rested on three “inseparable” pillars, according to its founder: showcasing natural and cultural heritage, making participation accessible, from the 18 km recreational race to the 120 km ultra, and taking an environmentally responsible approach by limiting the ecological footprint of runners passing through. Hervé Pardailhé-Galabrun says: “Environmental responsibility is not a marketing angle for us; it's a founding commitment. From the very first edition of EcoTrail Paris, we chose to minimise our impact on natural environments. We can't invite participants to love the trails without doing something concrete to preserve them. ”

This year marks a turning point. Since 20 November, EcoTrail Paris has had a new, more modern visual identity, along with a slogan shared by all seven EcoTrails around the world: “ Opening the way to reinvent the territory ”. The iconic oak leaf has been replaced by a more coherent overall art direction. “Our famous logo will no longer appear, which felt strange at first, but we've fully embraced this new brand identity”, confirmed Hervé Pardailhe-Galabrun, who hopes to make EcoTrail Paris a gateway into trail running by supporting peri-urban runners looking for a taste of nature and showcasing even more effectively the riches of the areas crossed.

Salomon becomes the event's naming partner

Already a partner of EcoTrail Paris for four years, Salomon is taking the relationship a step further by becoming title partner through 2019. The race now has a new name: Salomon EcoTrail Paris. The agreement is a source of satisfaction for Hervé Pardailhe-Galabrun, who is pleased to strengthen the link with the world's leading outdoor sports brand. “It's important to us that this is a French company with which we share common commitments”, he said. It's a brand I've always dreamed of. In the 2000s, I took part in the X Aventure Salomon Series, which was a bit like the UTMB of trail running at the time. I wore Salomon gear from head to toe, from shoes to backpack. It was highly technical ”. The stronger collaboration reflects a shared ambition: to improve and modernise the runner experience before, during and after the race.

EcoTrail Organisation's authenticity resonates with Salomon's own approach. “It speaks to me”, said Philippe Perier, who underlined the strategic importance of Paris, a genuine national and international showcase for a brand born in the mountains but now looking to reach a broader audience. “As a French brand with an international presence, Paris is our showcase, just as the Eiffel Tower is for France. This partnership supports our goals in France while giving the brand visibility far beyond it ”, said Salomon's country manager.

The boom in running, with practices becoming more varied and hybrid, has pushed the company to keep pace with these changes, including the recent development of a “gravel” range perfectly suited to EcoTrail's characteristic terrain: mud, gravel and a little tarmac. The values are therefore perfectly aligned: a brand that embraces its mountain roots while reinventing itself in urban settings, a desire to make nature-based running accessible to everyone, including in the heart of major cities, and the same focus on environmental responsibility. This renewal, driven by the event's growing success, is built for the long term. For Salomon, as for EcoTrail Organisation, the next chapter is only just beginning.

A second Salomon EcoTrail Paris edition is coming in autumn

From 2026, EcoTrail will also stage an autumn edition. There will therefore be two Salomon EcoTrail Paris dates every year: one in April and one in autumn, offering two ways to rediscover Île-de-France as the seasons change. “We finished scouting the route with the teams over the summer. It takes place in another part of the Île-de-France region, and it's absolutely magnificent. At this time of year, the colours in the forests will be majestic”, said the president of EcoTrail Organisation, already looking ahead with stars in his eyes.

The second edition also answers strong demand: the event sells out within hours, some races even faster, and more than 11,000 people are currently on the waiting list for the 21 and 22 March edition. It will nevertheless welcome more participants than last year, with 19,000 runners expected. Some of the new places are being allocated to the launch of the 120 km ultra. As for the autumn edition, its varied formats should offer something for everyone, with start and finish locations tailored to each race. “It won't follow exactly the same format as the Salomon EcoTrail Paris ”, Hervé clarified, but the ambition remains the same: to give those who missed out on a bib the chance to experience EcoTrail too.

These two announcements mark an unprecedented step forward for an event already firmly established on the racing calendar. Paris-region trail runner and Salomon ambassador Alexandre Boucheix, better known as Casquette Verte, said in a video shown during the conference: “The two of them make a perfect pair, and I'm delighted. It seemed unlikely this would ever happen in Paris, but this is where it's happening now!”. He has a point. Time to lace up, adjust the cap and get ready for Salomon EcoTrail Paris. With a bit of luck, we'll be there.