Cyprien Benoist on a mission for L’ENVOL

From April 28 to May 25, 2024, Cyprien Benoist, a student at HEC Paris, ran across France from Paris to Marseille to support L’ENVOL. With a documentary about to be released, we wanted to look back with the man behind this extraordinary feat at his motivations, ambitions and memories of this generous adventure. The mission, named “PAMA”, raised more than €50,000 for children and their families...

© Théo Delille

How did Mission PAMA come about?

I’ve been very sporty since I was little. I played a lot of competitive tennis and rugby from the age of 4 to 20, but I had never really run. I spent six months in the French Army, which introduced me to running as part of everyday life. I loved it and quickly started increasing the distances. I was taking a gap year from my studies and had six months free, which is pretty rare in our lives these days. I wanted to do something with that time. I had quite a few ideas, but one kept coming back to me: crossing France, a beautiful country that I ultimately know very little about. That idea combined with my new passion for running. To give you an idea of how quickly it took hold: I started running three times a week in August, and by October I was running a marathon... I had just finished my six months in the army, so I was fit. I had a great time during the marathon, but by the end I realized something: what I loved was the training, getting out three times a week. That was my thing. In running, I discovered that I was less competitive than I had been in tennis or rugby. I enjoy pushing into the red and doing intervals, but I’m not obsessed with the time. I live in Paris and I love wandering around and discovering places on foot. Going on an adventure, basically. Then one day it clicked: all I had to do was use this passion for running to come up with something, cross France and meet people. It was November 2023, a few weeks after the marathon. That’s when the 1,000 km idea was born.

So you had this idea before meeting L’Envol?

Yes, I initially came up with the idea on my own, before the project started to take shape. At that point I wasn’t yet in touch with the charity. However you map out France, the diagonal is always more or less 1,000 km (24 x 42 km with one rest day). Since I wanted to do something that resembled a marathon a day, Mission PAMA was born... After a few days, I was sure I wanted to do it, but I quickly realized it would require a huge amount of organization, complicated logistics, funding and so on. Once I’d thought it through, I told myself that if I was going to put that much positive energy into a project, it shouldn’t be just for me. That’s when I decided to put myself at the service of sick children. I was already sensitive to the cause because, during my studies, I had been involved with an organization called Rêve d’enfance, and the experience had a profound impact on me. One summer, I took part in one of their boat trips for children with cancer. It was unforgettable. That was a year before Mission PAMA. Beyond the empathy I felt for them, I was above all inspired by their courage and the way they faced up to illness... I wanted my project to have two dimensions: pushing yourself beyond your limits, something these children embody far more powerfully than anything I’ve done, and sharing it with my loved ones and, more broadly, with a team. That’s where things clicked with L’ENVOL.

 If I was going to put that much positive energy into a project, it shouldn’t be just for me

Are you still an ambassador for L’ENVOL?

Yes, I’m still an ambassador for the organization. Last year, I used everything we did across social media and in the press to talk about the charity as much as possible. Then I raised funds (editor’s note: €50,000). Half of that money was used to fund the charity’s programs, while the other half went toward a documentary, released on May 18, telling the story of Mission PAMA and co-produced with L’ENVOL.

Can you tell us about some of the highlights from this 1,000 km adventure?

One of my first strong memories is from the second day. On day one, I set off from Paris, with my family and friends there, and people running alongside me... On the second day, I left from Brie-Comte-Robert and people ran with me for another 15 or 20 km. For the first time, I found myself alone after 60 km of the mission, and it hit me hard. That was when I realized what I was doing. I was heading straight ahead, with no going home at the end like on a “normal” run. By that evening, I was already proud to have covered two marathons in two days... The first week and leaving Paris were something else, with those vast open fields. On that famous second day, I ran the 44 km along the same dead-straight road... That’s when the journey became mostly an internal one. At the start of the route, I hadn’t put much energy into mapping out the best trails; I was focused on the kilometres.

You must have had to put a lot in place to run a marathon every day?

Yes, it was a balance between preparation and recovery. The effort itself is achievable for a lot of people, I genuinely believe that. Where it really gets difficult is the ability to recover quickly. Basically, I had 20 hours every day to recover from four hours of running, 4,000 calories burned and battered muscles... The rest of the day took me longer than the run itself. Everything was meticulously planned: running from 8 a.m. to noon, a high-protein lunch, a nap, self-massage, blister prevention and treatment, another protein-heavy snack, then carbs in the evening for the next day... I broke that routine just once and ate a bit of fat. I really suffered the next day!

© Victor Marcadé

A moment of communion with your surroundings?

Yes, I have one almost divine moment in mind, in the Alpilles, in the south, toward the end of the route. It was the middle of the fourth week, and I was starting to feel confident that I would reach my goal. I love the sense of discovery that comes with running, feeling like a little bird in flight, being close to nature. That day, I wanted to take it all in, so I completely left my planned route. I went climbing through the massif on rocky trails. I could easily have rolled an ankle, but at that point I wanted to enjoy being in such a magnificent place. I was alone in the massif, off-trail, and running too fast for the terrain and my level of fatigue. But it was too beautiful not to make the most of it. At that point, I’d even lost contact with my team’s GPS tracking. Pure freedom! It was an incredible feeling.

What does running mean to you today?

My doctor and I had planned a program to make sure my body handled the transition away from running properly. I have no intention of running 200 km a week. What I have kept, though, is that sense of going out for a wander, the pleasure of discovering landscapes... More than performance. I find it very difficult to sign up for organized races. I enjoy the run itself above all else, having time alone with myself...

A year on, can you assess the impact of your mission?

I’ve been genuinely surprised by how many people are taking on similar projects. I receive loads of messages from people asking me for advice. Just last week, I had two calls from runners. Being able to identify with “ordinary people” taking on this kind of project encourages others to take the leap. I’ve received a lot of messages along those lines. And my sister has started exercising every day (smiles).

Find out more

✓ Book your ticket for the May 18 screening at the Balzac Cinema.

✓ Recognized as a public-interest organization, L’ENVOL has organized tailored programs for sick children and young people and their families since it was founded in 1997.