Olivier Maria: “Proud to Run a Marathon in Sandals”

We first spotted Olivier Maria, the “character,” at a roundabout in Lille. A closer look revealed that this passionate runner and cyclist was taking on the slightly crazy marathon in sandals. We wanted to find out more about Olivier’s philosophy beneath the playful, carefree exterior. His is a form of minimalism that does not stop him from thinking big: next October, he will take on the Dunkirk to Marseille challenge.

Every phenomenon has an opposing force. Running is booming, and the race for gear has become part of the sport. Most runners are richly equipped. In response to that trend, another school has emerged: the minimalists. They are also known as “naked runners”, according to an article published by lequipe.fr in August. Olivier Maria did not wait for the phenomenon to be given a name before adopting a more stripped-back approach. To underline that commitment, he will take on an unusual Dunkirk to Marseille run in a few weeks.

Olivier, how did you become such a passionate runner?

I started running ten years ago, at the end of my studies. I began in Grenoble during my final year. A friend suggested we go running in the mountains. At the time, I thought running in the mountains was impossible (laughs). I tried it with him and fell in love straight away. I started with the classic distances, 10K races and half marathons, then gradually stepped things up. I was fascinated by the subject and read everything I could, particularly about nutrition. It still fascinates me today (editor’s note: Olivier has published a book on the subject, Performer en mode cétogène). I knew I was going to leave Grenoble, so I made the most of my final year there and went trail running obsessively. Once I found myself in Lille, I had to reinvent my routine and get back on the roads. Around the same time, I discovered, or perhaps rediscovered, cycling.

And then came another “lightbulb moment”? What do you get out of long-distance racing?

Absolutely, a huge one! I discovered long-distance cycling and was hooked straight away. It all started with an injury, in 2020. I was preparing for the Valencia Marathon and pushed too hard. I developed a stress fracture, ran through it anyway and it all went badly wrong. To keep doing sport, I got on a bike. Very quickly, I found myself taking on Race Across France, which I completed twice. At that point I loved riding so much that I stopped running. Since then, I’ve done both in parallel. The longer it is, the better it gets. On a long-distance event, you go through so many different phases. Spending that much time under effort is mentally fascinating. You have to manage so many things: sleep, naps, nutrition. And then there are all those landscapes rolling past.

The longer it is, the better it gets
Olivier Maria

In the Instagram Reel of your marathon at the Porte de Paris roundabout, you can be seen running in sandals. We have to ask…

Let’s say sandals are part of my journey. I’ve always been drawn to a more stripped-back approach. I’ve been running in this kind of footwear for years. When I started looking deeply into running, I discovered the practice through an article from La Clinique du Coureur. It said you shouldn’t wait twenty years into your running career before addressing certain movement patterns and trying sandals. That convinced me. Reading Born to Run by Christopher McDougall was a decisive influence too. I run in Panta sandals today. As a little side story, this summer I visited the brand’s founder by running from Lille to Amsterdam and back, 300 kilometres in sandals. His workshop is in Haarlem.

Beyond the ethical side, do you feel sandals work for performance too?

At my level, I think they do! I ran my first sub-three-hour marathon in 2023, finishing in 2:58:18, wearing Monk Sandals, my first pair. Maybe I could go faster in carbon-plated shoes, but I’m very happy as I am. Proud to run a marathon in sandals, even. Like everyone else, I still want to run as fast as possible when I race. The fact that I’m not posting rubbish times gets people talking and thinking. I know it makes spectators and runners react. Running in sandals is a distinctive approach. You have to adapt your stride, making it lighter and shorter while increasing your cadence. You need to adjust your stride length because you land less on your heel. The body adapts quickly. And I haven’t had an injury in five years.

Is raising awareness about living more simply at the heart of the “La France en courant” project?

Yes, and sandals are a good way to start the conversation. They make people curious when they see me, and wearing them says more than talking about them. I want to shout to the world, run in sandals, just as I want to shout, don’t fly! But trying to sell people on an idea is often counterproductive. People ask themselves questions. I’m just planting a seed and encouraging people to seek out adventures without a race bib. With this Dunkirk to Marseille run, which I will of course do in sandals, my goal is to show that adventure does not necessarily require flying around the world. I think it matters to realise that you don’t have to travel far to find great challenges. They can be right on your doorstep. You can make up your own rules. Open up a new path shaped by freedom. That said, I’m not trying to lecture anyone. We all have our contradictions to deal with. I was lucky enough to race UTMB in 2024, and it was a major experience for me because of everything it represents. Yet once you’re there, there are plenty of things I don’t identify with, particularly the commercial side…