Romain Wyndaele wants to break running’s dress code

With a 29:41 10K, a 1:06:50 half marathon and a 2:21:52 marathon in 2024, Romain Wyndaele is firmly among France’s best amateur runners. But beyond the times, he stands out for his unmistakable style on the start line. Meet a performance aesthete.

He stands out on the start line. Layering, scarves, accessories, a tattooed neck: Romain Wyndaele is impossible to miss. At 29, this amateur runner embodies a new performance aesthetic. A full-time barista, in his spare time he acts as a catalyst for an audacious dialogue between fashion and running.

Breaking free in style

After starting out in trail running before moving into the 1500m, he knows his way around running. But there is another field Romain has mastered: fashion. To understand the young runner, you have to go back five years: “I became interested in fashion when I started getting my tattoos, about four or five years ago. That’s when I took a different direction with my style. It was a time in my life when I started feeling more free. I wasn’t tied down by as many constraints anymore. I was making decisions for myself.” For Romain, fashion was therapeutic too: “The more I got into that mindset, the better I felt. It helped me build confidence in myself. I completely forgot about other people’s opinions.”

When Romain Wyndaele lines up for a race or heads out for a session, he isn’t trying to fit the performance uniform: “I always try to bring a fashion-conscious, cool edge to performance running. Without meaning it negatively, all the athletes who are there to run a fast time dress the same. They all look alike. I wanted to break running’s dress code and tell myself, ‘I’m going to the start line dressed how I feel today.’ And that doesn’t stop me from running fast, quite the opposite. If I’m not wearing the outfit I had in mind, I won’t be in the same flow during my session.”

I wanted to break running’s dress code and tell myself, “I’m going to the start line dressed how I feel today.” And that doesn’t stop me from running fast.
Romain Wyndaele

“All it took was running for people’s opinions to change”

Standing out means being seen, and Romain Wyndaele has already noticed that his sartorial freedom can make people uncomfortable: “At training camp, the other groups called my friends and me the fashion crew. All it took was running for people’s opinions to change. At first glance, they think I’m a clown, then I overtake them and it annoys them (laughs).” But outside judgement has never held him back. Quite the opposite: “As soon as I had tattoos on my arms, head and neck, I felt people judging me. Other people’s perceptions really do change. It’s the same with fashion. Except in Paris, where people are very open-minded, wearing something unusual makes people uncomfortable.”

Yet Romain Wyndaele’s world has opened more doors than it has closed: “My style has rarely held me back professionally. I’m lucky to work in a creative environment where I can express myself. Brands now contact me because of who I am; they don’t try to rein me in. They’ve hidden my tattoos during shoots before, but that’s about it.”

With such a carefully considered approach to his outfits, you might wonder whether the influencer has any fashion influences: “I’m my own inspiration. There isn’t really a fashion role model in French running. I wear whatever I have in my head, so sometimes it takes me 15 minutes to choose an outfit.”

At training camp, the other groups called us fashion.
Romain Wyndaele

Top-level amateur athlete Romain Wyndaele stands out with his unique outfits. Meet a performance aesthete.

Mastering pace... and style

His style attracts attention, but his performances impress. In 2024, Romain Wyndaele ran a 10K in 29:41, a half marathon in 1:06:50 and a marathon in 2:21:52, times that put him among France’s best amateurs. And he did it after coming back from a long injury. “The year before, I’d injured both Achilles tendons and couldn’t run from July until February. Running on the track wasn’t easy, so I focused on the road.”

The amateur athlete ran his first marathon, the Berlin Marathon, on a whim: “New Balance contacted me two weeks beforehand. A friend was entered, so I decided to give it a try. I wore half tights because I really wanted to be comfortable. I didn’t want to take any risks with kit I’d never worn on a long run. I’m going to run it again this year with a more serious approach to see what I can do over the distance.”

But Romain Wyndaele’s heart still belongs to trail running, the discipline where he started: “That’s where I have the most fun. I was on the Salomon team, running in ski resorts. But now I want to post some good times on the track and road first, so I can come back to trail running with more tools and more enjoyment.”

Away from the runway, Romain Wyndaele has a personal dream: “My life goal for later on would be to open my own specialty coffee shop.”

The editorial team