© Alban Pellegrin
72 Marathons in 72 Days: Alban Pellegrin’s Wild, Human, and Unforgettable Journey Across France
From Bray-Dunes on the North Sea to Lauterbourg on the German border, French ultra-runner Alban Pellegrin crossed the entire country powered only by his legs. Seventy-two marathons in seventy-two days, without a break, without support, without shortcuts. At 38, the former contestant on the French edition of Survivor (Koh-Lanta) pulled off a challenge that was as extreme as it was profoundly human—one where absolute exhaustion mixed with absolute joy.
He jokes about it sometimes, but the nickname suits him well: Alban Pellegrin is a kind of French-flavored Forrest Gump. On September 1, he set off from the beaches of Bray-Dunes in northern France. Every day, he ran a full marathon, until he finally reached Lauterbourg (in Alsace, right on the Luxembourg–Germany border) on November 11. At exactly 4:35 p.m., in the easternmost town in the country, he completed his 72nd marathon in 72 days. Yes—seventy-two times 42.195 km. A total of 3,200 km, 37,000 m of elevation gain, no support team, just a seven-kilo backpack with the bare essentials… and an iron will.
His goal? To link the four cardinal points of France, meeting the country step by step and the people who shape it. Sleeping in locals’ homes, sharing meals, collecting stories. Boosted by his inner circle, the former Koh-Lanta adventurer didn’t just cross France — he lived it, carried forward by his stride and the warmth of each encounter.
In practice, Alban Pellegrin first followed the Norman coast, then pushed through Brittany all the way to Pointe de Corsen, that windswept end of the world where land gives way to the Atlantic. From there, he headed due south toward the Pyrenees and the tiny border village of Lamanère. Next came a stop in his home port of Lyon before striking northeast, cutting across Alsace and closing his loop in Lauterbourg — that thin edge of the map where France almost brushes Luxembourg.
| When the road becomes a diary
His mantra—“I run at your place”—took on a whole new meaning. Every day, this fan of adventure TV shows like Pékin Express and I’ll Sleep in Your House documented his days on Instagram: long empty roads, tired smiles, raw emotions.
« I’m full of emotion, exhausted, shaken, happy. I’m thinking about my mom—her strength, her breath, the invisible legacy she left me. »
Alban Pellegrin
Those final meters in Lauterbourg, captured live, will likely stay with him forever. Breathing hard, voice trembling, he managed only a few words: “I’m full, exhausted… overwhelmed and happy.” A simple sentence that held all the pain, gratitude, and fullness of someone who had just completed a journey he may never be able to replace.
| A tribute to his mother
Behind the athletic challenge stood something deeper. This emotional tour of France was also a tribute to his mother, who passed away two years ago from lung cancer. “I think about my mom, about her strength and her breath, about the invisible things she left me,” he wrote on social media after finishing his final marathon.
To give purpose to his journey, he raised money for the Fondation du Souffle, a French nonprofit fighting respiratory diseases. His initial target—€15,000—was quickly surpassed. By the finish line, more than €30,000 (30,960 on Tuesday morning) had been donated. Another victory—arguably the most beautiful.“I’m proud to have represented the Fondation du Souffle, proud of every step, every breath given for those who are ill,”the fearless marathoner said.
| A profoundly human adventure
No crew, no time goals (his marathon PR was in Paris in 2:58), no obsession with performance—this modern-day wanderer chose to focus on people. Every marathon became a moment of connection: a chat with strangers, a family offering a bed, a passerby cheering him on after hearing his story.
Kilometer after kilometer, he ended up weaving an invisible thread across France—a thread of solidarity. Days away from his 39th birthday (on December 21), Alban Pellegrin proved that one person, a pair of running shoes, and a whole lot of heart can still move people. He linked the four cardinal points of France… but above all, he linked its people.
| From Koh-Lanta to an indelible footprint
Viewers remember him from his two appearances on Koh-Lanta in 2015 and 2018, where he stood out for his calm, determination, and love of pushing his limits. A decade later, that passion has only grown. This XXL challenge wasn’t a TV game—it was an inner journey. Running to stay alive, to pass something on, to say thank you. His “Tour de France of Breath” leaves behind a powerful message: resilience doesn’t shout—it runs.
And he’s not slowing down. This pilgrim of the modern age has already set his next date with his followers: the Saintéxpress on November 29 (45 km, 900 m of elevation gain), part of the iconic SaintéLyon ultramarathon—another way to honor Lyon, the city he loves, where he received a warm and emotional welcome during his passage across the famous Place Bellecour on October 26.
Dorian VUILLET
Journalist
