Arthur Joyeux-Bouillon and Gregoire Curmer pair up with On
The On trail team is expanding. French athletes Arthur Joyeux-Bouillon and Gregoire Curmer join the Swiss sportswear brand’s growing roster of trail athletes.
Arthur Joyeux-Bouillon was born in the Vercors and grew up alpine skiing, ski mountaineering, and cycling.
“I fell in love with trail running in 2013, and now I do ultra trail races for the physical and mental challenge. My first 80 km race was the Ultra Trail du Vercors in 2016. It was a real sporting challenge, but the passion began when I won my first 65 km race the following year. My biggest achievement to date is probably third place in the TDS (part of the UTMB final series). It felt like a real consecration,” the 28-year-old said about his way into the sport. “I just love taking my running shoes and exploring the mountain quickly and simply.”
Today, Joyeux-Bouillon lives in the Savoie region of France, which offers an ideal playground for his training. Also always on his team are partner Justine, a communications manager by trade who supports Joyeux-Bouillon with all public relations, and dog Naska, his most important training partner – in all weather conditions.
Together with coach Eric Lacroix, Joyeux-Bouillon has the next challenges lined up for him for the upcoming season: In February, he will tackle the 128 km of the TransGranCanaria, followed by Istria by UTMB in April to obtain his ticket for UTMB later in the year. June is dedicated to the Trail 100 de Andorra by UTMB, followed by the Trail de La Rosiere in July, where Joyeux-Bouillon already holds a record four wins. In August, the season highlight looms in the form of the 170 grueling kilometers of the UTMB.
“I like the visionary side of On. What sets it apart from other partnerships is that I am included in the development. Knowing that On considers my opinion is important to me”, Joyeux-Bouillon said about the partnership. “My favorite shoe is the Cloudultra. It is the perfect combo between comfort, performance, stability, and dynamism. However, the essential running piece for ar the shorts. During ultra trail races, you spend so much time running. If there is any friction, it can be a real nightmare.”
His 32-year-old compatriot Gregoire Curmer hails from Chamonix Mont Blanc and also has been a mountain enthusiast since he was little. He began with trail running in 2013 and took an immediate liking to it:
“I like this feeling of freedom. To go from point A to B with only my feet to carry me, discover landscapes, and spend time in the mountains. In 2013, I decided to do the “90 km du Mont Blanc” with a friend. I finished 6th. I immediately knew I loved it and learned I had abilities.”
For Curmer, there is a particular fascination with discovering new races. His merit list reflects this adventurous spirit: he won the famous Diagonale Des Fous, the BourBon, and the “Terre Des Dieux” on the mythical GR20 long-distance hiking trail on Corsica. In addition, he ranked 7th at UTMB and 5th at the TDS.
The mountains are important to Curmer, even when it is not about trail running. Currently, he is about to pass his mountain guide exam. “If things are not going well or I have tough days, I like to be alone, walk or ride a bike. Just looking around, feeling nature, and just being outside and breathing without thinking about training or performance, it energizes me.” Next to trail running, he enjoys paragliding and diving, for which he is also an instructor and diving rescuer.
“I have just started the partnership with On, but I can already see that it is a close-knit and dynamic team with a great approach to eco-responsibility, sporting performance, and style. I find that there is respect for the athletes and their lifestyle. It is a team with values and other fantastic athletes.”
Header image: Arthur Joyeux Bouillon. Credit: On
