France’s Marion Delespierre returns to the 2025 Trail World Championships Long Trail as the event’s defending champion, having won the last edition in 2023. In the following interview, Marion talks about what it feels like to come back two years later as a mother and how everything about her life is different, what it’s like being part of Team France, and what a good day out on the course would look like for her.
For more on who’s racing, check out our in-depth women’s and men’s previews and follow our live race coverage on Saturday.
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Marion Delespierre Pre-2025 Trail World Championships Long Trail Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Meghan Hicks of iRunFar, I’m with Marion Delespierre. It’s a couple of days before the 2025 Trail World Championships Long Trail. You’re the defending champion. Hi, Marion. How are you?
Marion Delespierre: Fine, thank you.
iRunFar: How does it feel to come back to this race as the women’s defending champion?
Delespierre: I’m very proud to be here after the birth of my son 15 months ago. So for me, it’s a victory to be here. My winter was difficult because of injury during my return to racing, so I’m very, very happy to feel good now and to be with the team. So for me it’s a victory to be here and defending the country.
iRunFar: Is it accurate to say that you are a different person than in 2023? Lots of things about your life have changed, you’ve become a mother.
Delespierre: Yeah. Yeah, my life is very different than the last race. My son and all the changes in my life, my job, running, my son. So it’s a life, very busy. And mentally it’s different, but I think I’m strong, so it’ll be a good race.
iRunFar: I would love to know a little bit about the changes in your job. The last time we were with you was in 2023, you were a practicing physician.
Delespierre: Yeah.
iRunFar: Are you still working as a doctor?
Delespierre: Yeah, yeah.
iRunFar: Okay.
Delespierre: I am still a doctor and a runner.
iRunFar: Are you working full-time?
Delespierre: No, not full-time. I reduced my time of medical for my son and to continue running. But four days in the week, I work.
iRunFar: You’re very busy then, if you are working four days a week, you’re a mother full-time, and you’re also running.
Delespierre: Yeah, but I like it. It’s life. It’s not annoying.
iRunFar: That’s good. Talk a little bit about your return to running after having a baby. You said maybe you had a bit of an injury there?
Delespierre: Yeah, Achilles tendonitis. My ankle on the other one.
iRunFar: For compensation.
Delespierre: Yeah, for compensation. Twisted two times during winter severely. So it was not as simple as I was prepared to return. So it was maybe a little more time to be back. One year, 15 months. But I’m here today, so it’s very good and I’m very happy.
iRunFar: Team France is always formidable competition at the World Championships. The women’s Long Trail team is very strong. You have been to the course, you have recce’d it, you’ve seen the High Pyrenees here. How do you feel that Team France is positioned for this race?
Delespierre: I hope we will be all in shape, and so I think we will do the best to be the champion finale. So real team work to be there for the title.
iRunFar: I think there are not yet other teams that work together as much as Team France historically has. You’ve had several training camps with your teammates.
Delespierre: Yeah, yeah.
iRunFar: Talk a little bit about the friendship, the dynamic, the training together at those camps.
Delespierre: We are more than just runners. It’s not individual, it’s a real team, friend, roommates. And great … How do you say? Ambience.
iRunFar: Yeah, perfect.
Delespierre: Yeah, ambience. And so, I think we are strong with this spirit, team spirit. Yeah.
iRunFar: This is an interesting course, in that there are some runnable sections and then there are high, grassy, not-defined trail sections. What are your thoughts on the course after experiencing it and now racing on it?
Delespierre: I was not to the reconnaissance.
iRunFar: You didn’t come to recon?
Delespierre: Yeah, I was with my family. It’s a week with my family, so I didn’t see all the …
iRunFar: Couldn’t make it.
Delespierre: Yeah. But I think the path, the trail will be interesting, because technical and some parts not so technical, so it’s a trail for everyone. Technical, but I think it would be okay for the team. We are ready to race this kind of trail.
iRunFar: When we spoke to you after the last World Championships, you said you surprised yourself with your performance. You exceeded what you thought you could do. And then we went back and looked at the pictures of you finishing, and the surprise was your expression. What’s your own best day on Saturday? If you exceed or meet your expectations, what does that look like for you?
Delespierre: For this race, I think it’ll be an interesting race. Be focused on my own sensations during the day, not looking at the others, or be impatient. I think I will do my own race, and help my teammates. So work as a team again. And I hope it’ll be okay.
iRunFar: It will be okay. Marion Delespierre, best of luck to you on defending your title at the Long Trail World Championships.
Delespierre: Thank you very much.
