Eco Trail de Paris

Second edition and second success for the organisators of the ecotrail, a 80km race from Saint-Quentin en Yvelines to the Eiffel Tower. The route is fast always on trails, crossing the area of Paris but in a very natural environment, by woods and gardens, in some very pleasant places and well preserved nature, very close from the big city but mainly very still, quiet places.
The race is very well organised and the popular impact was clearly there, by more than 2000 entrants and some spectators at the aid stations and on the finish. We start from Saint-Quentin and after a little passage in town we cross the woods of Versailles, Velizy and Chaville before going through the parc de Saint Cloud, where you can first see the Eiffel tower, the finish line is on the first stage! A very insolite and also beautiful finish place!
I ran a pretty bad race, starting to fast, as last year... I was on the leading group from start to the first aid station, taking the pace most of the time but after that i began to feel tired and the legs were stiff. May be a to short recovery after the half marathon of last week and a lack of specific training for that competition who can be apparented to an 100k for the preparation and the rythme of the race. I suffered a lot to the second aid station at kilometer 50 and after that i ran without to much pain but quite slow to the finish. I'm placing 22th, the same kind of place than last year, same punishment with the same tactical mistakes. Not a catastrophe since, but...
The ambiance was really good and i have the opportunity to speak with so many passioned peoples. The real start of the trail race season was there!