I hope that for you too the pressure has eased after this magnificent edition.
Once again you’ve organised an extraordinary race, so again, thanks for everything.
Thanks to you both and to the helpers.
Seen from our side it looks easy and we can hardly imagine the work and investment that you put into this adventure. Know that we are more than grateful.
Bravo and thank you are basic formulas, but they are profoundly sincere because my attachment to this race and all that it conveys is so great.
Greg Trunet**
*-*-*-*-*-*
Back to earth, I’m sending you a little “Hi there!” from Toulouse, a little word of thanks for these three Trans Aq’s, three wonderful Trans Aq’s, full of different emotions, but always very strong, foot killing but eye filling, calf killing but a head full of extraordinary souvenirs. I loved the start of stage 1 in 2006, given from L’Amélie, I loved the finish line of stage 5 in 2007, my socks had had enough but I loved the night stage this year, I gave myself a treat and took some authorised shortcuts and at the end of the night found myself in and un-hoped for 16th position…
I loved the start of the night run given from the top of the Dune du Pyla in 2006, briefly, just very good memories, so fair sailing to the Trans Aq’ and it’s with pleasure that I hope to see you again. I’m now going to try and repair my back and then start thinking about another adventure.
Alain Abraham***
*-*-*-*-*
I would like to personally thank Caroline and yourself along with all of the helpers for the welcome and the intense happy moments lived through during this race that I’m so proud to have run and finished, it’s greatly because of you all, who knew how to accompany us during 6 days, thanks again and I won’t neglect to advert this super race.
Friendly regards to you both
Patrick Valot*
*-*-*-*-*
Thank you everyone for these MAGIC moments, my 2009 ticket is already being thought about… I didn’t know anything before….
Bertrand Bevalet*
*-*-*-*-*
Bravo for having managed wonderfully the logistics that represent a stage race. As a competitor, I didn’t come across a single hitch in the machinery that seemed so well oiled.
I admire the quality of the markings they were perfect (to get lost… over more than 300m… you really had to have lost your lucidity!!!). It’s clear that many events could take a page out of your book .
I particularly appreciated the bivouac and its atmosphere that gives the magic to your race.
Finally, bravo for having surrounded yourselves with such a great team of helpers.
My only regret is not to have been able to spend more time with you because of the mountain of work that you have to deal with during the marathon week.
I’m not ready to forget this week.
Friendly regards
Xavier* from the Team Sobhi
*-*-*-*-*
Firstly a big thank you for this parenthesis of immeasurable happiness that has been given to me again this year. It is, of course, very hard, but the team spirit being extremely strong this 2008 edition will remain engraved in my memory.
Pascale Ménard**
********
“Your Trans Aq is a beautiful ultra, that would have pleased us greatly if we could have run it” But we only managed to cover 10%.
The 16th October 2007 your told us that it was possible to walk the race (see annexe) but it has to be run and this irritates me as a Team leader in as much as this false information provoked for us not only a great deception but also an important expenditure.
Perhaps, as a race director you should be precise and say that when the average speed is 5.5km/h that we have to run the flat straights and the downhill slopes and walk the rest e.g. the sandy hills and the dunes.
Also I’m not OK with the fact that your “men” started to take down the marker tapes along the circuit when we had just passed in front of them, honestly it got on our nerves!!
To you the race director, I would also like to say that as an event overseer, to wait until the end of a stage to tell someone that you are removing them from the race and not to tell them during it, as you did with us at the end of 3 hours.
Finally when you mark us up as “abandon” on your website please be precise and say “disqualified” and not “abandone, because we find no fault with your itinerary but only with your bad info…
Kind regards
Josef Goltschman
*-*-*-*-*
Once again a BIG THANK YOU for the beautiful adventure that you allowed me to live. The race was well organised (but I had no doubts on that score). It is well balanced for the stage distances and the start times. There are some strong moments, for example the finish line at Cap Ferret or at Vieux Boucau and the famous crossing of the Dune du Pyla. The conviviality is there and the encounters we make allow us to keep some future beautiful memories.
In brief, A super week!!!
Paolo Casini*
*-*-*-*-*
I must say that I found the event magic where everything that thrills me was there. Everything that is cruelly missing from our everyday lives was there.
Mutual aid, exchanges, sharing, emotion, joviality… I would say that the first two days bivouac at Pin Sec was for me blessed bread!!! All of the encounters with these strangers who breathe Ultra running, who think raids, hiking, running, who tell their stories with passion, explain, advise… pure bliss! In fact I didn’t lose a crumb (phew it’s still happening!!).
The itinerary, traced by a runner for runners was nothing more than a succession of discovery and pleasure. If I should have to isolate one stage of the event, I would say it was the night run it was tip-top, I was disappointed to see the finish line (true!!), great!!!
At last, the final finish line at Vieux Boucau and there floods, I’ve often cried after certain trail runs (too emotional, but there you are…) but this time I broke the record.
I hid myself away to watch my friends arrive and at each crossing of the line, my eyes misted up!!! What memories!!
At last, I’m not going to be very original, not original but sincere, THANKS from the bottom of my heart to you Gérard and to you Caroline and the whole team of wonderful helpers who surrounded us.
See you very soon, I hope!!
Long live the TRANS AQ’!!
Stéphane ANDRE* - Bib N° 196
