Jacky Murat

About

Jacky Murat is a trail runner from Réunion Island, the French volcanic territory in the Indian Ocean that is home to one of ultrarunning's most storied races, the Grand Raid de la Réunion (La Diagonale des Fous). He is remembered for the controversial 1994 edition of the race: Murat crossed the finish line more than an hour ahead of the field, but organisers ruled he had missed two mandatory checkpoints and disqualified him, awarding the win to Philippe Marie-Louise instead — a decision that remains a point of local legend on the island. Murat went on to found and preside over the Association d'Athlétisme de Jacky Murat (AAJM), which has organised trail races in Réunion's volcanic terrain since the early 1990s, including the Transvolcano Piton de la Fournaise, cementing his role as a builder of the island's running culture beyond his own competitive career.

Notable Wins

• — 1994 Grand Raid de la Réunion — first across the line but disqualified for missing checkpoints; founder and president of the Association d'Athlétisme de Jacky Murat

Race History