Jean-Philippe Marie-Louise

About

Jean-Philippe Marie-Louise is a French ultrarunner from Réunion Island who stands as one of the defining figures in the history of the Grand Raid de la Réunion — the legendary 'Diagonale des Fous' that crosses the volcanic island from coast to coast. Racing through the 1990s, he won the event four times, taking his first title in 1993 after the disqualification of Jacky Murat, then defending it in 1994, 1995, and 1996 to become the only runner in the race's first 25 editions to cross the line first three years running. His 1995 winning time of 14 hours 41 minutes set a course record that stood for years as the benchmark for the race. His four titles held the event's all-time victory record until François D'Haène matched it decades later, cementing Marie-Louise's status as a foundational hero of Réunion Island trail running, from an era when the race was still dominated by local rather than international professional athletes.

Notable Wins

• — Grand Raid de la Réunion (Diagonale des Fous) winner 1993
• — 1994
• — 1995
• — 1996 (4x
• — course record 14:41 in 1995)