Patrick Maffre

About

Patrick Maffre is a French ultrarunner from Plaine des Palmistes on Réunion Island, one of the defining figures of the early Grand Raid de la Réunion (La Diagonale des Fous) era. He began competing in athletics at age 11 and won his first medal, a cross-country bronze, at 12, before making his ultra-distance debut at the 1991 Grande Traversée (the race's early name), where he tied Gilles Trousselier for the win in 18 hours 28 minutes. He went on to win the race outright again in 1993, finishing in roughly 16 hours ahead of Jean-Philippe Marie-Louise, and a third time in 1997 in 15:37, one of the fastest times recorded in the race's early decades. Away from the Grand Raid he won the Super-Marathon des Cirques in 1992, the Passe Montagne three years running (1994-1996), the Marathon des Cirques three times, and the Boucles Plaines once, and represented Réunion internationally at the "6000-D," the Paris Marathon, Mont Cameroun, and the Tour du Mont Blanc. He stepped back from competitive racing around 1997-1998, attempted a comeback in 2000 that was cut short by injury, and by the early 2000s had shifted his focus to family life, remaining a widely cited inspirational figure for younger Réunionnais trail runners.

Notable Wins

• — Grand Raid de la Réunion (Diagonale des Fous) winner 1991 (tied
• — 18:28)
• — 1993 (~16:03)
• — 1997 (15:37); Super-Marathon des Cirques winner 1992; Passe Montagne winner 1994
• — 1995
• — 1996; Marathon des Cirques winner 3x

Race History