Hugo Deck is a new pro runner for Adidas Terrex. He is a strong hope of the French trail, author of a top 5 on the last CCC at the UTMB. We Rock Sport met him at the opening of the Pop-Up Store of the brand in Chamonix.
Winner of the Ultra Nice Côte d'Azur last year and French champion of vertical kilometer, Hugo Deck already has a solid track record at only 23 years old. In 2022, his 5th place in the CCC has put him even more in the spotlight. The Frenchman who grew up in the south is now part of the Adidas Terrex team.
The runner was present last week in Chamonix for the opening of the new ephemeral store of his sponsor. We Rock Sport was also there and we took advantage of the presence of the runner from Saint-Jeannet to know more about him and his objectives for this season.
The hard life of a student
"I did a scientific baccalaureate and got it on the hoof. School was never my thing and I was mostly good at skipping classes (laughs). I preferred to go out because I just couldn't sit in a chair all day. After the baccalaureate, I tried to get into a sports college, but it was hard to keep up with the curriculum. The same goes for the BTSA in Nature Management and Protection (GPN), which I didn't pursue. In fact, I mainly took advantage of those years after the baccalaureate to train, although I wouldn't advise anyone to do that. I think it's possible to reconcile studying and training."
The discovery of the trail
"I've always done a lot of outdoor sports, trail running in particular with my father, even if I didn't realize it was really trail running. We just went running in nature. I also played basketball for 10 years in the departmental section. I stopped at 17 because I didn't have what it took to go pro. After that, I stopped the sport completely for a year, but I got back into it when I saw my brother preparing for the Nice Ironman. He was taking part in a trail race as part of his training and I liked it right away. I started running specifically in my final year at the age of 18."
A stability found thanks to the trail
"The year I turned 18, I started running in November. In February, I took part in my first competition, a 10 km in Èze. I finished fourth and really enjoyed it. From then on, I trained a lot to improve. It gave me a sense of purpose, even though at the time I was having a hard time with my studies. Trail running forced me to be rigorous in my life. In fact, I recently decided to go back to university to study sport in Grenoble. I'm going to do it by correspondence, which is perfect for me, because I can train well outside the classroom."
The first results
"I was crowned French vertical kilometer champion and also finished second in the French U23 mountain running championship. I quickly moved on to other races and today, my biggest results are my fifth place in last year's CCC and my victory in Nice. On the CCC, I was 22 years old and it was a great performance for an espoir."
The arrival at Adidas
"My results caught the attention of Adidas. I signed with them in August 2022 for three years. Today, I'm a professional at 100% which wasn't the case before. I have an income whatever my results, which gives me the peace of mind to prepare as well as possible. But anyway, I was so into trail running before that I already had the training rhythm of a pro. In addition to financial support, Adidas also helps its athletes in a very concrete way by providing us with accommodation in Chamonix and a physiotherapist a month and a half before the UTMB. Two weeks before the race, we have chefs who come and cook for us. Some Adidas runners went to Cape Town in South Africa this winter. They were able to set up in a chalet thanks to Adidas, which also provided a physio. Finally, they have feeders all over the races and photographers to help us manage our social networks, so all that is invaluable."
The objectives in 2023
"My victory at the Ultra Nice Côte d'Azur has qualified me for this year's UTMB. This will be the main objective in 2023, along with the MIUT (Madeira Island Ultra-Trail). It's difficult to set a target for a place in this kind of long-distance race, as it depends on the field and your current form. But my status as a young runner with Adidas means that I already have to finish the race and gain as many places as possible. In the end, we'll see where I finish.
Her shoes of the moment
"I usually run with Speed Ultra which allow me to do a wide range of races, from 20 km to 80 km."
