ON SQUAD RACE LOS ANGELES: JOLIE FOULÉE IN BRONZE!

A few weeks ago, in Barcelona, Emma, Emilie, Zian and Flavien had pulled off the impossible: qualifying a Jolie Foulée crew for the On Squad Race World Final in Los Angeles. That alone was already a heist.

In late September, our four relay runners dropped their bags in California to face the best teams on the planet. The scenario was perfect: in the lead on legs 2 and 3, a comfortable lead, and the prospect of a world title. Then the final straight came, and with it the most untalented way possible to finish a race: swallowed up 100 metres from the finish. Result: a bronze medal, Jolie Foulée’s first ever at a world final, well ahead of LA 2028.

But as is often the case, this trip offered more than just lactic acid and a medal: surf sessions, bike falls, a dodgy karaoke and an after party we’ll never know everything about. To tell us all about it, we’re bringing back the Barcelona format and handing the mic to Emilie and Flavien.

From Barcelona to Los Angeles

Between Barcelona and LA, how did you prepare for this trip? And in your suitcase, the one thing you couldn’t do without, and the one that was totally useless?

Emilie: As I come from athletics and that’s where I really want to perform, I just kept training and carrying on with my season as planned. I knew I was going to LA in September, but it was only 3 or 4 days before that I thought: ‘Oh my God, in 3 days I’m in LA!’ And the closer it got, the more excited I was. My must-have was my swimsuit: I absolutely had to swim in the Pacific at least once. The useless thing was all the stuff I’d taken to study for my courses…

Flavien: Honestly, I didn’t think about it too much, because I was scared the wait would be too long. No pressure: the goal was to enjoy LA to the max, we weren’t there for the race. Essential gear: the Cloudsoma Moc!

Emilie and Emma at the On Squad Race Los Angeles

Flavien and Zian at the On Squad Race Los Angeles

First steps in Los Angeles: was it what you imagined?

Emilie: It was my first time in the US, and I struggled to believe I was really there. But as soon as I left the airport, I realised Americans always think big!

Flavien: Like in a video game! I’ve never played GTA, but apparently it was just the same. It hit me: “This is it, this time it’s real, we’re here.”

Surf, thrift shops and rival crews

The race lasted a few minutes, the trip a bit longer. Your best memory away from the stopwatch?

Emilie: All of them! It’s way too hard to pick just one. The walks and bike rides on Venice Beach (note Zian losing his aura when he tried to skid in front of the girls and half fell off his bike), the streets hunting for thrift stores, the (way too slow) group run with all the other teams, our surf session, the rides on Santa Monica Pier, or the observatory with a view of the Hollywood Sign. I’ll stop there, otherwise I’ll describe every second of the trip and it’ll be way too long…

Flavien: It’s a tough call. I’m torn between our after-party at some random guy’s place, in a random apartment in a posh LA neighbourhood, and my very first wave, right here in Los Angeles, on a Barbie board. Thanks Emilie for the loan.

Facing the world's best teams, who blew you away the most? And did you make some mates?

Emilie: The Dutch team, who ended up winning, was pretty impressive. One of the girls had actually run the same European U20 Championships as me in 2025. Her in the 400 m, me in the 3000 m steeplechase: you don’t need a diagram to work out who’s faster. Before the race, there wasn't much chatting, each team kept to itself. It was after the final that everything opened up: people were congratulating each other, asking about each other's events… But I think that in reality, they mostly wanted to know if we were planning to party.

Flavien: The winning team was really strong, all international runners. We got on well with the team that had come second in the LA semi-final, run just before us. The others were far too focused to be sociable, so we retreated into our own bubble too.

On Squad Race final: so close to the heist!

Leading on legs 2 and 3, with a healthy lead. What did you think at that moment?

Emilie: I could see we had built up quite a lead and I thought we might be able to win. But I was a bit less sure than in Barcelona, because the lap was twice as long!

Flavien: At the start, I admit that Emma and I couldn’t really be bothered. It was a really competitive atmosphere, like we were at the French championships (a bygone era, especially for Emma since she became an influencer). When I saw Zian finish his leg in the lead, I wasn't surprised, it was consistent with our strategy. But when I saw Emma's lead, I really hoped we were going to pull off another heist.

And then there's that final straight… Tell us about it.

Emilie: I got overtaken just before the last bend that goes up to the finish line. I was really gutted, because on the uphill, I had the impression that the gap stayed the same all the way to the end.

Flavien: When I saw Emilie get overtaken, I wasn’t even disappointed. Just having victory within touching distance was way beyond anything we’d hoped for. I lost my voice.

Third in the world, but caught at the end. Pretty proud or pretty frustrated? And how long did it take to come back down to earth?

Emilie: A mix of both! Already in Barcelona, I didn’t expect us to win, nor to go to LA. And this time, it was a bit the same: we struggled to know which team to watch out for and where we stood compared to the others. So, really proud of us, because we were all happy to be there and we all gave it our all. And a bit frustrated too, that’s the competitive side coming out: we’re all athletes first and foremost! For me, I came back down to earth pretty quickly. I was already nostalgic, and sad to know it was over.

Flavien: I’m so proud of my team. We had zero ambition, we were the untalented ones in the field, and it’s rare for us to find ourselves in that position. The goal was just to qualify for LA. Once we were there, running was the last thing on our minds. So we savoured every second of happiness at the front, before getting eaten up by the rockets. And we never really came back down: on the way back, Zian pulled out the speaker, and the next event, the after party, we won hands down. But everything that happened in LA stays in LA.

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Through each other’s eyes, mediocrities and the season ahead

A little awards ceremony among yourselves: a reward for each of your teammates.

Emilie: Emma’s the stressed-out one in the group, and especially my big sister on the trip. Flav, the nosy one: he was asking everyone for their results and their PBs before the race. And Zian, the funniest and most outgoing in the group, but especially the worst at English (no surprise there). His “My name is Zaïan” did me in.

Flavien: Zian, the essential summer camp counsellor and adventurer. Emma, the controversial TikToker. And Emilie, the adorable crybaby: she cried more times than there were days in the trip.

Untalented runners as we are: what was your proudest mediocrity on the trip?

Emilie: Easy! On the morning we left, I fell during my easy run, on flat ground, nothing technical at all, and cut my hand. Great start. And once I was there, while filming a video sequence, I did exactly the same fall, on the same hand. The most untalented move I could make!

Flavien: The karaoke in Santa Monica. I was definitely not born a singer.

And now, what's next?

Emilie: Keep building a solid training base, with a month of training camp in Font-Romeu, to make a first assessment of my season opener at the 10K de Bordeaux on 8 November. Then, the cross country selection race for the European Cross Country Championships on 22 November. And more generally this winter: step up on the road by significantly improving my PBs on 5K and 10K, and have fun by aiming for the best possible position at the French Cross Country Championships.

Flavien: Next stop: my first half marathon, in the land of pizza, to break the JF record. For the rest, we’ll see how I feel.

Thanks to Emilie and Flavien for their answers, to Emma and Zian for flying our colours all the way to the USA, and to On for this Californian ride. See you in LA 2028!