07/05/2026
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧 & 𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐧-𝐋𝐮𝐜, 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞’𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐬.
Jean-Luc Bernard is 61. Living with a disability since birth, it was his brother who first introduced him to running… and more importantly, to sharing the experience.
Nine years ago, an idea took shape 👉 getting a wheelchair designed for running. That’s when Jean-Luc discovered the Hippocampe Marathon:
“Made for marathons… that’s exactly what I need,” he thought.
With the support of a sponsor, he bought his chair and began the journey. Along the way, he met Simon Chossat, a professional firefighter. Simon runs—and the idea instantly clicked. Their ambitions aligned, and the distances grew.
“After 10Ks, we moved on to half marathons… then we went for full marathons. The first one was in Bresse Dombes, close to home. We loved it, and we knew we had to do it again.”
They went on to run the Paris Marathon in 3:58, and more recently the Rome Marathon, finishing in 3:53 🏃♂️
“Sub-4 hours—that’s our goal,” they say.
But in the end, that’s not what stands out the most.
“First, there’s discovering the cities. In Rome, it felt like an open-air museum… incredible.” ✨
“And above all, there’s the atmosphere. The crowd cheering along the course. Runners passing by congratulating Simon. As soon as people see us, you can feel they’re with us. We’re supported the whole way—it’s amazing. In Rome, people were shouting ‘Grande Simon, grande!’ It was funny, so kind… 😄 We laughed, and I kept calling him ‘Grande Simon’ along the course.”
Today, the duo is taking on Europe’s marathons 🌍
Next stops:
👉 Lyon at the end of the year
👉 Barcelona in 2027
The story is still being written, but Jean-Luc already has a message to share:
“Let us be part of it—like everyone else. Some would like a separate para-sport ranking, but I want this sport to stay inclusive. Starting in the right wave for our pace. Being at the heart of the event—not in a separate race.” 💬
Follow their journey:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586632987530
