Three runners from Madagascar’s Crown Athletics Club Antsirabe placed in separate races at the Grand Raid de La Réunion, with the Salomon Foundation providing financial support and equipment to the club. Haja Nirina finished second in La Mascareignes, 4 minutes and 14 seconds behind the winner; Alvine placed 23rd in the Diagonale des Fous; and Nelson finished sixth in the Trail du Bourbon. Salomon shared the results on October 21.
The runners’ preparation is shaped by lives that already involve daily movement. Salomon says cycle-rickshaw driver Haja and delivery worker Alvine cover nearly 60 kilometres through their jobs before training; the athletes follow structured plans and run 100 to 110 kilometres per week.
The story shifts attention from elite-sponsored race teams to a community club building opportunities to compete internationally. Salomon Foundation support includes both funding and equipment, while the athletes’ finishes show the club’s presence across three demanding events on Réunion Island.
The results also place local running culture at the centre of a major trail-racing weekend. The club’s Antsirabe base, work routines and training volume make the performances as much a story about access and community as about race placement.
