François D'Haene is a French ultra-trail runner widely regarded as one of the greatest in the history of the sport. Born in Lille on December 24, 1985, he is a trained physiotherapist and winemaker who lives in Arêches-Beaufort in the French Alps with his wife Carline and their three children.\n\nD'Haene has won the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc four times (2012, 2014, 2017, 2021), a record he shares with a select few. His 2017 UTMB victory in 19:01:29 remains the course record. That same year, he set the fastest known time on the 210-mile John Muir Trail in California, completing it in 2 days, 19 hours, and 26 minutes. In 2016, he ran the GR20 across Corsica in 31 hours and 6 minutes, setting a new FKT on the 180-kilometer route.\n\nHis palmarès extends well beyond UTMB. D'Haene won the Hardrock 100 in 2021 in a record time of 21:45:51, breaking the mark previously held by Kilian Jornet. He has won the Diagonale des Fous on Réunion Island four times and the Madeira Island Ultra-Trail twice. In July 2025, he set a new men's supported FKT on Colorado's Nolan's 14 route in 35 hours, 33 minutes, and 41 seconds.\n\nAway from racing, D'Haene co-organizes Ultra Spirit, a multi-day team trail running event in the Beaufortain mountains, reflecting his community-focused approach to the sport.