The Freetrail Podcast with Dylan Bowman Frédéric Tranchand | Short Trail World Champion Interview
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Sep 29, 2025 
Frédéric Tranchand, the 2025 Short Trail World Champion and former elite orienteering star, shares his fascinating journey from navigating forests to trail racing. He delves into how orienteering shapes race strategies, emphasizing the advantage of navigation skills in difficult courses. Tranchand also discusses his preparation with the French team, his transition to skyrunning, and his unexpected lead in the race. He highlights his relationship with fellow athlete Noah Williams and the team's collective goal for medals, rounding off with insights into his upcoming skyrunning challenges.
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From Rural France To World-Class Orienteer
- Frédéric Tranchand grew up in rural France and entered orienteering young through a local club, quickly rising to national teams by 2004.
- During the pandemic he explored trail running and decided to focus fully on trails after seeing quick progress.
Orienteering Skills Translate To Trail Routes
- Orienteering trains route planning and real-time navigation using terrain features rather than following paths or flags alone.
- Those skills translate to trail races with off-trail sections by improving route choice and reading the landscape quickly.
Two-Step Navigation Habit Gives An Edge
- Orienteers plan routes mentally then navigate by picking landmarks and following the plan while racing.
- That two-step habit lets orienteers spot better lines and see flags or features faster in mixed-terrain trail events.