How Salomon strives for excellence via professionalisation and finding new ways to develop athletes’ performance

A major player in trail running for many years, Salomon continues to explore new ways to develop its athletes’ performance.

Among these initiatives is the recruitment of young, talented runners from around the globe and the growing influence of science within the sport.

In mountain racing, perhaps more than anywhere else, the hardest part isn’t reaching the summit – it’s staying there.

Drawing on decades of experience and deep knowledge of the discipline, Salomon remains determined to stay one step ahead.

By launching Team Salomon in 2004, the brand equipped itself with the tools to achieve its ambitions. The results speak for themselves, with victories in some of the world’s most prestigious races.

The exceptional athletes who wear the Salomon emblem around the world are living proof of this success, ensuring the quest for excellence never ends.

Aitor Viribay, Salomon’s Performance Director, shared his perspective: "I think that there’s a lot of potential in trail running, but it’s a sport that must evolve in a more professional environment. Not only in its structure, but also ensuring a healthy approach into performance or in the legal aspects involving the athletes.

"It is key for creating a stronger identity, higher sustainability and more professionalism in the sport."

This vision extends globally, adds Viribay: "As a brand, I think that Salomon makes an important contribution, and what it wants to do is to bring value to the spectators, the athletes and the runners, as well as to brands and potential sponsors who can be a part of the sport."

To achieve this perfect balance, Aitor Viribay (who is also a researcher in physiology and metabolism) knows better than anyone that science and athletic performance are becoming increasingly intertwined: "It’s an incredible trend. All the victories in major competitions, all the world records – they’re increasingly influenced by science and the professional environment."

He added: "Of course, science has an influence in all sports. Performance and health rely not only on it, but also on the structure surrounding the athlete."

For the Director of Global Performance, the care of health and performance should begin from a young age. That’s why Team Salomon has developed a scouting and development programme designed to identify and train the future stars of trail running on the values and culture of a sustained performance approach.

These athletes come from Japan, Kenya, Switzerland, China, Spain and France to join the team.

So, how does it work?

"It’s a long process that involves different filters," explained Aitor Viribay.

"Athletes must go through an extensive scouting phase to determine who has the potential for strong performance. Their health status and development phase is analysed, together with their training data.

"Finally, they visit our physiology laboratory so that we can understand them, their background, and their metabolic characteristics. Ultimately, we must be certain that these metrics align with what we want at Salomon."

Physical ability alone isn’t enough.

Candidates for Team Salomon must also be able to integrate into a team environment. This is where young trail running hopefuls such as French runner Anaëlle Bondoux (winner of UTMB® - ETC, the MaXi Race, and the 23 km of Mont-Blanc in 2024), Spanish runner Fabian Venero (winner of the Golden Trail World Series U23 Final in Switzerland), and many others come together with legends like American runner Courtney Dauwalter (the first person to complete the Western States 100, Hardrock 100 and UTMB® triple in a single year) and French runner François D’Haene (four-time Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc® champion).

"Francois, Courtney and Christian Meier (winner of the Millet XTrail Courchevel – XT 66K in 2024, winner of the TDS at UTMB® in 2023) are 40 years old and are partnering up with young runners who are 18 or 19 years old," said Aitor Viribay.

"Among the young runners, there are some who already have a lot of experience but who want to learn more from the older runners. And then there are the young athletes who want to have fun while improving. This is the culture that we try to create in the Salomon team. It’s great to see all these athletes sharing information. It means they don’t only talk at the dinner table, but also genuinely help each other out."

This spirit of camaraderie and competition perfectly captures the brand’s philosophy.

"Salomon’s vision is that the next big step will be to make this discipline more professional in its environment to contribute to a healthier sport and sustainable performance pathways," concluded Aitor Viribay.

"There’s already a strong performance culture, which pleases us as a sports team, but everything depends on the professionalisation of the structure. This is what Salomon sees in the future of this sport, and what we’ve already begun to put into practice."