400Team, world champion
For over 15 years, this team has competed in the world’s greatest adventure races, brushing against the heights of victory without ever claiming the world title. This time, captain Sébastien Raichon, Sandrine Béranger, Adrien Lhermet, and Benjamin Fayet now wear the medal of Adventure Racing World Champions around their necks.
“This is the culmination,” declared Sébastien at the finish line, a seasoned ultra-distance trail runner and two-time winner of the Tor des Glaciers. “My first experience was Raid in France in 2009 in the Verdon! All the memories of these years come flooding back—my teammates, the travels, the various races, the ARWS victories… I started realizing we could win in the final hours, and I cried on my bike. The emotion overwhelmed me.”
In 90 hours and 47 minutes, the team covered 560 km and 18,000 meters of elevation gain in Ecuador, which delivered on all its promises. The course led them across mountain plateaus at 3,500 meters under cold and wet conditions, tumultuous rivers, and dense forests in the humid Amazon basin. On the third day, temperatures soared above 30°C as the teams tackled a grueling 20-hour mountain bike section through the Andes, navigating remote trails and tracks.
400Team took the lead in the opening hours and held their position despite a nighttime capsize in their packraft and the loss of a backpack containing essential climbing gear. They received replacement equipment but incurred a one-hour penalty. During the long 20-hour mountain bike stage (stage 4) on the third day, they were gradually caught by the defending champions, the Swedish Armed Forces Adventure Team. The two teams went head-to-head, pushing to their limits with a relentless pace despite having logged just two hours of sleep.
“The first trekking section in the jungle was physically brutal,” shared Sandrine. “Adrien and I weren’t feeling great at that moment. But psychologically, the hardest moment was when we capsized in the packraft. It was a massive blow to our morale. I thought to myself, ‘No, not again, not this bad luck, not this year…’”
Adrien Lhermet executed flawless navigation throughout the race, except for an epic finale in the last few kilometers through the city of Cuenca, likely thrown off by the sudden return to civilization and the immense pressure. Benjamin Fayet, at 29 years old and an engineer from Lozère, undoubtedly earned his place on this extraordinary team. A rock of resilience, he never shied away from carrying extra weight in his backpack and maintained a metronomic pace.
The podium was completed by the Swedish Armed Forces in second place and Estonia’s Tactical Foodpack in third. A total of 62 teams representing 26 nations competed in this 20th Adventure Racing World Championship in Ecuador.
