Yannick Memheld: "Don't Set Limits"
Ljubljana-Kamnik, Slovenia. Yannick Memheld, French U23 athlete and Lurbel ambassador, returns from the 2026 European Mountain Running Championships with two medals: gold in the Uphill U20 event — shared with Emilien Simoneau — and silver in the Men’s Up & Down. We asked him how he experienced it.
One weekend, two medals, five days to remember
The medals aren’t the first thing that comes to mind. “I feel extremely grateful to have lived such moments,” he says. “In the moment, it wasn’t necessarily the medals that marked me the most, but those five days in Slovenia.”
And between one medal and the next, the rest was minimal. On Saturday, gold in the Uphill wasn’t enough: “After winning the title, I just wanted to do even more and push even harder on Sunday.”
From tennis to the summits
Yannick came to the mountains late. Ten years playing tennis, until his love of the mountains led him to try mountain running. “Cela me réussit plutôt bien,” he says in French — it’s going rather well, yes.
That modesty is no coincidence. His coach is Frédéric Tranchand, current leader of the Merrell Skyrunner® World Series circuit. “I think he’s one of the best athletes in the world. But despite that, he doesn’t let it go to his head. That has taught me humility.”
«It wasn’t the medals that marked me the most, but those five days in Slovenia.»
Why Lurbel and why socks matter
Yannick Memheld joined the Lurbel family in early 2026. The reason, direct: “The family aspect and the made in Spain.” In Ljubljana-Kamnik he raced in his Lurbel socks, and when we asked whether the sock really matters at that level, he didn’t hesitate: “I think it’s very important. The sock is our contact with the shoe, and then with the ground. Having a good pair is essential.”
Did he already think so before becoming an ambassador? “I already thought that before. But for me, grip is still the most important thing.”
A piece of advice for those who dream
At the end of the conversation, we asked him for just one thing: something to say to someone just starting out. He didn’t take long, and needed no more than two sentences: “Don’t set limits. I became European champion without ever having been French champion. You have to dream.”
Some advice comes from books. This comes from someone who just stood on the podium.
«My love of the mountains brought me here. And it’s going rather well.»
What’s next: Maga Sky Marathon
His debut on the Merrell Skyrunner® World Series circuit is just around the corner. “I can’t wait to get back to technical races in spectacular environments. Bring on the Maga Sky Marathon!” For the rest of 2026, he has his sights set on the SWS U23, the French VK Championships and the YCC.
