Achieving the 'impossible' for his brother: he runs around France to raise awareness about mental health

After losing his little brother to depression, Louis Derrien set himself a challenge: to ride a 5,800-kilometer tour of France to end the taboo surrounding mental health issues. He spoke to "Sud Ouest" during his visit to Bayonne on August 29.

One hundred and fifty days to run 138 marathons. This is the extraordinary challenge that 29-year-old Louis Derrien has set himself. With his project Running for You , he plans to run around France, to "raise awareness of the issues surrounding mental health problems and the lack of resources for the medical community." A 5,800-kilometer course, with 120,000 meters of elevation gain, dedicated to a cause all the more dear to him because it is very personal. In May 2024, his brother Simon, 25, took his own life after years of battling depression. On Friday, August 29, he was passing through Bayonne, between two downpours, during a stage from Biarritz to Capbreton.

Louis Derrien reflects on the origins of this feat: "Before Simon died, I went to see him every day in the hospital. I promised him I would do something impossible, to show him how much I love him and how proud I am of him," he explains. "It was surely a promise made in despair, out of the need to do something when you feel helpless." However, he "doesn't want to be in pathos or resentment." This challenge now allows him to "carry the memory of [his] brother" and "rebuild himself." "By running, I feel like I'm moving forward," he smiles.

Having left Lyon on June 15, Louis Derrien began his journey by climbing Mont Blanc with his older brother Matthieu, 32. "It was a very powerful moment. It went incredibly well," he recalls. During his time in Bayonne, the runner did not hide his relief at having finished the Pyrenees mountain range: "Before starting the Pyrenees, I told myself that if I managed to finish them, then I could reach the end (of the 5,800 kilometers, Editor's note)." He continues: "The more the days go by, the less impossible it seems to me. But every morning, when I set off, I don't know if I'll make it." Especially since he is aware: "It could stop at any moment because of an injury."

Thanks to the tracker he wears and the updates his girlfriend Agathe shares on her social media, other runners can join him. "This morning, leaving Biarritz, I had six people who ran ten kilometers with me," Louis rejoices. "There's a lot of joy and sharing in this adventure," he assures. "I'm enjoying it much more than I'm suffering."

He "hopes" to reach Burgundy, "his family's homeland," "before Christmas." His parents are his "first supporters," even if they "were very scared at first," he admits. His sister Pauline, 23, accompanies him throughout his adventure from her van. "She does incredible lobbying work," notes the older brother. "She's my partner. She's the one who approaches politicians to get them to sign the La Maison perchée manifesto , which we hope will be able to bring about changes on a national scale."

At the end of his adventure, he hopes to raise €100,000 for the association La Maison perchée, which supports "young adults living with mental health issues" and aims to "fight the stigma surrounding mental health." So far, Courir pour toi has raised more than €53,000.

Established as a "Major National Cause" this year, the government's mental health campaign "has helped to shed light on the subject and generate media interest in these issues," says Louis Derrien. "It's very good, but it's very light in terms of concrete resources."

Before hoping to complete more than 130 marathons, he underwent rigorous physical and mental preparation: "Since it was something impossible in my head, I needed help," he says. As training, he notably ran from Paris to London in February. And just to motivate even those with a phobia of running, he laughs, saying that he "wasn't a born athlete. I was even a smoker before, much to my mother's dismay."

To fully experience this adventure, Louis Derrien quit his job in January. "It was a turning point in my life," he says. "Since then, I've dedicated myself 100% to this project. To do so, I was lucky enough to find partners who believed in it."

To raise awareness among as wide an audience as possible about the importance of treating depression and mental health issues, Louis, his family, and his team are "preparing a film," which is expected to be "premiered at the Grand Rex in Paris" before being made available online. A documentary that, like this journey full of joys and challenges, "will resemble Simon."

The Instagram account to follow the adventure: @courir_pour_toi . The link to participate in the prize pool.