The Rhythm of the Trail - Article dans le Canadian Running Magazine
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The Rhythm of the Trail
Je suis très honoré de paraître dans cette édition Trail Special du Canadian Running Magazine.
Un article qui revient sur le Tapeuthon, sur mes courses d’ultra-marathon, et sur ce fil invisible entre la musique et l’endurance.
“When you consider the endurance aspect of the art, the parallels with ultrarunning become more obvious. That sense of continuity, economy of movement and rhythmic hypnosis is something I deeply connect to long-distance running.”
“The parallels between running and art transcend physical domains: in both cases, it’s about finding a sustainable groove that allows you to go far, stay focused and enter a meditative state.”
Lire cet article, c’est aussi confirmer une intuition présente depuis longtemps. Et ouvrir une porte.
Des idées s’élancent déjà… À suivre.
Cet article est le fruit du travail de l’éditrice Anne Francis, rencontrée au Camp de violon trad, et du rédacteur David Bowman, membre du crew au UTFS100 l’été dernier.
Tous deux collaborent au Canadian Running Magazine.
Un grand merci à vous !
Texte original au complet :
The Rhythm of the Trail
Quebec ultrarunner and musician Dâvi Simard is a true endurance artist
By David Bowman
In June 2024, at the Festival Chants de Vielles in Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Que., musician and ultrarunner Dâvi Simard celebrated his 40th birthday by rhythmically tapping his feet to music for 12 hours straight. In the process he set a world record for podorhythmie (foot-tapping), which, for generations, has been the percussive heartbeat of traditional French-Canadian dance music. The idea came from my interest in the older fiddle players who, back in the day, would play for dances over consecutive nights,” says Simard, himself an expert fiddler. “In some villages, there was only one musician responsible for providing music for the entire evening, often performing chez l’habitant.” When you consider the endurance aspect of the art, the parallels with ultrarunning become more obvious. “That sense of continuity, economy of movement and rhythmic hypnosis is something I deeply connect to long-distance running,” says Simard, who is from the Lac-SaintJean area but makes his home in Montreal. “I think podorhythmie has made me much more enduring. There is a strong physical stamina involved in both practices.” Though he’s been running for 26 years, Simard’s ultra journey began during the pandemic, when music gigs were on hold. As the years progressed, so too did the distances he ran, resulting in an impressive resume of ultra-trail results: Simard finished second in the 65-km distance at the 2023 Notos Ultra-Trail in Victoriaville, third in the same distance at Harricana in 2024 and he won the 100K distance at UTFS (Ultra-Trail du Fjord du Saguenay) in 2025.
Simard has spent the past 15 years touring with Cirque Alfonse in roles spanning performance, composition, arrangement and sound design. His creative expression marries modern, experimental forms with traditional Québecois roots. He says the experience of composing music is similar to running, echoing the image of fiddlers playing through an entire evening, their music and their feet creating a sort of sonic flow—almost a trance-like state—for both dancer and musician. Simard’s balance of music and sport isn’t without its challenges. As a full-time artist devoting all of his professional energy to creating and performing, his work often doesn’t follow consistent schedules, making it hard to adhere to a training plan. Simard admits that last year, he had to cancel work commitments to complete a key high-volume training weekend, underscoring the roles planning, compromise and prioritization play in ultramarathon prep. At times, he says, these elements can be even more demanding than the race itself. He has no coach, relying on his decades of running experience, reading and ongoing learning. In true creative fashion, he often takes elements from multiple training approaches and combines them into a plan that fits his reality. To Simard, the parallels between running and art transcend physical domains: “In both cases, it’s about finding a sustainable groove that allows you to go far, stay focused and enter a meditative state,” he says. His story is one of resilience and adaptation, taking folklore to new frontiers and exploring the intersection of creativity and endurance. It’s a fitting practice for someone who’s spent a lifetime finding rhythm in repetition.
David Bowman is an ultramarathon runner, trail running coach and physiotherapist based out of MOOV Physiotherapy & Wellness in downtown Ottawa.
Pour plus d'info sur le Tapeuthon : https://www.5planetes.com/fr/actualites/davi-simard
Pour mes courses ultras marathon : https://itra.run/api/RunnerSpace/GetRunnerSpace?memberString=B8itkQL9fA5zgHg6Cdku2A%3D%3D
