Jeffrey Duval (in English)
How can we introduce this event without looking back first?
The first athlete who ever put his trust in us: Duval Jeffrey — our DJ on tour (see Instagram). In April 2025, Jeffrey opened the door wide for us into the world of long-distance running. Taking part in the Prague Half Marathon, he became a huge source of inspiration for the whole group. It was his first attempt at the distance, before later proving to the SBNN Running Team that he was by far the strongest runner during the Karlovy Vary 10K.
A performance that pushed us to continue as a team. Some were more consistent than others, but Jeffrey remained the undisputed leader.
Closely followed by Bérenger — but that’s not today’s topic…
After stringing together 10Ks with increasingly convincing results, Jeffrey decided to embark on a European tour. Registered for the Barcelona Half Marathon to kick off his 2026 season, there was no way we wouldn’t join him for this stage and travel there ourselves. You were used to our immersions in Paris (for the Olympics, the ASA handball match, Roland Garros, or the SBNN Open) or in Prague (Sparta matches, Viktoria Žižkov, the NHL, or the WTA Prague tournament). This time, we found ourselves in another city, far from our usual bases.
A week “off-grid” for our runner: plenty of quiet time, very few outings before race day, one football match, and a ten-kilometer walk (if not much more) the day before the race. A Five Guys as well — but that might harm the athlete’s image, so we won’t mention it.
And then he’s at the starting line of a highly sought-after half marathon, popular with locals and international athletes alike. Twenty-one kilometers in February, with near-perfect weather despite the early start — 9:20 a.m. — a crossing of the Catalan capital as it slowly wakes up.
It’s near the Arc de Triomf that we spot Jeffrey mid-race. A symbolic location, in a wild atmosphere with a loud and ever-present crowd supporting every runner. It feels more like a celebration than a sports event. Runners smile as they hear their names shouted by spectators (simply reading bib numbers and cheering them on), as if each participant had a member of their own inner circle there to support them.
We move closer to the finish line to see Jeffrey complete his 21 kilometers. Given the speed of our star of the day, we worry we may have already missed him. We find our spot — patience and hope as our companions. The hunt begins: locate the yellow cap and the “Jeffiesoka” bib. The arrival of the pacers reassures us — he hasn’t passed yet. But we want to avoid the previous situation where we spotted him on the opposite side of the road, too far away to properly cheer him on.
And then, after a few minutes, there he is — captured by our “radar camera.” A great victory for him, who will now fully dedicate himself to preparing for the Prague Marathon.
