Donovan Christien takes the next step with On
Less than a year after turning pro, the 25-year-old Breton partners with the Swiss sportswear brand to scale new heights.
Zurich, Switzerland, October 8, 2023 - Only 11 months after fully focussing on his running career, 25-year-old Breton Donovan Christien joins On with a focus on the 5,000 and 10,000 distances and cross-country.
“Even though I fully devoted myself to running only 11 months ago, it has been part of my life for a long time,” Christien remembers. “I started with school cross-country races and had success early on, winning our regional cross-country race every year. But my focus was on playing football for 15 years, and I almost made it to a very high level. I never gave up running, though. For me, it is simply my passion. I like the freedom of it and the effort of trying every day to be better than on the previous day. Since quitting football five years ago, I have progressed by 15 seconds every year.
Christien burst on the scene in 2021 and 2022 when he claimed the bronze medal at the French national championships in Montauban (cross-country) and fourth place in Albi (5k). He went on to collect a team gold medal as part of the French team at the European Cross-Country Championships in Turin in 2022.
On the track, the 25-year-old competed at the Parisian On Track Night edition FAST5000 this year and then went on to smash the Breton 5,000 m record by ten seconds at the IFAM meeting in Oordegem, Belgium in May. Although his time is still a way off the minimum time required for the Paris Olympics, the international cross-country runner from Finistère improved his own personal best by an impressive 13 seconds.
“This race taught me so much. In March 2023, I was stepped on which left me injured for one month. I thought my summer season was going to be catastrophic. When I was healed, I left by myself to start running again in my favorite place, Font-Romeu. At the end of May, my coach insisted that I do a 5000 m race in Belgium. To my great surprise I finished in 13:22. What I took away was that you should always trust your coach and that your body has a lot better memory than you think”, Christien laughs.
By joining On, the 25-year-old now hopes to enter the next phase of his career in a professionalized environment.
“I am lucky to have running as my full-time job now, it is so energizing and motivating. Now that I am a professional athlete, I can properly rest between training sessions. Having On as a partner helps me to take the next step forward. The partnership is a great match as I love the image and values of the brand and the products are really efficient and just magnificent.”
“Donovan is a promising athlete with the potential to develop into a world-class athlete. His development and the personal bests this season have proven his potential and we are happy to support him on his way”, On Athlete Partnership Manager Niklas Bühner says.
You can find assets for editorial usage here © Oriane Miton, TRC for On
About On
On was born in the Swiss Alps with one goal: to revolutionize the sensation of running by empowering all to run on clouds. Thirteen years after market launch, On delivers industry-disrupting innovation in premium footwear, apparel, and accessories for high-performance running, outdoor, and all-day activities. Fueled by customer recommendation, On’s award-winning CloudTec® innovation, purposeful design, and groundbreaking strides in sportswear’s circular economy have attracted a fast-growing global fan base — inspiring humans to explore, discover and dream on.
On is present in more than 60 countries globally and engages with a digital community on www.on.com.