XACT Collective – Athlete Feature
Precision, Progression, and Performance
Mélanie DesAutels has been officially part of the XACT Collective since 2023. What began as alignment around performance has grown into something deeper: a collaboration built on precision, long-term development, and shared standards.
A two-time Montreal Marathon champion and one of Canada’s steadily rising elite marathoners, Mélanie approaches running the way she approaches civil engineering — methodically. She builds performance in structured layers: altitude blocks, progressive mileage, controlled recovery, strength training, and a disciplined marathon fueling strategy.
That mindset mirrors how we build at XACT Nutrition.
Over the past two seasons, Mélanie hasn’t simply been fueled by XACT — she has helped shape it. Her feedback during 160–175 km training weeks, altitude camps in Kenya, race simulations, and championship marathons has directly informed product refinement.
When she won the 2024 Beneva Montreal Marathon, she did so using a prototype of our newest product — launching this April and designed specifically for high-intensity fueling. It had already been tested under race pace, long efforts, and altitude stress before it ever saw a production run.
That is what building together looks like.
“I've been fueled by XACT since 2023. What drew me to the brand is its genuine support of competitive athletes and its trust in long-term development. Whether I'm grinding through hard treadmill sessions, logging long runs at altitude on Kenya's red dirt roads, or racing a marathon at full intensity, XACT has become a reliable part of my preparation and has helped me continue raising my performance ceiling.”
For elite athletes, reliability is everything. There is no stronger validation than trusting something on race day.
Mélanie’s Go-To XACT Fuel
Across training cycles and major races, Mélanie consistently relies on:
- XACT Energy Performance Bars - Blackcurrant
- Coconut Protein Wafer
- XACT Chews – Strawberry 🍓
- And, of course, the infamous prototype — the high-intensity fueling platform officially launching this April
Her approach is simple: practice fueling in training exactly the way you intend to execute on race day. For marathoners operating at threshold intensity, predictability matters more than novelty.
That philosophy is what helped turn a prototype into a podium-tested product.
If you’ve been following her journey and want to try the products she trains with, keep reading — we might have something special for Mesa weekend.
From Four-Hour Marathons to Elite Canadian Marathoner
Mélanie’s progression is one of the most compelling in Canadian distance running.
In 2012, at 21 years old, she ran her first marathon in 3:57:05. There was no structured coaching plan and no intentional fueling strategy.
“I saw it as a physical and mental challenge. I had never considered myself to be an athlete.”
For years, she hovered around four hours. Consistent — but capped.
In 2019, she made an honest assessment:
“There’s really something I’m not doing right.”
She hired a private coach. Introduced interval training. Structured recovery. Increased mileage progressively. Most importantly, she began treating fueling as a performance variable rather than an afterthought.
Within one year, she cut more than an hour off her marathon time.
“I decided to follow my dreams at 27. It’s never too late to go after your dreams.”
By 2024, she had run 2:42:22 at the Los Angeles Marathon, finishing 8th among elite women, and defended her Montreal Marathon title in 2:46:16 — becoming one of the few women in the modern era to win the race twice.
From 3:57 to 2:42. Seventy-five minutes built through disciplined progression.
Altitude Training in Kenya: Where Details Matter
In February 2024, Mélanie trained in Iten, Kenya — 2,400 meters above sea level — one of the world’s most respected altitude training environments.
“You can compare running in Kenya to hockey in Quebec — it’s a religion. I went there not only to experience running alongside the best runners in the world, but also to train at altitude, which brings several interesting physiological benefits.”
Altitude strips things down to fundamentals. Recovery must be precise. Fueling must be deliberate.
Her sessions on Kenya’s red dirt roads weren’t just building aerobic capacity — they were stress-testing high-intensity fueling under real strain. The same platform she would later trust in Montreal had already been validated in thin air and long efforts.
At XACT, product development is not separated from performance. It is embedded within it.
The Engineer Training 175 Kilometers Per Week
Mélanie works as a Candidate to the Engineering Profession (CPI) at CIMA+ in Sherbrooke, specializing in fluvial hydraulics modeling. Her employer supports a flexible schedule that allows her to maintain elite-level training volume.
Her weekly training regularly includes:
- 160–175 km per week
- Double sessions most days
- Strength training twice weekly
- Structured recovery
- Periodic altitude camps
She trains without music, focusing entirely on body awareness.
“Running serves as meditation. I start with a free mind. I focus mainly on the sensations of my body. It allows me to re-center. It’s living in the present moment.”
That awareness translates directly into how she approaches fueling — deliberate, tested, refined.
More Than a Champion: A Community Builder
Beyond podiums, Mélanie is deeply engaged with the running community. She shares honest reflections — both breakthroughs and setbacks. She responds to aspiring athletes. She shows up at races. She supports others chasing their own progression.
That presence matters.
The XACT Collective is not built only on elite results — it is built on connection. Performance informs the product, but community sustains the movement.
Racing Next: Mesa Marathon
Mélanie is lining up at the Mesa Marathon — a fast, net-downhill Boston Qualifier course known for personal best potential.
When she toes the line, she carries years of structured development — and the backing of a community that believes in long-term growth.
If you follow her journey, now is the time to show up.
👉 Visit her Instagram: @melaniedesa
👉 Drop a 🍓 in the comments
👉 Wish her a fruit-full race
Because performance isn’t built alone.
It’s built together.
Fuel the Mesa Weekend
To celebrate Mélanie lining up at the Mesa Marathon, we’re sharing a special code for the Collective.
Whether you're training for your first marathon or chasing your own breakthrough, this weekend is about building together.
Listen & Follow
🎙️ Just In Stride Podcast – Presented by XACT Nutrition
Hear Mélanie discuss her Kenya altitude training, defending her Montreal title, and her long-term Olympic ambitions.
Stay tuned for the official release this April of the high-intensity fueling product she helped test and refine — the infamous prototype now ready for the next level.