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Madalina Florea (Scott) and Elhousine Elazzaoui (NNormal) strengthened their leads in the Golden Trail World Series (GTWS) overall standings with commanding victories at the Salomon Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail, one of the most alpine and demanding races on the calendar. The course featured 24.5 kilometres and 1,618 metres of elevation gain in the heart of the Austrian Tyrol.

For Florea, the win marks her second victory of the season following her triumph at Québec Mega Trail. Elazzaoui, meanwhile, continues his remarkable campaign, claiming his third victory in just four GTWS appearances this year after previous wins at Zegama-Aizkorri (Spain) and Ledro Sky Trentino (Italy).

In the women’s race, Ruth Gitonga (Run2Gether On Trail) secured second place, while Naomi Lang (Salomon), winner of this race in 2025, completed the podium. In the men’s race, Kenya’s Michael Saoli and Patrick Kipngeno (Run2Gether On Trail) joined Elazzaoui on the podium after strong performances that further underlined their team’s outstanding form.

FLOREA STRENGTHENS HER GTWS LEAD WITH A DOMINANT VICTORY

As she had already done in Canada, Madalina Florea claimed the sprint segment, a 1.5-kilometre section of gentle downhill leading into the first pass through the finish area, clocking 3:22 to earn 10 additional points in the overall standings. The Romanian quickly established herself at the front alongside Kenya’s Ruth Gitonga and Miriam Chepkirui (Run2Gether On Trail), with the leading trio setting the pace during the opening stages of the climb towards the glacier. However, by the crystal-clear waters of Lake Rifflsee, midway through the long ascent, Chepkirui began to lose ground, leaving the race victory to be decided in a head-to-head battle between Florea and Gitonga.

The decisive uphill segment, covering 1.8 kilometres at an average gradient of 26.9%, marked the beginning of the course’s most demanding section. There, Florea’s power on slopes exceeding 30% eventually broke Gitonga’s resistance. The reigning GTWS champion reached the Sunna Alm Hut, perched at 2,847 metres above sea level, in first place, posting the fastest segment time of 25:16 and opening a gap of more than a minute before launching into the descent.

Florea’s biggest threats appeared to be downhill specialists Naomi Lang and Malen Osa(Salomon), who had finished first and second respectively in the 2025 edition of the race. Yet the advantage Florea built on the climb proved decisive. Although she slipped on a fast section of the descent, a particularly delicate moment given the left wrist injury she was carrying after a training fall on the Sierre-Zinal course the previous week, she quickly got back on her feet and negotiated the most technical sections with confidence. By the time she returned to the tarmac for the fast-closing loop, her advantage over Gitonga remained virtually unchanged at around one minute.

Behind them, Lang was untouchable in the downhill segment (1.9km at -21.3%), posting the fastest time of the day in 10:43. Her charge through the field reduced the gap to Gitonga from three minutes to two, but it was not enough to alter the podium positions. Florea crossed the line in 2:32:16 after a particularly strong final section, extending her advantage over the Kenyan to 4:20. Lang completed an impressive comeback to secure third place, just 11 seconds shy of second.

After the race, Florea explained that the victory confirmed her strong form ahead of one of her major summer targets. “I’m preparing for what’s coming next week,” she said, referring to the prestigious Sierre-Zinal. The Romanian also thanked those around her for their support: “They have given me so much energy to enjoy the race. I know I’m on the right path because my goal this year is to find happiness, and so far it seems to be working.”

With this victory, the reigning champion further strengthened her lead in the GTWS overall standings with 666 points, opening a 166-point advantage over her closest challenger, Barbora Bukovjan (Salomon).

ELAZZAOUI MOVES ONE STEP CLOSER TO A THIRD CONSECUTIVE GTWS TITLE

The men set off around the opening loop in Mandarfen at a blistering pace, with a large lead group remaining tightly packed as Austria’s Manuel Innerhofer (Lowa) and American Christian Allen (Nike ACG) took turns setting the tempo at the front. The intensity became even more apparent in the sprint segment, where the leaders sprinted through the final metres as if they were contesting a photo finish. Yet none of them came close to the benchmark set by Bogdan Damian (Kailas Fuga), who claimed the segment in a remarkable 3:01.

The long climb towards the Grubenkopf through the Hirschtal Valley maintained the relentless pace from the outset. It was there that Michael Saoli made his move, increasing the tempo and reaching the checkpoint by the lake in first position. His attack opened up a 12-second advantage over Elhousine Elazzaoui and Patrick Kipngeno, but both quickly responded as soon as the alpine waters came into view.

Known for his technical descending skills, the Moroccan decided to surprise his rivals by attacking earlier than expected. He increased the pace during the second half of the climb, broke away on his own and reached the summit first, also claiming the uphill segment in 19:54. The slender 20-second advantage he held over Saoli at the top soon grew on the opening slopes of the descent, until the Kenyan finally lost sight of the race leader.

Although the decisive move came on the descent, the downhill segment once again had the same winner as in the previous three races this season. Bogdan Damian posted the fastest time of 9:21, fourteen seconds quicker than Elazzaoui.

Back in Mandarfen for the final loop, the order at the front remained unchanged, but the gaps continued to grow. Elazzaoui was even able to enjoy the closing metres, easing off the pace to celebrate with the spectators before crossing the finish line in 2:08:44. Behind him, Michael Saoli secured an impressive second place, 2:14 behind the winner, while Patrick Kipngenocompleted the podium at 4:25.

“I’m very happy,” said Elazzaoui after claiming another victory. “I changed many things in my preparation after Canada, and I’m really pleased with how the race went.” Like Madalina Florea, the Moroccan was making his first appearance at the Austrian race. “I enjoy discovering new races. Today required a different strategy. I felt strong both on the climb and on the descent. It was a great race for me.”

With this victory, Elazzaoui remains firmly on course for a third consecutive Golden Trail World Series title. He now leads the overall standings with 824 points, more than 300 clear of his closest challenger, Damian.

There was also cause for celebration for Run2Gether On Trail, which dominated the team classification at a race that carries special significance for the Austria-based squad. The second- and third-place finishes of Michael Saoli and Patrick Kipngeno in the men’s race, combined with the performances of Ruth Gitonga (2^nd) and Miriam Chepkirui (5^th) in the women’s event, delivered an outstanding collective result for the team.

THE GTWS HEADS TO THE CATHEDRAL OF TRAIL RUNNING

With barely any time to recover, the Golden Trail World Series heads next to one of the most iconic venues in trail running. On August 8, the series moves to Sierre-Zinal, the fifth stop of the 2026 season, where a field worthy of a World Championship is expected to line up at the race known as the “Cathedral of Trail Running.”

31 kilometres with 2,400 metres of elevation gain, the legendary course links the Swiss towns of Sierre and Zinal, crossing the spectacular alpine landscapes of the Valais region beneath five peaks rising above 4,000 metres. These summits have earned the race its nickname, the “Race of the Five 4,000ers”: the Weisshorn (4,506m), Zinalrothorn (4,221m), Obergabelhorn(4,063m), Matterhorn (4,478m) and Dent Blanche (4,357m).

The course features a demanding, near-continuous climb from Sierre, at 560 metres above sea level, to Nava at 2,424 metres, passing iconic locations such as Ponchette, Chandolin and the historic Hotel Weisshorn. From there, runners face a fast and technical descent into Zinal (1,675m), the setting for some of trail running’s most memorable finishes, including Kilian Jornet’s dramatic tenth victory in 2024, when he narrowly defeated Kenya’s Philemon Kiriago.