Elhousine Elazzaoui regularly finishes second and has not yet won a Golden Trail World Series race. Before the Marathon du Mont-Blanc, he reveals his victory dreams.
Elhousine Elazzaoui is a talented athlete. The only Moroccan in the GTWS elite, he has produced consistently good results since 2020: 4th in the Golden Trail Championship in 2020, 2nd in the Dolomyths Run and 5th at the Skyrhune in 2021, 2nd overall in the GTWS 2022, he started this season at the legendary Zegama with 2nd place. Born 31 years ago into a Berber family in southern Morocco, he has spent his life in motion in the desert. Today he alternates between a nomadic life in Morocco and his life as an athlete in Europe, but his absolute dream is to one day wear the the Golden Trail World Series crown. Except for the time trial in Madeira, he has never won a race in the Series. Let’s meet him.
I come from a Berber family; we are nomads in the Moroccan desert. When I was a child, I didn't have all the distractions that young Europeans have; I knew nothing about telephones and TV. To have fun, I'd ask my grandfather to let the camels he looked after run off and I'd run and catch them all. I must have been about 15 at the time. One day, I heard that there was a race in a nearby village. I turned up in jeans, without running shoes and, above all, without a bib number. I won the race! So, the organiser asked me to come back the following year, with gear and a bib number.
My family and I organise authentic tourist guided tours in the desert. One day a Swiss woman came along on one of our tours. We had a long chat and she asked me to come and take part in a race in Switzerland. She saw me getting up early to train, so she supported me so that I could run a 25-km race in Switzerland. I finished 2nd, even though I knew nothing about trail running and I ran it in road-running shoes.
I first heard about the Golden Trail World Series when I was talking to Kilian Jornet at the Limone Skyrace. I told him that I dreamt of running some of the greatest races in the world to show what I was capable of, and he suggested I get in touch with Greg Vollet. Greg told me that I first had to qualify through the GTNS, which I did by winning the Swiss GTNS in 2019. That gave me entry into the Golden Trail Championship in 2020.
I finished 4th in the GTC in 2020, even though the terrain didn’t really suit my running profile. This stage race was one of the hardest I’ve ever done in my life. It was very wet, and all the world’s top athletes were there, so I'm very proud of the result. On the other hand, the 2021 season didn't go well at all. I alternated between having great results and dropping out, especially in the final where I crash and burned due to the heat... It was a complete disaster.
Us African athletes tend to run without using our heads... We set off at full pelt, with empty pockets, and we just see what happens. When everything's going well, performances are superb, but as soon as conditions aren’t suited to us, things end badly... In my case, this is often what happened. Since, by spending so much time at the Golden races talking to the athletes and staff, watching the others run and observing their strategies, I've learnt a lot! I eat and drink better, I respect my own race pace much more too, and I think it's all starting to pay off.
I think it's an excellent result given the stacked field and race conditions. I did my own race, tried to drink and eat well and set my own pace. Maybe if the last section had been a bit longer with some flatter sections I could have beaten Manuel, but he was just unbeatable in the downhill and so this second place just makes me happy.
As I was saying, we Africans don't know how to run! We know how to run with our bodies, of course, but not with our heads! I'm physically fit but I've had to learn how to have a race strategy. I've learnt a lot from other athletes and now I feel ready. My dream is to win the Golden Trail World Series! I'm even turning down invitations to other races to focus on the Golden.
I finished 2nd last year so anything's possible! But first, I'd like to do well in the 3 races I've signed up for: Zegama, the Marathon du Mont-Blanc and Dolomyths Run. Of course, if I can win one of them that would already be a huge dream. But the most important thing is to be well ranked in each of these races to give myself the best possible chance of going to the final. Once I’m at the final, anything will be possible!
The Chasing Dreams Season 4's first episode will be available on Eurosport and the Golden Trail Series YouTube channel from Monday.
20TH OCTOBER 2024, 23.5KM, 1,400M V+ Ascona-Locarno, Switzerland Elhousine Elazzaoui wins the Grand Final and takes the Golden Trail World Series title.
19TH OCTOBER 2024, 23.5KM, 1,400M V+ Ascona-Locarno, Switzerland Joyline Chepngeno wins the Golden Trail World Series Grand Final but the title goes to Joyce Njeru.
18TH OCTOBER 2024, 7KM, 400M V+ Ascona-Locarno, Switzerland Elhousine Elazzaoui wins the GTS Grand Final prologue and Manuel Innerhofer takes first place for the GTNS.
17TH to 20TH OCTOBER 2024, 7KM, 400M V+ Ascona-Locarno, Switzerland Joyce Njeru wins the Golden Trail Series women’s prologue in the Grand Final. Sarah Carter is first in the GTNS.
17th to 20th October 2024, 23.5KM, 1,400M V+ (+ Prologue) Ascona-Locarno, Switzerland The Golden Trail Series Grand Final will be held in Ascona-Locarno, Switzerland from 17th to 20th October.
22ND SEPTEMBER 2024, Start 9:40 AM (PDT, 6:40 PM CET), 26KM, 1,400M V+ MAMMOTH LAKES, USA Joyce Njeru and Elhousine Elazzaoui claim their third victory of the season at the last stage of the GTWS.
22ND SEPTEMBER 2024, Start 9:40 AM (PDT, 6:40 PM CET), 26KM, 1,400M V+ MAMMOTH LAKES, USA Mammoth Lakes hosts the Golden Trail World Series' final stage: Mammoth 26K.
15TH SEPTEMBER 2024, Start 8:00 AM (PDT) 5:00 PM (CET), 27KM, 1,280M V+ MILL VALLEY, USA Elhousine Elazzoui wins Headlands 27K in a sprint after an epic 4-way battle.
14TH SEPTEMBER 2024, Start 8:00 AM (PDT) 5:00 PM (CET), 27KM, 1,280M V+ MILL VALLEY, USA Joyce Njeru wins the Headlands 27K women's race, her second victory on the Golden Trail Series this season.
14th and 15th September 2024, Start 8:00 AM (PDT) 5:00 PM (CET), 27KM, 1,280M V+ MILL VALLEY, USA The Golden Trail Series heads to the USA for two races starting with Headlands 27K, which takes place a stone’s throw from San Francisco.
Due to huge thunderstorms in the Tatra mountains, the Tatra Sky Marathon was cancelled. The overall rankings have also been updated.
17TH AUGUST 2024, Start 9:40 AM (CET), 28KM, 1,750M V+ KOŚCIELISKO, POLAND For the first time in its history, the Golden Trail World Series is heading to Poland for the Tatra Sky Marathon.
10TH AUGUST 2024, Start 11:00 AM (CET), 31KM, 2,200M V+ SIERRE, SWITZERLAND The 5th edition of the Golden Trail World Series lived up to all its promises: Kilian Jornet beat his own Sierre-Zinal record by less than a second while Joyline Chepngeno took victory on her first-ever trail running race!
10TH AUGUST 2024, Start 11:00 AM (CET), 31KM, 2,200M V+ SIERRE, SWITZERLAND To kick-off the second half the season, the Golden Trail World Series heads to Sierre-Zinal with an exceptionally high-level field.
With 4 of the 8 stages already completed, it's time to take stock of the Golden Trail World Series mid-season rankings.
30TH JUNE 2024, START 6:45 AM (CET), 42KM, 2,540M V+ CHAMONIX, FRANCE Elhousine Elazzaoui and Judith Wyder win back-to-back victory on the Marathon du Mont-Blanc, the 4th stage of the Golden Trail Series.
30TH JUNE 2024, START 6:45 AM (CET), 42KM, 2,540M V+ CHAMONIX, FRANCE The Golden Trail World Series is back in France for the 4th stage of the season: the Marathon du Mont-Blanc.
26TH MAY 2024, START 9:00 AM (CET), 42KM, 2,736M V+ ZEGAMA, SPAIN Kilian Jornet and Sylvia Nordskar win the 2024 edition of Zegama, 3rd stage of the Golden Trail Series.
26TH MAY 2024, START 9:00 AM (CET), 42KM, 2,736M V+ ZEGAMA, SPAIN After two stages in Asia, the Golden Trail World Series is back in Europe at the legendary Zegama-Aizkorri.
27TH APRIL 2024, START MIDDAY (UTC+8), 22KM, 1,530M V+ MOUNT SIGUNIANG, CHINA Joyce Njeru and Patrick Kipngeno win the Four Sisters Mountain Trail, the second stage of the Golden Trail World Series.
27TH APRIL 2024, START 2:00 PM (UTC+8), 22KM, 1,530M V+ SIGUNIANGSHAN, CHINA After a successful race in Japan, the Golden Trail World Series now heads to China for the second race of the season.
20TH APRIL 2024, START 1:05 PM (UTC+9), 21.3KM, 2,109M V+ KOBE, JAPAN Patrick Kipngeno and Maude Mathys win the Kobe Trail, the GTWS 2024 first stage.
The first-ever Asian race in the history of the GTWS, the Kobe Trail, will open the 2024 season on 20th April.
The 2024 Golden Trail Series Grand Final will be held in the Ascona-Locarno region in Switzerland from 17th to 20th October 2024. The ideal setting, between lake and Alpine trails, to find out who will be declared King and Queen of the trail-running world!
In an Instagram post published last week Elhousine Elazzaoui, winner of the Grand Final in Italy last season, explains why he’s once again chosen to focus on the Golden Trail World Series.
With two new races in Asia, a first-time race in Poland and a first-of-its-kind race in the USA, the Golden Trail World Series 2024 calendar is full of exciting new additions.
22ND OCTOBER 2023, START 10:15 AM, 26KM, 1,460M V+ NOLI, ITALY
21ST OCTOBER 2023, START 10:00 AM, 26KM, 1,460M V+ NOLI, ITALY
20TH OCTOBER 2023, START 4:30 PM, 8.7 KM, 400M V+ SPOTORNO, ITALY
19TH OCTOBER 2023, START 4:30 PM, 8.7KM, 400M V+ SPOTORNO, ITALY
19TH – 22ND OCTOBER 2023, 26KM, 1,430M V+ (+ prologue) Il Golfo dell Isola, Italy
19TH – 22ND OCTOBER 2023, 26KM, 1,430M V+ (+ prologue) Il Golfo dell Isola, Italy
16TH SEPTEMBER 2023, Start 7:00 AM, 21KM, 2,382M V+ MANITOU SPRINGS, USA
16TH SEPTEMBER 2023, Start 7:00 AM (UTC-6), 21KM, 2,382M V+ MANITOU SPRINGS, USA
12TH AUGUST 2023, Start 10:55 AM, 31KM, 2,200M V+ SIERRE, SWITZERLAND
La cita de las Golden Trail con más recorrido internacional cumple 50 años con una filosofía que aúna a la élite con el atleta aficionado
L'evento elvetico rappresenta il non plus ultra della sintesi di trailrunning e corsa in montagna
12TH AUGUST 2023, START 10:55 AM, 31KM, 2,200M V+ SIERRE, SWITZERLAND
Malen Osa dio un golpe sobre la mesa en su debut como élite en una carrera de las Golden Trail World Series siendo 4ª de la general y Manu Merillas protagonizó una de sus habituales remontadas para acabar siendo 6º y seguir liderando la general de las Golden Trail World Series.
The DoloMyths Run will celebrate its 25th anniversary tomorrow (Saturday 25 July) as the Golden Trail World Series (GTWS) reaches the half-way mark following the season opener at Zegama in Spain in May and the Mont Blanc Marathon three weeks ago.
15TH JULY 2023, Start 8:00 AM, 22KM, 1,750M V+ CANAZEI, ITALY
C’est ce samedi à 8h à Canazei que sera donné le départ de la 23ème édition de La Dolomyths Run Skyrace. Manche des Golden Trail Series, des coureurs du monde entier viennent se confronter sur ce parcours réputé pour sa beauté mais aussi sa technicité.
El circuito de carreras de montaña que engloba a siete pruebas por todo el mundo aspira a globalizar y profesionalizar un deporte emergente
15TH JULY 2023, Start 8:00 AM, 22 KM, 1,750M V+ CANAZEI, ITALY
4th in the GTWS 2022, Élise Poncet now has her sights on the podium. She will enter the circuit at the DoloMyths Run, a race that suits her skills perfectly.
25TH JUNE 2023, Start 7:00 AM, 42KM, 2,540M V+ CHAMONIX, FRANCE
Surprise winner at Zegama and currently leading the GTWS, Daniela Oemus tells us about her aspirations for this year’s Series.
25th JUNE 2023, Start 7:00 AM, 42KM, 2,540M V+ CHAMONIX, FRANCE
Elhousine Elazzaoui regularly finishes second and has not yet won a Golden Trail World Series race. Before the Marathon du Mont-Blanc, he reveals his victory dreams.
Jonathan Albon made a strong impression in the GTWS 2022 season by winning Marathon du Mont-Blanc and the Stranda Fjord Trail Race one after the other. We met him the day before Zegama, the first race of the 2023 season, where he finished 3rd. He talked about his ambitions for 2023.
Il Golfo Dell’Isola Trail Race, the Golden Trail World Series Grand Final in Italy is open to all runners. Places are limited to 800 race bibs.
Manuel Merillas and Daniela Oemus take the win for the first time at Zegama-Aizkorri and take the lead in the GTWS 2023.
After a catastrophic 2022, Bart Przedwojewski is back on the Golden Trail World Series. Better prepared and raring to go on the eve of Zegama, he revealed his goals for the 2023 season.
Zegama-Aizkorri, the first stage of the Golden Trail World Series, is a legend in the trail-running world. However, you may not know everything about this mythical race!
14TH MAY 2023, Start 9:00 AM, 42 KM, 2,736M V+ ZEGAMA, SPAIN
A few days before the start of the season at Zegama, we went to meet Rémi Bonnet, winner of the 2022 Golden Trail World Series. He shared his goals for 2023 and one thing is certain: the odds are on the title!
The Golden Trail World Series now has its list of registered elite runners and all we can say is that the level has never been so high. The 2023 season promises to be one hell of a ride!
In the 2023 season, the world’s biggest trail running show will be broadcast in 53 countries and 20 languages on Eurosport. One more step in the development of the Series and in trail running.
First in the men’s and second in the women’s at the GTNS 2022 Grand Final, Manuel Innerhofer and Noémie Vachon now join the notorious GTWS Elite circuit. Before starting the 2023 season, they gave us an insight into the opportunities that the Golden Trail National Series has to offer.
The Golden Trail Series national editions, the GTNS, enables the best local athletes to compete against each other at a high-level in the hope of making their way into the elite standings.
La première étape de la GTNS France 2023 a eu lieu sur les pentes du Mont-Ventoux.
The Golden Trail Series TV episodes will be released on Golden Trail TV from 11th January 2023.
30th October 2022, Start 9:00 AM, 30.5 KM, 1,555M V+ FUNCHAL, MADEIRA, PORTUGAL Rémi Bonnet and Allie McLaughlin finish the year in style by winning the last stage in the GTWS 2022 Grand Final!
29th October 2022, Start 9:00 AM, 26.2 KM, 1,940M V+ CURRAL DAS FREIRAS, MADEIRA, PORTUGAL By winning the fourth stage of the Grand Final in Madeira, Rémi Bonnet and Nienke Brinkman are the definitive winners of the Golden Trail World Series 2022!
28th October 2022, Start 5:00 PM, 6.6KM, 350M V+ CANIÇAL, MADEIRA, PORTUGAL In a short but intense time trial Elhousine Elazzaoui and Nienke Brinkman demonstrated their speed.
27th October 2022, Start 9:00 AM, 26.6KM, 1,425M V+ SEIXAL, MADEIRA, PORTUGAL Rémi Bonnet and Nienke Brinkman strengthen their leads by winning the second stage of the Madeira Ocean&Trails® Stage Race.
26th October 2022, Start 9:00 AM, 24.5KM, 1,540M V+ SEIXAL, MADEIRA, PORTUGAL Rémi Bonnet and Allie McLaughlin win the first of the five stages of the Madeira Ocean&Trails® Stage Race, the Golden Trail Series Grand Final.
Newlyweds and currently both ranked in the Golden Trail World Series top 10, Tabor and Eli Hemming are treating themselves to a dream honeymoon in Madeira at the Golden Trail World Series!
Currently second in the GTWS overall ranking, Sophia Laukli is THE women’s revelation this trail-running season. She hesitated a long time about participating in the final, which is very close to her ski season, but she has at last decided she will come to Madeira!
From 26th to 30th October 2022, 5 stages, 109KM, 7,382M V+ Madeira, PORTUGAL / After 6 exhilarating legs in Europe and the USA, the world’s top trail runners will be in Madeira from 26th to 30th October to fight it out on the Madeira Ocean&Trails® Stage Race, in the Golden Trail Series Grand Final.
After Mark Kangogo’s official disqualification for testing positive for two substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), we wanted to pass the floor to Pierre Sallet from the Athletes For Transparency Association (AFT) – at the origin of the Health Programme, – to explain the Programme’s precise role, which is now used by the world’s biggest trail running races (Golden Trail Series, UTMB® Mont-Blanc, etc.) and more broadly in sport in general.
Mark Kangogo having accepted his suspension after controlling positive for two substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, the official winner of 2023 Sierre-Zinal is now Andreu Blanes!
On Monday 10th October 2022, the GTS was informed by the Sierre-Zinal Executive Committee that disciplinary proceedings have been brought against the men’s winner of the 2022 edition.
25th September 2022, Start 7:30AM, 26KM, 1,266M V+ FLAGSTAFF, USA Rémi Bonnet and Nienke Brinkman both take the win at the last race of the season and are now leading the Golden Trail World Series before the Grand Final on Madeira Island.
Second in the 2021 GTWS, Francesco Puppi had a difficult start to the season after suffering several elbow injuries. But he proved at Pikes Peak: he is back!
After 8th place at Sierre-Zinal, Danial Osanz just finished an eye-popping 2nd place at the Pikes Peak Ascent, the 5th stage of the GTWS.
17th September 2022, Start 7:00 AM, 21KM, 2,382M V+ MANITOU SPRINGS, USA Rémi Bonnet and Nienke Brinkman win the 5th stage of the Golden Trail World Series
After finishing 3rd at the European Championships – Marathon, Nienke Brinkman is now targeting the Golden Trail World Series podium!
On the sidelines of the 5th stage of the Golden Trail World Series, Rémi Bonnet just beat the record on the legendary Incline at Manitou Springs!
13th August 2022, Start 11:00AM, 31KM, 2,200M V+ SIERRE, SWITZERLAND Esther Chesang took victory at the 4th stage of the GTWS. To finance her trip she sold solidarity bracelets to raise a total of 1,400 euros.
13th August 2022, Start 11:00AM, 31KM, 2,200M V+ SIERRE, SWITZERLAND 5th at Sierre-Zinal this weekend, Kilian Jornet couldn’t find his groove due to cramping!
De pasarse cinco meses afectado por la tercera vacuna contra la Covid a segundo en Sierre Zinal.
13th August 2022, Start 11:00AM, 31KM, 2,200M V+ SIERRE, SWITZERLAND The Kenyans Esther Chesang and Mark Kangogo won the 4th stage of the GTWS, a first time for African runners!
Just before the Marathon du Mont-Blanc and after Zegama, Greg Vollet, Director of the Golden Trail World Series, was interviewed by the website lookcharms.com. Greg talks openly about the origins of the GTWS project and of what he's trying to do to grow the trail running sport on a worldwide scale and showcase the athletes.
Les deux coureurs français ont déjà brillé à Sierre-Zinal et ont de grandes ambitions pour cette quatrième étape de la Golden Trail Wold Series.
España tiene hasta cuatro corredores en el top-10 de la GTWS y todos ellos estarán en Sierre Zinal
Les deux coureurs suisses Rémi Bonnet et Maude Mathys font partie des favoris sur l’une des courses les plus mythiques du monde.
13TH AUGUST 2022, Start 11:00 AM, 31 KM, 2,200M V+ SIERRE, SWITZERLAND For the 4th stage of the Golden Trail World Series takes place at Sierre-Zinal and welcomes an unprecedented stacked field!
The surprise winner of the Golden Trail World Series 3rd stage, Sophia Laukli, proved her place in international trail running!
6TH AUGUST 2022, 11am start, 25 km, 1,700 m elevation gain STRANDA, NORWAY The Golden Trail World Series went to a Nordic country for the first time in its history! This weekend, the Stranda Fjord Trail Race was the 3rd leg of the world trail cup. A physically and technically demanding race that attracted the world’s best athletes to Scandinavia for the event.
En terminant sur le podium de la Stranda Fjord Trail Race, 3e manche de la Golden Trail World Series, Emelie Forsberg a prouvé qu’elle était de retour.
6TH August 2022, Start 11:00 AM, 25KM, 1,700M V+ STRANDA, NORWAY Jonathan Albon and Sophia Laukli win the Golden Trail World Series’ most technical race!
Famous for his technical skills, Anders Kjaerevik is running tomorrow at the Stranda Fjord Trail Race, on home ground. He might be confident about being able to bag a top 10 place, but he’s more interested in highlighting the importance of having a Golden Trail World Series stage to be able to promote trail running in Norway.
After a difficult start to the season, Bart Przedwojewski enters the Golden Trail World Series 2022 at the Stranda Fjord Trail Race, and we can certainly say that the winner of the Golden Trial Championship in 2020 has big ambitions.
Jonathan Albon and Sara Alonso take today’s win, Davide Magnini and Sara Alonso lead the overall ranking!
Le brouillard tarde à se dissiper au-dessus du lac de Guerlédan. Un son amplifié d’une sono lointaine fend la brume qui recouvre le parc de l’Abbaye de Bon Repos. Près de 1 000 vaillants traileurs ont accepté le défi breton du Trail de Guerlédan, deuxième manche de la Golden Trail National Series ; un défi repoussé pour certains depuis deux ans pour raisons sanitaires. Un œil sur la ligne de départ révèle de grands absents : les têtes d’affiche de la première étape – l’Ergysport Trail du Ventoux – n’ont pas fait le déplacement jusqu’en Bretagne, à l’exception de Enzo Ratti (Esprit Volcans - 10e au Ventoux) et Anthony Boucard (Team Moonvalley - 18e). Une startlist qui annonçait donc de beaux combats en course et de belles opportunités à saisir.
For the 2022 season, we will release two episodes for each of the 6 stages and the final. In the pre race podcast, we'll discuss race details, athlete's insight, and what to expect during the live video coverage on race day. In the post race podcast, we'll analyse the race highlights, and dive back into the race experience together with the male and female winners.
After four amazing seasons, the Golden Trail World Series returns in 2022 with new ambitions. They include: supporting athletes in their quest to become professionals and above all making trail running a must-see, televisual event.
After an epic week in the Azores, Janelle Lincks and Darren Thomas win the GTNS 2021 Grand Final and three Golden Tickets to be able to compete at the highest international level on 3 of the Golden Trail Championship 2022 rac
Jan Margarit and Nienke Brikman explode the Skyrhune records at the last stage of the Golden Trail World Series.
Maude Mathys and Francesco Puppi are victorious at the Grand Final in El Hierro, Maude Mathys and Stian Angermund win the overall ranking.