Sierre Zinal: you won’t want to miss the epic mountain race’s 50th edition on Saturday
A deep elite field will be charging through the mountains to Zinal this weekend
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@Sierre–Zinal
This weekend, the Golden Trail World Cup heads to Switzerland for the 50th edition of one of the most renowned mountain races of all time, Sierre Zinal. The race traverses 31 kilometres with 2,200 metres of ascent, and traditionally attracts a very steep elite field with this year being no exception.
Sierre Zinal is known as ‘la course des cinq 4,000’ because the runners get to enjoy the views of five peaks over 4,000m along the way (Weisshorn at 4,506m, Zinalrothorn at 4,221m, Obergabelhorn at 4,073m, Matterhorn at 4,478m and Dent Blanche 4,357m). Athletes start in Sierre at an elevation of 570 metres, and climb up to the highest point at 2,425m over the first 24 km. The final 7 km is downhill, culminating in a frantic sprint through Zinal to the finish line at 1,680m.
Described as a “tantalizingly runnable, fast course, which as we know results in some very exciting racing” the course had new records set in both men’s and women’s fields in 2019, by Kilian Jornet and Maude Mathys. Mathys has subsequently lowered this again to 2:46:03. Both Mathys and Jornet will be present at this year’s event but won’t be racing.
In a shock to the trail racing world in 2022, both of the originally declared winners of Sierre Zinal were later disqualified. Kenyan runner Esther Chesang joined the original male champion, fellow Kenyan Mark Kangogo, with a retroactive disqualification. The women’s title was awarded to Maude Mathys, who could now celebrate four straight wins of the event, while the men’s title was awarded to Spain’s Andreu Blanes.
The race is part of the Golden Trail World Series, the Golden Trail National Series, and the WMRA World Cups.
Women’s field
While Mathys (champion in both 2021 and 2022) is out of the race, the field is still full of legendary mountain running athletes. The women’s elite international roster is helmed by Dutch long-distance runner Nienke Brinkman, trail running and orienteering Swiss champion Judith Wyder (runner-up in 2019), American cross-country skiing champion Sophia Laukli and Kenyan Philaries Kisang, last year’s runner-up.
The U.S. has a strong women’s contingent, with Allie McLaughlin at the forefront (she won the Broken Arrow Skyrace earlier this year, and won the uphill race at the 2022 World Championships and placed third in the up-and-down race). Fellow Americans Allie Ostrander and Bailey Kowalczyk (fifth last year) join her.
Other notable athletes include Emelie Forsberg (SWE), Alice Gaggi (ITA), Theresa Leboeuf (SUI).
Men’s field
The men’s race has Kenyan world mountain champion Patrick Kipngeno against the formidable Eritrean Petro Mamu and Gruyère’s Rémi Bonnet. Kipngeno last year’s runner-up, is having an extremely successful year, winning La Montee du Nid d’Aigle, Piz Tri Vertical and the uphill race at the World Championships. Mamu was third last year and second in 2019 in the second fastest time on this course, ever (2:26:31).
Swiss superstar Bonnet is in fine form, having won the Mont Blanc Marathon this year and placed fourth at Zegama.
Other athletes to watch include Robert Pkemoi(KEN) will also be exciting to follow here, having finished sixth in 2022 and having also achieved a fifth place at Zegama this year, alongside Xavier Chevrier (ITA), Eli Hemming (USA), Andrew Douglas (GBR), Francesco Puppi (ITA) and Joe Steward (GBR).
How to follow
Sierre-Zinal will be providing live tracking via their website and social media updates. The race starts at 4:55 a.m. ET.
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