The Golden Trail Series is a points-based series of international trail races featuring a changing lineup of top races each year. The series was created to grow the sport of trail running by creating a series of high-profile, high-spectacle, high-paying races; and to showcase the speed and excitement of shorter-distance (sub-marathon) trail racing, as opposed to the relative slowness of ultramarathons.
Overview The series plays an important part in the racing schedules of many of the world's best trail runners.Sports Network Africa: Golden Trail Series 2021 Season preview. Notable male competitors include Stian Angermund, Francesco Puppi, Remi Bonnet, and Frédéric Tranchand, with Maude Mathys and Blandine L'Hirondel among the notable women.Trail Running: Top runners ready for GTWS final. Salomon supports the Golden Trail Series.
Competitions and athlete interviews are covered on Golden Trail TV and web series include Chasing DreamsWider Trail Outdoor: "Chasing Dreams": la nouvelle série TV des Golden Trails Series! which are presented by running journalist David Hellard.
Race Format The series consists of eight main races around the globe each season. Runners accumulate points based on their finishing positions, with points awarded down to the 60th place finisher. Each athlete’s best three performances from the regular-season races count toward their series ranking. After all eight races, the top 30 male and female athletes in the standings qualify for the Grand Final.
The series concludes with a Grand Final that consists of a prologue time trial (with partial points reward) and a final race (with full points reward). Participation in the Grand Final is mandatory to be included in the final standings. Overall series winners are determined by the highest points total from their best three regular races plus the Grand Final.
Races Races are categorised into the Golden Trail World Series (GTWS), started in 2018, and the Golden Trail National Series (GTNS), started in 2019. The former includes several of the world's most competitive trail races.American Trail Running Association: Catching Up with GTWS Grand Final Champion Francesco Puppi.
The Golden Trail Championship (GTC) was created in 2020 to replace the planned World Series which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It took places in the Azores in the form of a four-day stage race.South China Morning Post: Golden Trail Series winners Maude Mathys and Bart Przedwojewski on top after four-day stage race of mud and fog. The success of the GTC format meant that it was proposed as a replacement for the series final in alternating years.Trail Running: Golden Trail World Series sets 2021 calendar, announces bi-yearly championship.
The specific races in the series are not always the same each year. While some iconic races appear often, new races are introduced and some rotated out annually. The location of the Grand Final also varies from year to year.
Past Golden Trail World Series Courses Kobe Trail (Kobe, ) Great Wall Trail Race (Chengde, ) Il Golfo Dell Isola (Noli, ) Broken Arrow Skyrace (Olympic Valley, California, ) Tepec Trail (Huasca de Ocampo, ) Pitzt Alpine Glacier Trail (Pitztal, ) Ledro Sky Trentino (Trentino, ) The Madeira Ocean Trails (Madeira, ) Flagstaff Sky Peaks (Flagstaff, Arizona, ) Stranda Fjord Trail Race (Stranda, ) Zegama-Aizkorri (Zegama, ) Pikes Peak Ascent (Pikes Peak, ) Sierre-Zinal (Valais, ) Marathon du Mont Blanc (Mont Blanc, )
Winners World Series winners since 2018:Runner's World: Records Fall At The 2018 Otter African Trail Race.Trail Running Spain: Victories for Kilian Jornet and Judith Wyder in Golden Trail World Series Final at Annapurna Trail Marathon.South China Morning Post: Golden Trail Series winners Maude Mathys and Bart Przedwojewski on top after four-day stage race of mud and fog.iRunFar: This Week In Running: October 18, 2021.Golden Trail Series: Madeira Ocean&Trails: Rémi Bonnet and Nienke Brinkman win the Golden Trail World Series 2022!Golden Trail Series – Grand Final: A second victory for Elhousine Elazzaoui and a second title for Rémi BonnetGolden Trail Series Overall Ranking
YearMenWomen2018 Stian Angermund Ruth Croft 2019 Kilian Jornet Judith Wyder2020 Bartłomiej Przedwojewski Maude Mathys 2021 Stian Angermund Maude Mathys 2022 Rémi Bonnet Nienke Brinkman 2023 Rémi Bonnet Sophia Laukli 2024 Elhousine Elazzaoui Joyce Njeru 2025 Elhousine Elazzaoui Monica Mădălina Florea
Golden Trail National Series Races are predominantly held in Europe, although some races are also held in North America and Asia.
Ergysport Trail du Ventoux Trail de Guerledan Mont Blanc Marathon Skyrhune
Broken Arrow Skyrace Pikes Peak Ascent Flagstaff Sky Peaks
Quebec Mega Trail 50k Whistler Alpine Meadows
Dolomiti Beer Trail Bettelmatt Sky Race DoloMyths Run Sky Race Transpelmo
L'Olla de Núria Salomon Mitja Pirineu
Louzantrail
Trail Marathon Wales The Serpent Trail Scafell Pike Trail Marathon Ring of Steall
Desafío en las Nubes Trail de la Mixteca Oaxaqueña Pachoa Trail
UTVV Slovenia Kočevsko Outdoor Festival
Risnjak Trail Učka Trail
Chiemgau Trail Run Zugspitz Ultratrail: Garmisch-Partenkirchen Trail Rennsteig-Herbstlauf
Zermatt Marathon Sierre-Zinal
Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail Mayrhofen Ultraks
Salomon Ještěd Skyrace, at Ještěd Salomon Valašský hrb Salomon Jesenický maraton
Salomon Dragon Trails
Golden Mountains Trails Tatra SkyMarathon
Hammer Trail
Bodom Trail
Fjällmaraton 27k
Mount Yuzawa Outstanding Central Alps Skyline Japan The 4100D Mountain Trail in Nozawa Onsen Otari Trail Open in Tsugaike Hakura Classic International
See also Skyrunner World Series Vertical Kilometer World Circuit UTMB World Series
References
External links Official Site