If you haven’t jumped on the Golden Trail World Series (GTWS) train, you’re missing out. The trail running world has already produced some intense races this season, and the first race of the GTWS, kicking off this weekend in Kobe, Japan, will be no exception. The field is deep, the course is fascinating, and the live stream will be a thriller. Here’s what you need to know to follow along.
The GTWS is an eight-race series, where the top 30 men and women from the overall ranking, after the eighth race, will be invited to the Grand Final, to be held this year in the Swiss region of Ascona-Locarno. Saturday’s race in Kobe marks the first-ever Asian race in the GTWS, and will feature a 21-kilometre course with 2,109 metres of vertical elevation in a “flower-race” format. (Runners will run four different loops that take them through the start/finish zone five times–so the course map resembles a flower.)
Click here to check out the entire 2023 season, complete with behind-the-scenes footage, in a YouTube series called Chasing Dreams.
Women’s field
American trail star Sophia Laukli, winner of the GTWS 2023, had a stunning season last year. She will be taking on a challenging field that includes Swiss runner Maude Mathys, the 2020 Golden Trail Championship winner and 2021 GTWS winner, and fellow U.S. phenom Allie McLaughlin, who won the 50K at the 2023 Tarawera Ultramarathon by UTMB in New Zealand and topped the podium at the 2023 edition of the Broken Arrow Skyrace in Lake Tahoe, Calif.
Spain’s Sara Alonso, who in 2023 won the brutal 15K UTMB Experience Trail Courmayeur, will be showing off her famed downhill running skills, and will line up against Daniela Oemus of Germany, winner of the 2023 Zegama-Aizkorri Marathon in Spain. Joining the contenders is Squamish, B.C.’s Kalie McCrystal, who took sixth at Meet the Minotaur 30K in 2023 and won the 50K race at Whistler Alpine Meadows in 2022.
Other names to watch:
Grayson Murphy (U.S.)
Joyce Njeru (Kenya)
Sylvia Nordskar (Norway)
Júlia Font (Spain)
Malen Osa (Spain)
Men’s field
All eyes will be on race favourite Patrick Kipngeno of Kenya, who had a spectacular 2023 season culminating in a second-place finish in the GTWS. Kipngeno will face off against his compatriot, Philemon Kiriago, who demonstrated his ability to dominate the trails when he topped the podium at the 2023 edition of the legendary Sierre-Zinal 31K race in Switzerland. Elhousine Elazzaoui of Morrocco will also be a hot contender after winning the 2023 Dolomyths SkyRace and taking second at Zegama.
Canmore, Alta.’s Sam Hendry will be toeing the line after a strong 2023 season that included a fourth-place finish at Mammoth Trailfest 26K in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., and 12th at Pikes Peak Ascent in Manitou, Colo.
Other names to watch:
Roberto Delorenzi (Switzerland)
Bart Przedwojewski (Poland)
Álex García (Spain)
Daniel Pattis (Italy)
The Golden Trail Series is known for putting on an excellent show, and you can click here to tune in to the live stream on April 20, with the women’s race starting at 12:05 a.m. ET.
