Sierre-Zinal is also known as the race of five 4000s (La Course des Cinq 4000), as the route takes competitors in sight of five peaks of over four thousand meters: Weisshorn, Zinalrothorn, Obergabelhorn, Matterhorn, and Dent Blanche.
It’s 31km long and with 2,200m of elevation gain, Sierre-Zinal is widely considered one of the world’s most coveted ultrarunning titles.
The legendary Swiss race remains unique as the only mountain-running event in Europe bringing together two of the sport’s biggest international circuits: the WMRA World Cup and the Golden Trail World Series.
The first Sierre-Zinal took place in 1974 and over the years it has seen some prestigious winners, including Kilian Jornet (a record 10 times, with a new course record in 2024) and Maude Mathys (four times).
Here’s everything you need to know, including two incredible start lists…
Follow live
The elite women’s race starts at 10:30am on Saturday 8 August, with the men off at 11:00. That’s Swiss / CEST time so 10:00 in the UK, 05:00 Eastern and 02:00 on the West Coast.
The race will be broadcast live on Eurosport and Discovery+ in Europe, HBO Max in Europe and USA, TNT Sports in United Kingdom, Servus TV in Austria, LN24 in Belgium and Flotrack in USA.
Sierre-Zinal
start list
The full start lists for both the men’s and women’s races are here – and they are incredible.
The one big absentee is the man who has made this race his own – Kilian Jornet. It had been on his select list of events this season but is still recovering from the injury which has afflicted him for much of the year and meant he was a DNF at Western States.
But pretty much everyone else is here and starting with the men, last year’s winner Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (KEN) returns to defend his title.
Kiriago has been dominant as ever in this year’s World Cup and is currently lying in second place in the men’s competition with two wins in the long distance races (at Broken Arrow and Transvulcania).
But they will face a depth of competition they haven’t experienced yet this year. Elhousine Elazzaoui (MAR), who has won most races but never Sierre-Zinal (though he came so close in 2024) will no doubt redouble his efforts to finally take the title. He will once again be one of the men’s favourites.
Like Elazzaoui, Patrick Kipngeno (KEN) has never won here, despite three second places. In addition Andreu Blanes (ESP), 2022 winner and eighth last year, returns this year, alongside Martin Nilsson (SWE), and Olympic triathlete Adrien Brifford (SUI), who were sixth and fourth respectively on their impressive debuts last year.
Switching to the women and defending champion Caroline Jepkoech Kimutai is also back.
After Kimutai burst onto the scene at last year’s Sierre-Zinal we haven’t seen her in the World Cup but she won Ledro Sky Trentino at the end of May.
Ruth Gitonga (KEN) leads the women’s World Cup competition and is in dominant form this year with six podiums from six races, including wins at Grossglockner, Vauban and Transvulcania. It will be interesting to see how her debut at Sierre-Zinal unfolds.
The 2023 women’s winner, Sophia Laukli (USA), will also be back and Nienke Brinkman (NED), second on her memorable debut here in 2021, continues her return from injury.
The women’s competition is sure to be fierce, with huge depth in the form of Oria Liaci (SUI), fourth here last year, Madalina Florea (ROU), third in 2024 and having another strong season this year, German Olympic marathoner Laura Hottenrott, fifth last year, Miao Yao (CHN), who was sixth last year and fourth in 2023 and Anna Gibson (USA), who has finished eighth and sixth here and won the recent Broken Arrow Ascent.
In addition we will see Kirsty Skye Dickson (GBR), who is having a great 2026 World Cup, making her debut here, while Camilla Magliano (ITA), currently just behind Dickson in this year’s World Cup rankings, will also run.
Notable runners
Route
The course has remained unchanged since its creation. In the heart of the Valais Alps, the 31km route tests the mettle of some of the world’s greatest trail runners.
Beginning in Sierre, runners face a steady climb in the early stages of the race as they pass through Beauregard and Ponchette before reaching Chandolin – a climb of 1,420m to the mid-point of the race.
A further, shallower climb takes competitors through Tignousa and Hotel Weisshorn before the course peaks at Nava, which has an altitude of 2,424m.
That comes 85% of the way through the course, with the remaining 15% of the course taking athletes on a steep descent down to Zinal.
These final salvos take them to Barneuza, from which there is a final frantic 535m of descent to the finish line in Zinal.
Course records
The current records belong to Kilian Jornet, who ran 2:25:34 in 2024, and Maude Mathys, who recorded 2:49:20 in 2019.
Past winners
Tab 2 content.
![Aurelien Sanchez Barkley Marathons winner 2023 [Photo credit: Davidmillerphotography_ on Instagram]](https://run247.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Aurelien-Sanchez-Barkley-Marathons-winner-2023-912x720.jpg)
![Katharina Hartmuth at the Tor des Géants [Photo credit: Tor des Géants press office | Stefano Coletta - Zzam Agency]](https://run247.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Katharina-Hartmuth-Tor-des-Geants-2024-912x720.jpg)
![Joyline Chepngeno Sierre Zinal 2024 [Photo copyright: Golden Trail World Series]](https://run247.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Joyline-Chepngeno-Sierre-Zinal-2024.jpg)
