A Golden Trail World Series title has long been a dream of Elhousine Elazzaoui and the Moroccan athlete heads into the final race in top spot in the standings – but his rivals aren’t far behind!
Elazzaoui won the last two races in California to give himself a fantastic shot at the overall win but Kenyan duo Patrick Kipngeno and Philemon Kiriago are snapping at his heels, reflecting the incredibly close racing recently.
‘I know the course by heart’
Chatting to the GTWS’ Mickaël Mussard, Elazzaoui explained: “I’ve always said that my ultimate dream was to win the Golden Trail World Series. I’ve been trying for five years, and I’ve been preparing for this for a long time. Previous years didn’t always go as planned, but this year, everything is aligning perfectly, and it’s the best-case scenario for me. But the final will be a different story.”
However he has a number of things in his favour and asked if being favourite adds to the pressure, he said: “No, I don’t feel any pressure! I know that everyone is supporting me for the final. I’m pretty well known here since I live nearby when I’m in Europe. I know the course by heart and am used to these trails.
“So, yes, people expect me to win, just like everyone hopes to see Rémi [Bonnet] win Sierre-Zinal someday. But I don’t see this expectation as negative – it’s positive for me! In any case, I’m not stressed. I feel great! My legs are strong, and I’m ready to fight.
“Of course, you can fall, get injured, nothing is decided until you cross the finish line, but I feel good physically, my legs are strong, so I really hope everything goes well.”
‘Everything is good now’
The two Kenyans just behind him talked about a plan to beat him last time out at the Mammoth 26k but that didn’t work out and Elazzaoui will again look to counter them: “I just want to run my race and avoid problems. I don’t want to make any mistakes – falling, getting lost on the course, etc. Personally, I don’t care about their strategy. I know it’s going to be a tough race, and I’m only preparing for that.”
But if Kipngeno, who defended his WMRA title last weekend, finishes ahead of Elazzaoui in the final if both are on the podium, he’ll take the overall victory so does that change the Moroccan’s approach the race?
“No! I actually don’t think this is a race for Patrick! This course is much more technical than the American races – it’s really different. And I know it by heart; I’ve done it many times, and I’m very confident. I feel great, so I’m just going to focus on my own race.”
There was some controversy in the last race with accusations that Elazzaoui blocked Kipngeno in the final sprint but the footage later showed that wasn’t the case and, looking back on that, Elhousine added: “I think everyone understood what happened. It may not have been clear in the live footage, but in the slow motion, you can see I kept my line and went for the shortest route. I think most people understood that. Everything is fine – it’s part of the sport. We were both sprinting, and things happen quickly. We talked it over, and everything is good now.”
But given recent races and asked if he’s ready for a sprint finish in the final, the answer is clear: “Oh no! I definitely want to avoid that! I’ve had enough sprints. But I’m sure this race will be different.”
And if all goes to plan as he hopes, Elazzaoui would become the first African man to win the Golden Trail Series: “Winning it would be a great source of pride, not just for me but also for my country. I’d feel like I’m making history. I hope I can inspire others, encouraging the youth in my country to take up trail running and see that it’s an exciting sport too.”