How a ‘Golden Ticket’ won the GTWS jackpot for Elhousine Elazzaoui – thanks to a helping hand from Kilian Jornet

Elhousine Elazzaoui achieved a long-held ambition and achieved countless firsts when he won the overall title at the Golden Trail World Series on Sunday.

The Moroccan produced a brilliant final descent in Ascona-Locarno, Switzerland, to burn off his rivals, which saw him notch a perfect 1,000 points score – three victories plus the prologue and final.

No man had ever accomplished such a feat (Maude Mathys did it in 2021 for the women), while he also became the first African male to win the GTWS.

The GOAT plays his part in ‘flying camel’ story

So no wonder it was taking a little time to sink in when he spoke to the GTWS’ Mickaël Mussard earlier this week: “I still can’t believe it. It had been my dream for over five years.

“A lot of emotions are coming back; I remember how it all started. In 2019, I went to the Limonextreme Skyrace and met Kilian [Jornet], who told me about the Golden Trail Series. He told me to contact Gregory Vollet. I remember emailing him – he remembers that email too – and he replied that I first had to secure a Golden Ticket through the National Series. So I ran two GTNS and earned my ticket for 2020.

“Then, I went to the Azores for the Golden Trail Championship, where I learned a lot. Five years later, I’m running with Kilian for Nnormal, and I’ve won the Golden Trail World Series – it’s a dream come true.”

Asked what the win means, he explained: “A lot of pride! First, I’m the first man to win the Series with the maximum points which shows that I’ve been very consistent this season. It’s really experience that speaks here because in previous years, it was quite the opposite; sometimes I’d finish races well, and other times I wouldn’t even finish.

“You could say I’ve made history [as the first male African winner]. I really hope we [Joyce Njeru won the women’s title] can inspire the African people. I’ve already seen the impact of this victory: thanks to the Golden Series and the post-race interviews broadcast worldwide, people have talked about me in Europe, but also in Qatar, Morocco, and other African countries!”

Time to recharge

And what were the emotions the moment he crossed the finish line in front? “I wanted to cry; I wanted to laugh. Everything was mixed up in my head! I thought back to the story I mentioned earlier, to those five years. I told myself, “I finally did it.” Then Rémi [Bonnet] arrived, Patrick [Kipngeno] too, and we hugged! We may be rivals in the races, and things can happen in the heat of the moment, like that sprint in Mammoth, but we all sit at the same table for dinner, and we’re all friends!”

Of Bonnet, who was the only athlete able to stick with Elazzaoui on the final climb, he added: “We get along very well outside of the races, but he especially motivates me a lot during the races. On Sunday, I hung onto him; I think we pushed each other! He attacked in the descent and the climb, then I took over, which made Patrick drop back.

We push each other to get better, and I love that.

A return to the GTWS to defend his title next year is in the pipeline but before then, some well-earned rest!

He explained: “Nothing is official, but if I’m honest, I know I want to return to the Golden Trail Series. There are plenty of beautiful races to run, but the Golden Series has something special. It’s not just races; it’s an organisation, a family. It’s where I feel at home, ultimately.

“But I announced that I wouldn’t run another kilometre this year after Sunday! I’m going to grab my shoes and hang them on top of the terrace! I want to go back to Morocco and not think about running for a while. I’ll probably gain some weight, but that’s okay. Right now, I need to recharge with my family and clear my head. I’ve given a lot this year; the pace hasn’t been easy, and I need to rest.”