This is a preview of the event – click here to read about impressive wins for Timothy Kibett and Naomi Lang.
It’s the seven of nine stops on the 2025 Golden Trail World Series this weekend as we move ever closer to the Grand Final in October.
And the stars are out in force this weekend when the action takes place around Mandarfen, one of the most picturesque alpine villages in the Austrian Alps.
Surrounded by towering peaks and massive glaciers, this breathtaking natural setting will host the Salomon Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail over 23 km and with over 1,700 metres of elevation gain.
With much still to be decided in the overall standings and only two European races remaining before the grand finale in Trentino, the Austrian Tirol will set the stage for a wild, remote, and demanding course that will challenge the athletes’ versatility.
Read on to find out more, including how to watch and who’s racing…
Start time and how to follow live
Both races take place on Saturday 2nd August as follows:
- Women’s race: 11:30am local time which is CET (that’s 10:30am BST, 05:30am Eastern)
- Men’s race: 11:45am local time
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.
The YouTube embed is below too so you can watch both races in full.
The course
This will be the first time the GTWS visits Austria and the Salomon Pitz Alpine Glacier is one of the most alpine and high-altitude races of the season, featuring extraordinary glaciers, sharp ridgelines, and pure technical terrain.
The course blends fast sections with highly technical segments, demanding a complete athlete capable of adapting to all types of conditions and pacing.
The route follows a flower format, which allows spectators better race tracking, and is made up of three loops. The first is 5km long with 120 metres of elevation gain, featuring a gentle climb to the Taschachalpe – a typical Alpine pasture used for grazing in summer.
The second loop is wild, technical, and demanding: 13km with 1,300 metres of vertical gain. It begins with a climb exceeding a 30% gradient through the Hirschtal valley up to the Sunna Alm alpine hut, followed by a brutal ascent to Grubenkopfpeak (560 metres in just 2.2km). The final loop is a fast, dizzying downhill back to Mandarfen, the start and finish of the race.
Women’s elite race
The women’s race looks wide open, with several athletes who have either claimed a victory this year or come very close throughout the season.
The main contenders include Caroline Kimutai (Kenya – Milimani Runners Salomon) whose debut on the circuit couldn’t have gone better: she claimed victory at the Great Wall Trail Race.
Faith Kiplagat (Kenya – Milimani Runners Salomon) continues her European tour after taking the win over the 23km distance at the Marathon du Mont Blanc. This will be her first appearance in the Golden Trail World Series.
Malen Osa (Spain – Salomon) was third at both the Kobe Trail and Zegama-Aizkorri. Currently sitting eighth in the standings, the Spaniard will be chasing valuable points to move up the general classification ahead of the Grand Final.
Naomi Lang (United Kingdom – Salomon) is a technical runner who excels on rugged terrain. The young Brit recently showed strong form with a third-place finish at the Marathon du Mont Blanc and could stay close to the front if she manages to hold pace through the faster sections.
Philaries Jeruto Kisang (Kenya – Run2gether On Trail), Rosa Lara Feliu (Spain – Compressport), Takako Takamura (Japan – SMW.inc), and Austrian runner Krystina Cerna (BOA Trail Team) are also among the names to watch in the battle for the win.
Men’s elite race
With current series leader Elhousine Elazzaoui (Morocco – Nnormal) absent in Austria, it’s a chance for someone else to make their mark.
Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya – Run2gether On Trail) has either won or reached the podium in every GTWS 2025 race he has entered: winner at Kobe Trail (Japan) and Great Wall Trail Race (China), and third-place finisher at Broken Arrow Skyrace (USA) and Tepec Trail (Mexico). Currently second in the overall standings, he’s aiming for a win that would bring him to 600 points ahead of the Grand Final.
Christian Allen (USA – Nike Trail) made a strong start to the season at Broken Arrow Skyrace, where he finished fourth and won the vertical kilometer. He returns for his second GTWS race of the year and his technical downhill skills could give him the edge if it’s close heading into the final descent.
Cesare Maestri (Italy – Nike Trail) returns to competition after time off due to injury. His last race was at Il Golfo dell’Isola (Italy), where he placed fifth in one of his best short-distance performances.
Timothy Kibett (Kenya – Milimani Runners Salomon) has a road running background but growing promise in mountain racing and has carefully prepared for his GTWS comeback with his training group following a strong fourth-place finish in China.
Also lining up at the start will be several other strong contenders including Manuel Innehofer (Austria – Salomon Running Team Österreich), winner of the 2024 edition with a time of 2:19:56; Roberto Delorenzi (Switzerland – Brooks), European short-distance champion; Michael Selelo Saoli (Kenya – Run2gether On Trail); Richard Omaya Atuya (Kenya – Run2gether On Trail); Lorenzo Beltrami (Italy – Scarpa); and Robert Pkemoi Motayango (Kenya – Joma Sport).
