The fifth stop of the Golden Trail World Series moves the action from Austria to Switzerland for the 53rd edition of Sierre-Zinal, a legendary race featuring 31 kilometres and 2,200 metres of elevation gain.

Defending champions Philemon Kiriago and Caroline Kimutai return to protect their crowns against Elhousine Elazzaoui and Madalina Florea, the reigning series champions and recent winners of the Salomon Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail, held just one week ago.

The iconic Swiss race, which brings together more than 6,800 runners from 86 nationalities, will be broadcast live across Warner Bros. Discovery platforms (HBO Max, Eurosport and TNT Sports), as well as through an extensive network of international broadcasters.

• Madalina Florea (Scott) made the decisive move on the steepest sections of the 24.5km course, which featured 1,618 metres of elevation gain. The Romanian claimed her second consecutive victory of the season to strengthen her lead in the overall standings.
• Elhousine Elazzaoui (NNormal) opened up race-winning gaps on the descent and secured his third victory in four races this season, consolidating his position at the top of the GTWS rankings.
• Ruth Gitonga (Run2Gether On Trail) and Naomi Lang (Salomon) completed the women's podium, while Michael Saoli and Patrick Kipngeno led a Run2Gether On Trail one-two on the men's podium.

• Since its creation in 1974, Sierre-Zinal has grown into one of the most iconic and prestigious events in global trail running and has been a permanent fixture on the Golden Trail World Series calendar since the circuit's launch in 2018.
• "The Race of the Five 4,000-Metre Peaks" will be the fifth stop of the 2026 GTWS season on August 8th, featuring a fast and explosive 31-kilometre course through the spectacular mountains of the Anniviers Valley.
• "The Golden Trail World Series has taken the race to another level internationally. It has significantly increased the visibility of Sierre-Zinal far beyond Switzerland and helped establish the event as one of the benchmark races in global trail running," say the organisers.