Zinal, Switzerland, 8^th August 2026

For more than half a century, runners from around the world have travelled to Sierre, Switzerland, to take on the 31-kilometre journey to Zinal, beneath the backdrop of the Alps’ 4,000-metre peaks. Now in its 53rd edition, Sierre-Zinal once again brought together the world’s best mountain runners, all chasing one of the most coveted titles in the sport, and it delivered one of the most interesting races we have seen in several years.

With former winners such as Philemon Ombogo Kiriago, Caroline Jepkoech Kimutai (both KEN), Maude Mathys (SUI) and Sophia Laukli (USA), on the start line, as well as a large number of exciting runners who broke into the top 10 here last year, both the men’s and women’s fields had huge depth and unpredictability. Serving as both a Golden Trails and WMRA World Cup race, the level of competition was incredibly high.

This weekend the 2026 Mountain Running World Cup rolls into Switzerland for one of the highlights of the mountain running calendar – Sierre -Zinal. First held in 1974, Sierre-Zinal is recognised as the oldest race of its kind in Europe.

Sierre-Zinal is the World Cup’s next long mountain race and it is stage 11 of this year’s competition. Known as ‘la course des cinq 4,000s’ or ‘the race of the five 4,000-metre peaks’, its iconic 31-kilometre course climbs 2,200 metres from Sierre before descending 1,100 metres into Zinal.

Sierre-Zinal has been part of the WMRA World Cup since 2019, and since then has provided the backdrop for some of the most competitive World Cup stages ever witnessed. Now celebrating its 53rd edition, 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 current records belong to Kilian Jornet (ESP), who ran 2:25:34 in 2024, and Maude Mathys (SUI), who recorded 2:49:20 in 2019. Prior to Jornet finally beating the men’s record in 2024, it was held by Jonathan Wyatt (NZL) for 16 years. Wyatt is now WMRA World Cup Manager, strengthening the link between the WMRA and Sierre-Zinal still further.

The joint initiative provides mountain and trail running athletes with practical anti-doping guidance and will bring Athletics Integrity Unit experts directly to athletes, coaches and managers at Sierre-Zinal.

The World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) and the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) have launched a new anti-doping education initiative specifically designed for the mountain and trail running community.

At the centre of the initiative is a new athlete guide providing clear and practical information about anti-doping regulations, testing procedures, and athletes' rights and responsibilities.

The guide covers key areas including:

• The role of the Athletics Integrity Unit
• What constitutes doping
• The Prohibited List
• Medication and supplement use
• Therapeutic Use Exemptions
• How anti-doping testing works
• Athletes' rights and responsibilities
• It also provides practical advice that athletes can apply during competition, including the requirement to declare all medications and supplements on the doping control form. Athletes are also advised to keep an accurate record of the products they use and bring this information with them to races.

Athletes are being encouraged to read the guide and share it with their coaches, managers and support teams, helping to build greater collective understanding of anti-doping procedures across the sport.

On 23 July the athletes were informed about the initiative and the upcoming on-site sessions. The Sierre-Zinal Local Organising Committee also announced the sessions through its official communication channels on 27 July.

FIRST ON-SITE EDUCATION SESSIONS AT SIERRE-ZINAL

Following the first online education session delivered in April, the WMRA and AIU will hold their first on-site anti-doping education sessions on Friday, 7 August 2026, ahead of the 53rd edition of Sierre-Zinal.

The sessions will take place at the Zinal Gym and will be led by Aditya Kumar from the Athletics Integrity Unit.

The programme will include:

• 10:30 – Athlete-only session: A dedicated and confidential environment in which athletes can learn more about anti-doping procedures and ask questions directly to the AIU.
• 14:00 – Coaches and managers' session: An opportunity for coaches, managers and other interested members of athletes' support teams to meet the AIU and strengthen their understanding of anti-doping responsibilities.
• The open question-and-answer format will provide participants with direct access to expert guidance and allow them to address practical situations that may arise throughout their sporting careers.

"At the WMRA, our commitment to clean sport is absolute. For the past six World Cup seasons, anti-doping tests have been conducted at every single World Cup race. To support this commitment, the WMRA reinvests up to 30% of each event's hosting fee to help organisers cover the cost of these compulsory controls. Protecting the integrity and fairness of our sport remains one of our highest priorities.

"Alongside testing, education was the logical next step. Following the first online session held in April, we are delighted to work with the Athletics Integrity Unit to deliver our first on-site anti-doping education sessions at Sierre-Zinal—an iconic race with 53 years of history. Providing athletes, coaches and managers with direct access to expert guidance is essential to building a stronger culture of awareness and responsibility across mountain running." — Jonathan Wyatt, six-time Mountain Running World Champion and WMRA World Cup Manager

Through this initiative, the WMRA and AIU are combining testing, education and direct engagement to ensure that athletes and their support teams have the knowledge required to make informed decisions.

Protecting clean athletes and preserving fair competition remain fundamental priorities for the WMRA and the future of mountain running.

GUIDE

The WMRA Mountain Running World Cup returns to the French Alps this weekend, with the Vauban Mountain Trail hosting Stages 9 and 10 of the season in Briançon on 18 and 19 July. An Uphill race on Saturday will be followed by the Classic Up & Down race, part of the World Cup category powered by Turismo Centro de Portugal – “MOVE Centro de Portugal – The Sports Region.” The two races give athletes very different opportunities to collect World Cup points. With eight races completed and eight still to come, the 2026 World Cup has now entered the second half of the season.

A Mountain Running Festival Beneath Austria's Highest Peak

The Grossglockner Mountain Run once again turned the heart of the Hohe Tauern National Park into a celebration of mountain running, bringing together elite athletes, recreational runners and local communities for a weekend dedicated to the sport.

As the eigth race of the WMRA Mountain Running World Cup 2026, the Austrian classic also marked an important point in the season. The race served as the third event in the Classic Up & Down category, Turismo Centro de Portugal “MOVE Centro de Portugal – The Sports Region, before Vauban Mountain Trail and the World Cup Finals in Québec, Canada, this October.Richard Atuya (KEN) wins the Grossglockner Mountain Run 2026.