Africa tops Golden Trail World Series table after Breaklands 27k

Africa topped the Golden Trail World Series (GTWS) last weekend after stunning performances from Moroccan Elhousine Elazzaoui and Kenyan Joyce Njeru taking the Headlands 27k titles in San Francisco, as African runners begin to make their mark in this elite endurance sport.

The 2024 edition of the Golden Trail World Series commenced in China with two races, before moving to Europe for the next four. Two races in consecutive weeks in the USA complete the series before the grand final in Ascona Locarno in Italy next month.

Sadly, the Tatra Sky Marathon, which was to have taken place last month on the Polish side of the Carpathian Mountains as the sixth race in the GTWS, was cancelled due to intense and dangerous electric storms.

Featuring many of Marin County’s most famous trails, the Headlands 27k contains 1300m of vertical gain and is just minutes from downtown San Francisco. The race takes place annually on the challenging slopes of Mt. Tamalpais and passes through the iconic Muir Woods which include some of America’s tallest redwood trees.

The race turned into a humdinger, fiercely contested at high pace from start to finish with little to separate the top four for much of the race.

Elhousine Elazzaoui (Nnormal), Swiss athlete Remi Bonnet (Salomon/Red Bull) and Kenyans Patrick Kipngeno and Philemon Kiriago (both Team Run2gether/ ON AG) have been at the forefront of GTWS action for the last two series and once again stamped their authority on the race, breaking away quickly and matching each other on climbs and descents.

Kipngeno and Bonnet fell off the pace through 20km and although they were never far behind, the race ended in a shoot-out between Elazzaoui and Kiriago, with the Kenyan losing out in a sprint for the second GTWS in a row after Sierra Zinal.

“The race was really hard this year,” Elazzaoui admitted. “I have never before seen a very fast race like that in trail running.

“It was so fast. I tried to attack, but they didn’t let me get away, so I had to attack even harder in the final downhill. But I’m thrilled to have won and happy with that Africa now leads the series.”

“I led from the start until the last downhill when Elhousine overtook me,” said Kiriago. “He was the strongest and I’m very happy to finish on the podium of this crazy race!”

Tipped as race favourite, Kenyan athlete Joyce Njeru (Atletica Saluzzo) put her speed to good use on the Headlands 27K to claim her second victory of the season, beating strong-running Romanian, Madaline Florea by less than a minute in a close race.

“I wanted to see how fast I could really go and above all how long I could keep it up,” reflected Njeru. “So, I stayed with the front group at the start, but dropped back from the 3-kilometre mark when Madalina (Florea) accelerated.

“I chose to take it easy because I knew the race was long, but I closed the gap and managed to catch her at the 20k mark.”

American Lauren Gregory ( Nike Trail) rounded off the podium.

Elazzaoui and Njeru’s strong performances at the Headlands 27k moved them to the top of the current GTWS rankings, Elazzaoui advancing up from second position to lead ahead of Kipngeno while Njeru leaped from third to first ahead of Florea and Swiss athlete Maude Matthys.

The series moves 400km east to the town of Mammoth Lakes on Sunday for the final race in the 2024 series, the Mammoth 26k.

Results 

Women

 1 – Joyce Njeru (KEN – Atletica Saluzzo): 2:17:34 (+200 pts)

2 – Madalina Florea (ROM – Salomon): 2:18:22 (+188 pts)

3 – Lauren Gregory (USA – Nike Trail): 2:19:15 (+176 pts)

4 – Judith Wyder (CHE – Hoka/Red Bull): 2:22:21 (+166 pts)

5 – Oria Liaci (CHE): 2:24:26 (+156 pts)

6 – Miao Yao (CHN – Salomon): 2:25:25 (+150 pts)

7 – Anna Gibson (USA – Brooks): 2:25:39 (+144 pts)

8 – Julia Font (ESP – Brooks): 2:25:54 (+140 pts)

9 – Allie Ostrander (USA – Nnormal): 2:27:04 (+136 pts)

10 – Rachel Tomajczyk (USA – Merrell): 2:27:32 (+133 pts)

Men

 1 – Elhousine Elazzoui (MAR – Nnormal): 1:55:27 (+200 pts)

2 – Philemon Kiriago (KEN – Run2gether/ON AG): 1:55:29 (+188 pts)

3 – Patrick Kipngeno (KEN – Run2gether/ON AG): 1:56:01 (+176 pts)

4 – Rémi Bonnet (CHE – Salomon/Red Bull): 1:57:48 (+166 pts)

5 – Christian Allen (USA – Nike Trail): 2:01:39 (+156 pts)

6 – Miquel Corbera (ESP – Brooks): 2:02:12 (+150 pts)

7 – Frédéric Tranchand (FRA – Scott): 2:02:46 (+144 pts)

8 – Cesare Maestri (ITA – Nike Trail): 2:03:30 (+140 pts)

9 – Bart Przedwojewski (POL – Salomon): 2:04:01 (+136 pts)

10 – Cade Michael (USA – The Trail Team): 2:04:33 (+133 pts)

Overall Standings after Headlands 27k

Men

 1 – Patrick Kipngeno (KEN – Run2gether/ON AG): 576 pts

2 – Elhousine Elazzaoui (MAR – Nnormal): 576 pts

3 – Roberto Delorenzi (CHE – Brooks): 476 pts

4 – Daniel Pattis (ITA – Brooks): 465 pts

5 – Alain Santamaria (ESP – Salomon): 420 pts

6 – Marcin Kubica (POL – Salomon): 418 pts

7 – Kilian Jornet (ESP – Nnormal): 400 pts

8 – Alex Garcia (ESP – Brooks): 396 pts

9 – Léonard Mitrica (ROM – Datacor Running): 387 pts

10 – Miquel Corbera Rubio (ESP – Brooks): 384 pts

Women

 1 – Maude Mathys (CHE – Asics): 532 pts

2 – Malen Osa (ESP – Salomon): 500 pts

3 – Joyce Njeru (CHE – Atletica Saluzzo): 493 pts

4 – Theres Leboeuf (CHE – Compressport): 478 pts

5 – Sylvia Nordskar (NOR – HOKA): 457 pts

6 – Marta Martinez Abellan (ESP – La Sportiva): 444 pts

7 – Rosa Lara Feliu (ESP – Compressport): 436 pts

8 – Naiara Irigoyen Indave (ESP – Salomon): 420 pts

9 – Caitlin Fielder (NZL – Salomon): 416 pts

10 – Mădălina Florea (ROM – Salomon): 364 pts

Story courtesy of Sports Network Africa (SPNA).