Africans shine at the Golden Trail Championships

The origins of trail running – a sport dominated by European and American runners – is contended territory. Did the sport start with a challenge between three runners over a mountain in the San Francisco area, or with a hill race in Scotland a thousand years ago? Or with an iceman’s epic – if fatal – run in the Alps 5300 years ago?

If you’re Moroccan trail runner Elhousine Elazzaoui, the answer may be far less contentious… playing on the rural tracks of his childhood, village, Elazzaoui got to run on desert tracks unchanged for thousands of years. Now he is bringing that experience to challenge the world’s top trail athletes and – together with a handful of other African runners, some from the very other end of Africa – perhaps bring African dominance to the youngest World Athletics discipline.

Morocco’s Elazzaoui – known as Hassan to his friends – and South Africans Meg Mackenzie and Robbie Rorich performed with distinction at the Golden Trail Championship (GTC), which took place over four days on the Azorean island of Faial as the worlds top trail runners gathered to compete in one of the few 2020 Trail events not cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The stage race, which covered more than 113 km and included 6,050 m of vertical ascent, drew 174 athletes from thirty-two countries, including most of the world’s best marathon-distance athletes. Some billed the event a ‘de facto’ world championship for marathon-distance trail running for 2020.

The Championship proved a triumph for the immensely-talented Polish runner Bartlomiej Przedwojewski in the men’s and Switzerland’s Maude Mathys in the women’s event. Przedwojewski and Mathys were pushed all the way by Americans Jim Walmsley and Rachel Drake, who both won the final stage and the respective runners-up berths.

The presence of Elazzsaoui, the experienced mountain runner Mackenzie and her fellow Capetonian, Rorich, ensured that Africa would command a presence in the Azores and give notice of the continent’s future intentions in this sporting code.

Elazzaoui made his presence felt in every stage, eventually placing an excellent fourth position overall, behind Przedwojewski and Walmsley and world-champion orienteer, Frederic Tranchand. From 3.5 km prologue, where the Moroccan placed 2^nd overall and was rated 5^th best climber and third downhiller, Elazzaoui kept within sight of the stage leaders, racing stride for stride with top Norwegian and one of the title favourites, Stian Angermund, for much of the championship.

The contrast between the rain and the mud, which prevailed throughout the GTC, and Hassan’s early experiences supporting his grandfather’s dromedary caravans across the Sahara Desert, could not be greater. “I learnt a lot from my grandfather – about camels and life,” said Elazzaoui. “I think I gained many of my advantages as an athlete from those early desert years.  And it instilled in me a love of nature – I think that is why I’m a trail runner and not a road runner or track athlete.”

The young Moroccan lived in a small village on the edge of the desert, some 10km from school. Without the means to purchase a bicycle, he often ran to school, building a valuable foundation of aerobic fitness that has given him a cutting edge in elite competition.

When a window opened for him to move to Switzerland in 2017, he seized his opportunity and has not looked back, even though he strives to spend part of the year back in his home country.

Mackenzie’s aspirations of a top ten finish were thwarted by a combination of the strongest competition she has ever faced, terrain to which she was unaccustomed and a forced change in the planned route which took out the tough Day Three mountain stage. Nonetheless, she learned ‘on the job’ and moved up the field on successive days to place 14^th overall, the third athlete from outside Europe after Rachel Drake (USA, who placed second) and Kiwi Ruth Croft (9^th).

Four successive days of driving rain, low cloud and high winds were foreign to athletes used to drier and warmer African conditions, but Mackenzie made no excuses. “I don’t feel short-changed at all (through the loss of the high mountain stage),” she emphasized. “Races are all different and of course this one didn’t suit me.  But it helped me to grow as an athlete and person! I was happy to see my strengths shine through and realise my weaknesses more. It means I have so much growth to pursue!”

Many were unable to complete the four days, but Mackenzie paced herself well, holding back in the early stages.  But she still found the competition tough. “I’m feeling good physically but mentally drained,” she admitted. “It was a difficult course for the mind. The technicality and day on day of racing and concentrating really takes it out of you mentally.”

The lockdown had robbed athletes not just of competition, but a chance to connect with fellow-competitors – the social dimensions of the sport. “The highlights of the championship for me were simply the joy of racing again and all the moments I was able to share with all my fellow competitors and friends,” continued Mackenzie. “The start lines (where athletes assembled 10 minutes before the start of each leg) were all special and the comradery and community of the Golden Trail races is and always will be my highlight!

“I loved the final stage, as it was more runnable and longer in distance, which suited me. I think the worst was the first stage in the mud. I smiled my way through it but I’m not great at dealing with so much mud!”

Mackenzie understands just how much was required to get the championship underway – both from the Golden Trail team and the local organisers. “Mario (Leal, the local race director) did an extraordinary job at getting this race to go ahead. I’m under no illusion as to how difficult it must have been for him and his team. He’s been so kind, hard-working and professional. He couldn’t have done a better job!”

While Mackenzie valued competing in the Azores, it is unlikely she will return to race there. “I prefer to explore new options. There are so many races and places I want to visit! My plans for next year, COVID depending, are to race at Transvulcania, Mont Blanc Marathon, Pikes Peak and possibly Templiers.”

For Rorich, a rare opportunity to compete with such an array of global athletics’ talent was one to savour, and he took full advantage over unfamiliar and challenging terrain, finishing midway through the elite field. The UCT engineering graduate and talented sculptor began with a splash, falling just two seconds short in the downhill segment of the race prologue and always proved competitive in that sub-category of the championship.

“I’m feeling good, although maybe a little tired,” Rorich confessed before heading to Cape St Francis to participate in an adventure race, immediately after arriving back in South Africa. “My body thrives on exercise, so I think it was healthy for me to run hard four days in a row.

“It was epic to run against people from all over the world. Just being on these amazing volcanic islands in the middle of the Atlantic and swimming in blue waters at the end of most of the days was really amazing. I guess my worst moments came when everyone appeared to run so fast up the steep hills and I couldn’t keep up! But that didn’t last long and I in the end I got to enjoy the uphills.

“I will definitely return to the Azores, but I don’t think I’d fly there again.  I think the time will come when I get there on a sailing vessel!”

Mackenzie, a professional coach, has recently started to assist Rorich with his training and rates her charge highly. “Robbie is an incredibly talented runner,” she reflected. “He will be able to do whatever it is that he chooses with his career! Time will tell what kind of races or events he chooses to compete in, but the world most certainly is his oyster!”