Elazzaoui chasing Golden Trail World Series podium position at DoloMyths in Italy

The DoloMyths Run will celebrate its 25th anniversary tomorrow (Saturday 25 July) as the Golden Trail World Series (GTWS) reaches the half-way mark following the season opener at Zegama in Spain in May and the Mont Blanc Marathon three weeks ago.

The already competitive season’s first half promises to move up a notch as several leading athletes, who had focused on the World Mountain and Trail Championships in Austria in June, return to Golden Trail action this weekend.

With its sumptuous scenery and highly technical terrain, the DoloMyths has become one of the athletes’ most favourite races. The famous “Couloir of Hell”, one of the craziest and toughest climbs in the Golden Trail World Series, is however feared by everyone.

Questions abound on possible outcomes of the great Italian mountain race. Who will be the first to the top? Who will master the rocky downhill? Will Kilian Jornet’s record get beaten? Will Judith Wyder be able to regain her best form following her medical challenges? Who is capable of finishing under 2 hours?

Remi Bonnet leads Elhousine Elazzaoui in the early stages in the 2021 DoloMyths. Photo – @GoldenTrailSeries | @DoloMyths | @Martina Valmassoi

From an African perspective, all eyes will be on Morocco’s trail athlete supremo, Elhousine ‘Hassan’ Elazzaoui, one of the Golden Trail series’ most consistent performers in recent years. Having started strongly at Zegama with an impressive second position, Elazzaoui was forced to drop out of the second league race at Mont Blanc but is determined to put in a strong showing in Italy tomorrow.

“I prepared enough for the Mont Blanc Marathon,” Elazzaoui reflected, “but found the extensive travel exhausting. I think that contributed to the severe cramps which forced me out with five kilometers to go. But I’ve every confidence that I will get a good result at DoloMyths.”

Elhousine Elazzaoui finishes second in the GTWS season-opener at Zegama in Spain. Photo @the.adventure.bakery

Two years ago Elazzaoui’s climbing strengths came into play and the Moroccan led the train of runners over the crest at the summit, before Norwegian Stian Angermund took over on the descent to take victory ahead of Elazzaoui.

With east Africans beginning to make their presence felt on the European trail circuit, Sky Runners Kenya athlete, Robert Pkemoi, will be hoping to have a repeat performance of his race at Zegama, where he placed fifth.   

Angermund skipped the first two Golden Trail races to focus on retaining his title in the marathon-distance World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Austria last month, something he achieved with panache. Undoubtedly one of the form athletes, the Norwegian will be hard to beat in one of his favourite races and could well run close to Kilian Jornet’s 10-year-old record of 2 hours 11 seconds.

Norwegian Stian Angermund celebrates his victory in the 2021 DoloMyths with runner-up Elhousine Elazzaoui (left) and third-placed Swiss athlete Joey Hadorn. Photo – @GoldenTrailSeries | @DoloMyths | @Martina Valmassoi

Those likely to push him the hardest could be Scarpa’s Golden Trail World Series leader, Manuel Merrillas of Spain, and Britain’s Thomas Roach (Lewes Athletics), who took the silver medal behind Angermund at the World Championship race.

Swiss athlete ,Judith Wyder, holds the course record for DoloMyths, having run a superb 2:18:51 in 2019 but her journey since then includes giving birth to her second child and rehabilitation following a stroke, which left her sight slightly impaired.

Wyder has returned to elite competition, however, taking the silver medal in the marathon-distance race at World Championships last month and will be determined to be competitive in tomorrow’s race.

Jumping for joy – Swiss athlete Judith Wyder celebrates victory in the 2021 DoloMyth’s race. Photo – @GoldenTrailSeries | @DoloMyths | @Martina Valmassoi

Germany’s Daniela Oemus (Salomon) won at Zegama and placed 6th at the Marathon du Mont-Blanc and will be wearing the GTWS overall leader’s yellow race bib for the DoloMyths Run. However, she’ll be up against Mont Blanc winner, American Sophia Laukli (Salomon).

Laukli’s compatriot, Rachel Drake, is another who will be returning to Golden Series action after family time-out for the birth of her first child. At her best she has the ability to challenge for a win, but a top ten place in her first GTWS race in two years would represent an impressive return.

The 22km race, with a lung-bursting 1750m of vertical climbing, gets underway at 08h00 CET from the Italian town of Canazei and can be followed live from the Golden Trail website on https://goldentrailseries.com/gttv/