Elazzaoui claims third Golden Trail title in Muju

Morocco’s Elhousine Elazzaoui won the Golden Trail World Series 2026 for the third consecutive year by winning the Muju Trail final in South Korea. The NNormal runner climbed the standings to finish the championship two points ahead of Patrick Kipngeno.

Elazzaoui attacked on the first climb and held off his rival’s comeback in a 28.65-kilometre race through Deogyusan National Park. In an interview published on 5 November, the champion discussed the strategy he had prepared with his team and his plans to compete over longer distances.

The victory completed a hat-trick that began in 2024, when he became the first African man to win the series, and continued in 2025. He is also the first athlete to win three titles in either the men’s or women’s competition.

An attack in the rain breaks up the final

The Moroccan arrived in Muju third in the overall standings, 46 points behind Philemon Kiriago, the leader before the final race. He had not competed in the previous two events in Japan and China and needed to win to have a chance of taking the championship.

The race began in the rain, with Kiriago leading in the opening metres of the climb towards Seolcheonbong. A group then formed containing the three title contenders; Kipngeno appeared to struggle and stopped briefly to do mobility exercises. Brayan Rodríguez and Taylor Stack then took over the pace-setting.

Elazzaoui broke away from the group on the first climb towards Hyangjeokbong, the highest point on the course at over 1,600 metres. At 6.5 kilometres, he had a lead of around a minute over his pursuers, while Kiriago and Kipngeno were more than a minute and a half behind.

The descent towards Baengnyeonsa temple, over steps, rocks and wet leaves, allowed Alain Santamaría, from La Rioja, to make up ground. He won the downhill segment in 11:54; Elazzaoui was fifth and earned two bonus points. At nine kilometres, Kiriago was tenth, around four minutes behind the race leader.

Santamaría fights for the podium as Kipngeno rallies

On the second climb towards Hyangjeokbong, Santamaría and Stack led the chase. The American regained second place and Joey Hadorn caught Santamaría, while Elazzaoui reached the summit with more than five minutes over his nearest pursuers. Kiriago had dropped to 15th place and was more than twelve minutes behind.

Santamaría opened up another small gap over Stack and Hadorn on the descent towards the temple. On the final section towards Chilbong, Jan Fiala won a 1.1-kilometre sprint in 3:08; Kiriago was second and added eight bonus points.

Kipngeno reshuffled the chasing order on the final major climb. At around 21 kilometres, he was some two minutes behind the group of Santamaría, Stack and Hadorn, but just over two kilometres later he reached the summit in second place. Timothy Kibett also overtook Stack and Santamaría and challenged Hadorn for a podium place.

Elazzaoui held on to first place until the finish to secure his fourth victory of the season, following wins at Zegama-Aizkorri, Ledro Sky Trentino and Pitz Alpine. Kipngeno finished the three Asian races with wins in Japan and China and a second place in Muju.

The points that decided the championship

The final awarded 300 points to the winner, compared with 200 for a regular race, as well as bonuses in the uphill, downhill and sprint segments. Elazzaoui scored 306 in Muju: 300 for the win and six additional points. Kipngeno earned 298, with 282 for his finishing position and 16 in the segments.

The Kenyan had arrived at the final with six points more than Elazzaoui. The difference between their finishing positions gave the Moroccan an 18-point advantage, while the bonuses allowed Kipngeno to make up ten points. Kiriago, who began the day with 870 points, finished eleventh in the race.

Santamaría scored 244 points in Muju thanks to his finishing position and his downhill segment win. The season also introduced a team classification, won by Salomon, while Madalina Florea took the women’s overall title for the second consecutive year.

Muju and series standings

The final’s podium consisted of Elazzaoui in 2:49:14, Kipngeno in 2:49:58 and Kibett in 2:50:48. The following runners completed the top ten:

4. Joey Hadorn: 2:52:22.
5. Alain Santamaría: 2:54:00.
6. Taylor Stack: 2:55:47.
7. Bogdan Damian: 2:57:39.
8. Samwel Kiprotich: 3:00:21.
9. Michael Selelo Saoli: 3:00:39.
10. Nashon Kiplimo: 3:04:22.

In the final overall standings, Elazzaoui finished with 1,130 points, ahead of Kipngeno on 1,128 and Kiriago on 1,075. The remaining top 10 places were as follows:

4. Michael Selelo Saoli: 968 points.
5. Timothy Kibett: 922 points.
6. Nashon Kiplimo: 820 points.
7. Bogdan Damian: 812 points.
8. Ezekiel Rutto: 770 points.
9. Alain Santamaría: 759 points.
10. Joey Hadorn: 743 points.

The champion’s strategy and future

In the interview, Elazzaoui explained that he and his team had changed their plan because he had not accumulated enough points before the final. They opted to attack early: “Because we were short of points after missing the races in China and Japan, my team and I changed our plans. Attacking from the opening kilometres in Muju was a risky gamble, but it was essential to catch everyone by surprise.”

The champion said he believed in his chances before the start and that the way his legs responded on the technical summit strengthened his confidence. He also explained that he did not panic when Kipngeno began to close the gap and spoke about his relationship with his rival.

Elazzaoui linked his endurance to his childhood in a Bedouin family in Zagora, where he walked with his parents and siblings to fetch water and look after livestock. Speaking about descents, he said he used to be afraid of speed but that they had become one of his strengths thanks to technical work and equipment.

Looking ahead, the Moroccan has expressed his intention to return to the series in 2027 and gradually compete in longer races. His next major goal is the OCC at UMTB 2027, over 60 kilometres. “I have made history over short distances, but my dream is to win the most iconic long-distance races on the planet. I am going to do it intelligently, in a structured and very gradual way,” Elazzaoui said.