All trail run races are beautiful, but some races are just a little bit more beautiful than others. Tomorrow, August 10, 2024, it’s time for one of those races: Sierre-Zinal, Switzerland. The line-up is mouthwatering: Sophia Laukli, Joyce Njeru, Judith Wyder, Mădălina Florea, Patrick Kipngeno, Rémi Bonnet and Kilian Jornet; to name just a few.
With Kilian Jornet the men’s course record holder and nine-time race winner is on the start line. He ran the 31 kilometres (2.200m+) trail at Sierre-Zinal in 2019 in 2 hours, 25 minutes and 35 seconds. Sierre-Zinal is one of the few races he’s doing this season: “I’m glad to be back here to race”, he said on his Instagram. “The Alps remain a very special place for me to run, climb, ski or play. I love the deep history and culture surrounding mountain sports in these valleys, and nothing compares to the feeling of looking up to snow-capped 4000-metre peaks in the middle of Summer.”
No Maude Mathys
2019 was also the year Maude Mathys set her course record: 2:49:02. Unlike Kilian, Mathys isn’t racing. The Swiss trail runner is plagued by pain in the back of her thigh. “Recent competitions have been successful, nice surprises but also disappointing. So far, despite the pain and a far from optimal training, I have always gritted my teeth and did my best to stay in the game and hope that the injury heals”, she said in an Instagram post. “But a few days away from this big appointment, despite 1 month with very little training, the pain is still present and I do not feel able to perform in a race of this format. And this time, wisdom overcomes competitiveness.”
Jornet faces Bonnet
Jornet will face competition from Philemon Kiriago, last year’s winner, and from Patrick Kipngeno, last year’s runner-up. Rémi Bonnet is there as well. He hasn’t managed to win this prestigious race in his homeland yet. However, Bonnet is the number one of the International Trail Running Association’s Performance Index (ITRA). Jornet is number two at this moment. Bonnet is also leading the UTMB Index. Earlier this year he took over Jornet’s crown.
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Patrick Kipngeno has passed Jornet on the UTMB Index now as well. On the ITRA ranking Kipngeno is the number four, just behind Jim Walmsley, the winner of Western States.
Laukli, Wyder or Njeru
With Mathys not being there, all eyes will be on Sophia Laukli. The American Salomon trail runner was injured at the start of the season, but made a strong come-back at the Marathon du Mont-Blanc, with a fourth place. To win, she will have to beat Judith Wyder, who won the Mont-Blanc race in June, and Joyce Njeru. The number two of last year.
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Other contenders are Miao Yao, the number 3 of the Marathon du Mont-Blanc, Mădălina Florea, number 2 of the Marathon du Mont-Blanc, Caitlin Fielder and Scout Adkin. Adkin won last month the La Montée du Nid d’Aigle.
Sierre-Zinal is part of the Golden Trail World Series and the Valsir Mountain Running World Cup.
Photos:Martina Valmassoi and The Adventure Bakery
