Zegama-Aizkorri opens Golden Trail series

Zegama-Aizkorri will launch the 2026 Golden Trail World Series on Sunday, May 17, with the Basque race serving as the opening stop of the circuit’s ninth season, according to the series calendar and race previews. The mountain marathon also marks the 25th edition of Zegama-Aizkorri, a race first held in 2002 and staged in the Basque town of Zegama, Spain. (goldentrailseries.com) The start is scheduled for 09:00 CEST, with live coverage set to run across Warner Bros. Discovery platforms including HBO Max, Eurosport and TNT Sports, according to Golden Trail World Series and RUN247. (run247.com) Kilian Jornet is the highest-profile entrant named in race coverage ahead of Sunday. (goldentrailseries.com) RUN247 said defending Golden Trail World Series champions Elhousine Elazzaoui and Sara Alonso are also set to start, giving the opener immediate weight in both the men’s and women’s fields. The race covers 42.195 km with 2,736 meters of elevation gain across the Aizkorri-Aratz Natural Park and surrounding ridgelines, according to RUN247. ### Why is Zegama opening the series this year? The Golden Trail World Series said on February 6 that Zegama-Aizkorri would open the 2026 calendar on May 17. The series said the season would run across three continents and eight countries from May to October, with Zegama positioned as the first race before Ledro Sky Trentino in Italy on May 24. (goldentrailseries.com) The 2026 race also arrives with an anniversary attached. Golden Trail World Series said Zegama-Aizkorri is celebrating its 25th edition this year, while the race’s own organizers said in October 2025 that the 25th Zegama-Aizkorri would be held on May 17, 2026. (run247.com) ### What makes this course different from other trail races? RUN247 said the course spans the marathon distance of 42.195 km and packs in 2,736 meters of climbing. The route includes Otzaurte at kilometer 7, Ultzama-Atabarreta at kilometer 13, the climb to Aratz at kilometer 16, Sancti Spiritu at kilometer 20, the ridgeline toward Aketegi at 1,551 meters, and the descent through Aitxuri before the final run back to Zegama. (goldentrailseries.com) Golden Trail World Series said the course crosses four of the highest peaks in the Basque Country. The series also said thousands of fans line sections including Sancti Spiritu, a detail that has long been part of the race’s identity in official previews and coverage. (goldentrailseries.com) ### Why is Kilian Jornet getting so much attention before the start? RUN247 said Jornet has 11 wins in 12 appearances at Zegama, making him the race’s most successful runner. Golden Trail World Series separately described him as the most decorated athlete in the event’s history, with 11 victories. (run247.com) Jornet said in comments carried by RUN247 that the 25th edition made it “impossible not to come back.” The outlet said Zegama is one of four major races on his 2026 calendar alongside Western States, Sierre-Zinal and UTMB. (goldentrailseries.com) ### Who else is on the line on Sunday? RUN247 said Elhousine Elazzaoui and Sara Alonso, the defending Golden Trail World Series champions, are also due to start on May 17. Golden Trail World Series results from October 2025 show Elazzaoui won the men’s overall title, while Alonso was among the leading women in the season-ending standings before the finale weekend. (run247.com) The women’s race carries a home-country angle as well. Alonso is Spanish, and Zegama sits in the Basque Country, where the race has built a strong local following over two decades, according to Golden Trail World Series and the organizers’ site. (run247.com) ### Where can viewers watch and what comes next? RUN247 said Sunday’s race begins at 09:00 CEST in Zegama, which is 03:00 U.S. Eastern time and midnight on the U.S. West Coast. The outlet said live coverage will be available across WBD platforms, with highlights later posted to YouTube. (run247.com) On May 24, the Golden Trail World Series moves to Ledro Sky Trentino in Italy for the second race of the season, according to the official 2026 calendar. Later stops include Quebec Mega Trail on July 5, Salomon Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail on August 1 and Sierre-Zinal on August 8 before the series finale in Muju on October 24. (goldentrailseries.com) (run247.com) (goldentrailseries.com)