Kilian Jornet says left-leg pain forced him to ease up, finished 43rd at Zegama

Kilian Jornet said his May 17 run at Zegama-Aizkorri turned into damage control rather than a chase for another win. The Spanish trail runner said afterward that he felt pain in his left leg and chose not to force the pace once the problem appeared, according to Sport.es. The result was a rare off-day at a race where Jornet has long been the defining figure. Sport.es said he finished 43rd in the men’s race, while other trail-running coverage also reported that he faded in the second half with a leg issue. ### What did Jornet say happened during the race? Sport.es reported that Jornet said he began to feel pain in his left leg and decided not to push through it. The outlet said he explained that after Andraitz he chose not to force the pace because the leg was hurting, and instead managed the effort to the finish. (run247.com) iRunFar also reported that Jornet ran with the leaders early before moving backward later with a reported leg issue. That account matches the broad shape of the race described elsewhere: an aggressive opening phase, then a steady drop out of contention as the problem developed. (run247.com) ### Why does a 43rd-place finish stand out so much at Zegama? Zegama-Aizkorri is the race most closely associated with Jornet’s career. Golden Trail Series and Sport.es both describe him as the event’s most decorated runner, with 11 victories, and Zegama’s official site lists his 2022 mark of 3:36:40 as the men’s course record. (irunfar.com) Sport.es had framed the May 17 race as another return to one of Jornet’s signature events, and iRunFar’s preview noted the attention around his latest appearance in the Basque classic’s 25th edition. Against that history, a finish outside the front of the field drew attention even before Jornet explained the physical issue. (goldentrailseries.com) ### Who won the race Jornet was trying to navigate through? Elhousine Elazzaoui won the men’s race on May 17 in 3:45:07, according to Run247 and other race-result coverage. Daniel Pattis was second in 3:45:27, and Eli Stack was third in 3:52:17. Tove Alexandersson won the women’s race in 4:08:09 and broke the women’s course record, according to the same reports. (sport.es) The 2026 race was the 25th edition of Zegama-Aizkorri and opened the Golden Trail World Series season. ### Did other coverage match Sport.es on the details? Sport.es is the source in the available reporting that tied the left-leg pain directly to Jornet’s own post-race explanation and gave the 43rd-place finish. (run247.com) Because the article itself was blocked from direct access, that detail is being carried here from the indexed report and the source briefing. Other outlets broadly matched the injury element but differed on the placing. iRunFar’s May 18 roundup said Jornet finished 41st after fading with a reported leg issue, while its race photo caption said he moved back later with a reported leg issue. That means the leg problem is corroborated, but the exact finishing position varies across post-race coverage. (run247.com) ### What comes next for Jornet? Western States 100 is scheduled for June 27-28, 2026, according to the race’s official site. Sport.es said Zegama was part of Jornet’s buildup toward Western States, making the condition of his left leg the immediate point to watch in the weeks before that start. Outside magazine’s start-list coverage also places Jornet in the broader Western States conversation as the late-June race approaches. (irunfar.com) The next hard date is the Western States start in Olympic Valley on June 27. (run.outsideonline.com) (wser.org)