Zegama-Aizkorri 2026 did not need much to reclaim the centre of European trail running, but the 25th edition delivered far more than another iconic crowd scene in Gipuzkoa. Held on May 17 over its 42.195-kilometre course and 5,472 metres of cumulative elevation gain, the race produced two major takeaways: Elhousine Elazzaoui showed he now knows how to win Zegama with authority, and Tove Alexandersson turned her debut into an all-time performance.
The important thing is that this was not memorable only because of the names. It was an edition that re-established hierarchy, pushed the women’s standard forward in a dramatic way and reminded the sport why Zegama still works as a final exam for the very best when the terrain, the pressure and the noise all demand something extra.
Zegama-Aizkorri 2026 results
The race opened the 2026 Golden Trail World Series with a finish that carried real weight.
- Men’s podium: Elhousine Elazzaoui, Daniel Pattis and Taylor Stack.
- Women’s podium: Tove Alexandersson, Malen Osa and Sara Alonso.
Elazzaoui won in 3:45:07, while Alexandersson ran 4:08:09, lowering the previous women’s course record by more than eight and a half minutes. This was not a marginal improvement or a conservative win. It was an immediate reference performance.
Elhousine Elazzaoui is no longer just a specialist: he is now part of Zegama history
The biggest point on the men’s side is not only the win itself, but what that win means. According to the Golden Trail World Series race report, Elazzaoui became only the second athlete ever to win Zegama-Aizkorri twice, something previously achieved only by Kilian Jornet. In a race with this much tradition and this much competitive depth, that instantly moves his name into a different tier of conversation.
This was not a simple race to manage. Remi Bonnet went out hard and led early, but the race turned on the climb to Sancti Spiritu, where Elazzaoui and Daniel Pattis reeled him in. From there, Elazzaoui judged the decisive phase better, reached Andraitz alongside Pattis and settled matters on the final descent, exactly where Zegama tends to reward runners who still have technical clarity when everybody else is already operating at the edge.
Taylor Stack closing for third also reinforces the sense that the series is heading into the rest of the season with real depth. But Sunday’s main message was simpler: if anyone still wanted to question Elazzaoui’s competitive authority in 2026, Zegama offered a very serious answer.
Tove Alexandersson broke the script and the clock
Tove Alexandersson deserves separate treatment because she did far more than win. She led from the start, opened a huge gap early and turned a race as tactical and emotional as Zegama into an individual battle against the clock. By Sancti Spiritu she already had a commanding advantage, and according to the official GTWS summary she ended up posting the best time in all three featured segments: sprint, climb and descent.
That matters. Winning Zegama is already hard enough. Winning it while also dominating the uphill, downhill and pure speed markers that usually separate true contenders from merely strong runners points to a complete performance. Her 4:08:09 did not just beat Nienke Brinkman’s 2022 mark. It changed the mental benchmark of what now looks possible at Zegama.
Malen Osa and Sara Alonso kept the local story alive
In a race so closely tied to its territory, the women’s result also carried a strong Basque and Spanish angle. Malen Osa moved through the field to finish second in 4:23:56, the fastest time ever recorded by a Basque woman at Zegama-Aizkorri. That is not a decorative side note. It is a sign of real level in one of the toughest editions the race has seen.
Sara Alonso, the defending champion coming into this year’s race, held on for another podium. That keeps her firmly relevant in a race she knows well and confirms that even on a day defined by Alexandersson’s record, Spanish runners still remained central to the front of the race.
Why this edition matters beyond the raw result
Zegama often gives the sport a beautiful race report and not much more. This time it left something deeper. First, Elazzaoui’s win confirms a level of repeatability that is rare in a race that rarely forgives mistakes. Second, Tove’s record was not a small improvement but a genuine change of scale. Third, the 25th anniversary did not remain a symbolic frame. The racing itself rose to meet the date.
There is also a clear reading for trail running in Spain. When Zegama produces an outcome like this, the international spotlight swings back here in a serious way. That does not only benefit the race or the podium names. It also reinforces the standing of the Spanish calendar within European and global trail running.
What this means for the Golden Trail World Series now
As the opening round of the 2026 Golden Trail World Series, Zegama has already drawn a fairly sharp first line. Elazzaoui looks strengthened in his bid for another overall title, and Alexandersson leaves the rest of the circuit facing an obvious question: who is really ready to run at that level when a course demands everything at once?
The next stop is Ledro Sky Trentino on May 24. But the echo of this Zegama should last much longer than a week. Not every win carries the same weight. And not every record truly changes the conversation. This one did.
Sources: official Zegama-Aizkorri race regulations and the official Golden Trail World Series race report published on May 17, 2026.