GOLDEN TRAIL WORLD SERIES 2024: CALENDAR OPENING AT KOBE TRAIL

Posted by sergio mayayo on December 9, 2023 in golden trail series, golden trail series 2024, golden trail world series, golden trail world series 2024, gtws, gtws23, marathon mont blanc 2024, sierre zinal 2024, trail running spain, zegama aizkorri 2024 | Leave a comment

GOLDEN TRAIL WORLD SERIES 2024: CALENDAR OPENING AT KOBE TRAIL. Our GOLDEN TRAIL SERIES section bring us today  the 2024 calendar of the GTWS.

This 2023 comes with two new races in Asia, a first-time race in Poland and a first-of-its-kind race in the USA, the Golden Trail World Series 2024 calendar is full of exciting new additions. Let us kick off with the epic Zegama alpine marathon highlights from 2022

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GOLDEN TRAIL WORLD SERIES 2024:
CALENDAR OPENING AT KOBE TRAIL.

Among the big new additions to the 2024 calendar are, for the very first time, two races in Asia: Japan then China. Therefore, the Kobe Trail in Japan will open the 2024 season on 20th and 21st April and the athletes will then head to Sichuan for the second race of the season to be held on 27th and 28th April.

“There are increasing numbers of Asian competitors and trail running is becoming more and more popular in Asia,” explains Grégory Vollet. “This is why we decided to integrate two Asian dates into our 2024 calendar. To ensure that the trip is cost-effective, these two races have been grouped together over two weeks, like the USA trip, meaning we can participate in two events in only one trip.”

Once again with the intention of limiting intercontinental travel, this year, the GTWS calendar will include a race in Poland – the Tatra Sky Marathon – to enable athletes to compete in a European trip, like those for the USA and Asia.

“This race will take place a week after Sierre-Zinal,” explains Greg Vollet. “Thanks to this additional race, each athlete, whether European, Asian or American, will only need to take one intercontinental flight in a bid to qualify for the final.”

While the Golden Trail World Series will be adding four new races to its 2024 calendar (two in Asia, one in Poland, and a new race in the USA), the Series will of course be keeping its great legendary races: Zegama-Aizkorri is the third race of the season, followed by the Marathon du Mont-Blanc a month later in Chamonix. The long-standing Sierre-Zinal will be the 5th race of the season and be included in the European trip along with the Tatra Sky Marathon in Poland.

Top3_Zegama_2023. Photo: Mayayo

On to the Grand Final

With 8 normal races on the programme, athletes will now have their four best results factored into the overall ranking before the final (compared to three last season). After these 8 races, the 30 top male and female athletes will then be invited to take part in the World Grand Final (whose destination will be revealed at a later date).

“We increased the number of races this season to include Asia,” explains Grégory Vollet. “So, it was necessary to increase the number of races that count towards the overall ranking to avoid diluting the level too much during the year. However, by introducing these trips we are now giving all the athletes the opportunity to do two races in only one trip. So now, most of them will be able to compete in their two continual races in their efforts to reach the final.”

Once the standard season is over, athletes ranked outside the top 30 will still be able to take part in the Grand Final independently, like they did this year, to attempt to score additional points and reach the ELITES category (final top 30) to qualify for an invitation for the following season.

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GOLDEN TRAIL WORLD SERIES 2024:

Even more live streams!

Bolstered by its televised success in 2023 (with over 6 million viewers tuning in to Eurosport for the Grand Final in Italy, and audiences matching other disciplines, such as the MTB World Cup), the Golden Trail World Series will once again be broadcast several times on Eurosport, but also on over 100 TV channels across the globe.

“In total we will have 5 races broadcast on TV channels compared to 3 last year,” clarifies Grégory Vollet. “The aim is to give our athletes and our sport even more visibility!”

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GTWS 2024: CALENDAR

• 20th April: Kobe Trail – Women’s race – 21km/1,615m V+ – Kobe, Japan. ➜TV News + Asia Trip (Japan + China) 23’ Highlights on TV
• 21st April: Kobe Trail – Men’s race – 21km/1,615m V+ – Kobe, Japan. ➜ TV News + Asia Trip (Japan + China) 23’ Highlights on TV
• 27th April: Four Girls Mountain Trail – 21km/1,423 m V+ – Sichuan, China.➜ TV News + Asia Trip (Japan + China) 23’ Highlights on TV
• 26th May: Zegama-Aizkorri – 42km/2,736 m V+ – Zegama, Spain.➜ TV News + 23’ Highlights on TV + LIVE YOUTUBE
• 30th June: Marathon du Mont-Blanc – 42km/2,540 m V+ – Chamonix, France.➜ TV News + LIVE TV (Eurosport + TV channels in over 100 countries)
• 10th August: Sierre-Zinal – 31km/2,200 m V+ – Sierre, Switzerland.➜ TV News + 23’ Highlights on TV + LIVE YOUTUBE
• 17th August: Tatra Sky Marathon – 28km/1,770 m V+ – Kościelisko, Poland. TV News + LIVE TV (Eurosport + TV channels in over 100 countries)
• 14th September: Headlands – Women’s race – 28km/1,304 m V+ – Marin County, USA. ➜TV News + 23’ Highlights on TV
• 15th September: Headlands – Men’s race – 28km/1,304 m V+ – Marin County, USA. ➜ TV News + 23’ Highlights on TV
• 22nd September: Mammoth Trail Fest – 26km/1,250m V+ – Mammoth Lakes, USA. ➜TV News + LIVE TV (Eurosport + TV channels in over 100 countries)
• 17th to 20th October: Grand Final. Details of the race will be officially revealed at a later date ➜TV News + LIVE TV (Eurosport + TV channels in over 100 countries)