Morocco’s Elhousine Elazzaoui has risen by means of the ranks of sub-ultra distance path working since turning skilled in 2018, and has turn out to be the person to beat on the worldwide Golden Path World Sequence circuit. This yr, he reset the course file on the enduring Marathon du Mont Blanc, and have become the primary African man to win the Golden Path World Sequence. We caught up with him to listen to about what this implies to him, and to study extra about his journey so far.
Elhousine Elazzaoui, the 2024 Golden Path World Sequence Finals males’s Last winner. Picture: Golden Path World Sequence/Grand Finals/@risingstory_@colinolivero
Elazzaoui grew up within the desert of Southern Morocco, as a part of a nomadic household. His mother and father ran a small tourism company and offered camel trekking excursions of the desert, referred to as camel caravanning, and it was in serving to with this that Elazzaoui discovered his ft as a runner. He mentioned, “I’d inform my dad I wished to go fetch the camels, after which I’d run after them. I began a very long time in the past at age 12, and gained my first race in 2006.”
Afterward, Elazzaoui labored within the household enterprise, guiding teams within the mountains and desert, one thing he nonetheless does within the low season to at the present time. He mentioned, “Right now I’m an official information in Morocco, licensed by the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism.”
Whereas the younger Elazzaoui started working as a solo interest round his native desert, his expertise was shortly observed by the guests introduced in by the household’s enterprise. He mentioned, “The individuals who got here to my place would see me working and encourage me. They introduced me sportswear and footwear. As soon as I had a little bit of means for garments and footwear, I began collaborating in nationwide competitions, and I used to be additionally invited to compete within the African championships, and I’ve gained a number of races in Morocco and in federal and nationwide competitions.”
Regardless of some success at street working — with a 10-kilometer private finest at 29 minutes — Elazzaoui’s ardour and power has at all times been in off-road working. He mentioned, “Despite the fact that I’m an athlete, it’s powerful on the street and I discover my pleasure in mountain working.” He dabbled in a mess of distances, profitable the 2018 Morocco Race 80k and putting second within the 2019 Ultrabericus Path 66k in Italy, earlier than honing in on sub-ultra, circa 30- to 40-kilometer races. He mentioned, “I at all times appreciated the shorter distances, ranging from 30k.”
Elhousine Elazzaoui on the way in which to profitable the 2024 Golden Path World Sequence Finals. Picture: NNormal/Toni Perelló (@toni_perello)
In 2018, Elazzaoui moved to Switzerland to take the following step in his blossoming working profession. He mentioned, “I left my residence to take part in Europe in 2018, to develop my expertise and to achieve a whole lot of expertise in path working and to take part in worldwide occasions.” As regards the large life change that this was, he mentioned: “In fact, there are variations in seeing one other tradition, one other lifestyle, however I’m fortunate. I discovered good individuals who love sports activities, and so they helped me develop my expertise, and because of this sport, which brings cultures nearer collectively.”
In 2019, he gained the Swiss Golden Path Nationwide Sequence, and first participated within the Golden Path World Sequence. He had blended outcomes, putting third within the 21k Dolomyths Run, working down the sphere in thirty first at Sierre-Zinal, and struggling a DNF (didn’t end) in his first Marathon du Mont Blanc.
Elazzaoui’s 2019 nationwide collection win secured him a spot within the 2020 Golden Path World Sequence Finals, the place he positioned fourth amongst one of the best on the earth. The championships concerned finishing a 111k stage race, which Elazzaoui mentioned was one of many hardest races of his life, on moist terrain far outdoors of his consolation zone. The end result cemented his perception and need to compete on the highest stage. He mentioned, “For me, I actually just like the Golden Path circuit, it seems like household. It’s knowledgeable occasion, the group is ideal, there are at all times the world’s finest athletes to problem.”
In his 2021 season, he once more had blended outcomes. On an excellent day, he gained the 2021 Swissalpine Davos 43k, however once more failed to complete the Marathon du Mont Blanc.
As he accrued expertise, Elazzaoui discovered from his errors and steadily began to attain extra constant outcomes. He positioned fourth within the iconic Zegama-Aizkorri Marathon in 2022, and improved to second in 2023, a end result which he repeated in 2024, ending behind 11-time winner Kilian Jornet. He mentioned of the enduring Spanish race, “Zegama is Zegama. I at all times take pleasure in collaborating on this race, and this yr I’m proud of second place as a result of there I met my new group, and likewise Kilian, and we have been like a household, and I actually like this race. The occasion is a worldwide occasion like no different on the earth. The spectators and the individuals alongside the course cheer you on all through the race.”
The highest 5 males of the 2024 Zegama Marathon (l-to-r): 4. Luca Del Pero, 2. Elhousine Elazzaoui, 1. Kilian Jornet, 3. Bartłomiej Przedwojewski, and 5. Manuel Merillas (together with his canine Zar). Picture: Zegama Marathon/Roger Salanova
Elazzaoui runs for Jornet’s model NNormal, a model and a group that he finds becoming due to its concern for the surroundings, and likewise due to the power of his teammates — he strives to encompass himself with, and compete in opposition to, one of the best athletes.
The Marathon du Mont Blanc, too, would go on to be a defining race in Elazzaoui’s profession, and one by which he has measured his progress. He once more failed to complete it in 2021, moved as much as fourth place in 2022, earlier than ultimately profitable the 2024 version. He mentioned, “In previous years, I by no means completed this race effectively, however this yr, I returned renewed with new expertise and a brand new group, and I simply gained the Mont Blanc Marathon.” Within the 2024 version of the race, Elazzaoui traded locations with Switzerland’s Rémi Bonnet, however due to his astounding downhill pace, managed to drag away earlier than the end and safe victory in a course file time of three:30:10.
A smiling Elhousine Elazzaoui on the end of the 2024 Marathon du Mont Blanc. Picture: NNormal/Toni Perelló (@toni_perello)
Because the Golden Path World Sequence traveled to the U.S. in September 2024, he secured back-to-back wins within the Headlands 27k and the Mammoth Path Fest 27k.
Some 4 months after the Marathon du Mont Blanc, Elazzaoui and Bonnet did battle once more, on the Grand Last of the Golden Path World Sequence, held in Switzerland in October, and Elazzaoui once more emerged victorious — with that, additionally claiming the general collection win. He mentioned afterwards: “I’m so joyful, that is my dream come true! I’ve been eager to win the GTWS for 5 years, and this yr I introduced that I used to be actually going to do it, so I used to be beneath a little bit of strain. However I did it! I used to be actually assured within the downhill and I knew I might go for victory. I’d prefer to thank all of the spectators who urged me on and gave me their full help.”
Elazzaoui took satisfaction in profitable the collection, not only for himself, however for his residence continent of Africa, as but underrepresented in path working. He mentioned, “It’s with satisfaction that I’m the primary African who has gained this collection, that’s a giant story. Just lately, I’ve impressed many younger individuals in Africa and all over the world with my persistence and resilience to attain this dream. However this victory didn’t come alone. There was the NNormal group that helped me, there was coaching, and there have been a coach and pals to whom this victory is owed.”
Though he works with a coach, Elazzaoui’s coaching varies week-on-week, and he doesn’t comply with a structured coaching plan. Regardless of the method, it absolutely appears to be working, and when requested about plans for subsequent yr he merely mentioned; “I’m satisfied that it will likely be one of the best, and I’m simply getting began.”
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