Elhousine Elazzaoui Wins Third Straight GTWS Title by Just Two Points

©GoldenTrailSeries® – Muju Trail

Elhousine Elazzaoui produced a near-perfect final performance in Muju to win his third consecutive Golden Trail World Series title—by the smallest of margins.

The Moroccan entered the Grand Final third in the standings, 46 points behind leader Philemon Kiriago and six behind Patrick Kipngeno. Nothing short of victory would give him a realistic chance of defending his title.

Elazzaoui delivered exactly that.

The NNormal athlete took control during the opening kilometres and completed the demanding 28.65-kilometre course in 2:49:14. Kipngeno stayed within striking distance throughout the race but crossed the line 44 seconds later in 2:49:58.

That narrow victory proved decisive. Once the race and segment points had been calculated, Elazzaoui finished the season with 1,130 points—only two more than Kipngeno.

©GoldenTrailSeries® – Muju Trail

The closest possible finish

Kipngeno arrived in South Korea following consecutive victories at Myoko Trail and the Jinshanling Great Wall Trail Race. Another strong performance in Muju moved him above teammate Kiriago, but second place was not quite enough to take the title.

Kiriago had started the race as the overall leader but finished 11th in 3:05:08, almost 16 minutes behind Elazzaoui. He nevertheless retained third place in the final championship standings.

Behind the title contenders, Timothy Kibett completed the Muju podium in 2:50:48, only 1:33 behind the winner. Joey Hadorn finished fourth, while Alain Santamaría completed the top five.

Muju Grand Final – men’s top five

1. Elhousine Elazzaoui (MAR) — 2:49:14

2. Patrick Kipngeno (KEN) — 2:49:58

3. Timothy Kibett (KEN) — 2:50:48

4. Joey Hadorn (SUI) — 2:52:22

5. Alain Santamaría (ESP) — 2:54:00

Final 2026 GTWS standings

1. Elhousine Elazzaoui — 1,130 points

2. Patrick Kipngeno — 1,128

3. Philemon Ombogo Kiriago — 1,075

4. Michael Selelo Saoli — 968

5. Timothy Kibett — 922

6. Nashon Kiplimo — 820

7. Bogdan Damian — 812

8. Ezekiel Rutto — 770

9. Alain Santamaría — 759

10. Joey Hadorn — 743

Elazzaoui’s fourth victory of the season ultimately secured a historic third straight GTWS crown. After eight races across three continents, the championship came down to 44 seconds on the trail—and just two points in the final standings.

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