For his first visit to the 2025 Broken Arrow Skyrace, Elhousine Elazzaoui of Morocco is choosing to focus on the 23k event. In this interview, he talks about living and training in the town of Zagora in the Sahara Desert, his family’s heritage as nomadic Berbers, his experiences racing in the U.S., and his goals for the Golden Trail World Series this year.
For more on who’s racing, check out our in-depth 23k previews and follow our live race coverage on Sunday.
[Editor’s Note: If you are unable to see the video above, click here to access it.]
Elhousine Elazzaoui Pre-2025 Broken Arrow Skyrace Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Meghan Hicks of iRunFar. I’m with Elhousine Elazzaoui. It’s a couple of days before the Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k. Salaikum, Elhousine.
Elazzaoui: Salaikum. Nice to meet you, Meghan. I am very happy I am here again in America at Broken Arrow.
iRunFar: This is your second trip to America. You were here last year for Mammoth Trail Fest, and now this year for Broken Arrow. What do you think about running and racing in America?
Elazzaoui: I like this country, and last year I had good results and you have the good mountains here in America; Mammoth last year and here at Broken Arrow is a nice place, and I like it. And, yeah, always return here again to America for me is nice.
iRunFar: Perfect. This is iRunFar’s first interview with you. So I’d love to hear about you as a person and as a runner. I know you come from Zagora Morocco, which is in the Saharan Desert of Morocco.
Elazzaoui: Yes, exactly. I’m from in the big Sahara Desert in Morocco, Zagora. And I am a professional runner. I run for team NNormal. And I am here to live another adventure.
iRunFar: You come from a town, Zagora is famous for producing runners who race the Marathon des Sables, the flat and fast marathon of the sands. How did you become a runner living in Zagora?
Elazzaoui: Yeah, for me, I like this country. Yes, you have a lot of athletes. Yeah, I know Marathon des Sables, always for a lot of athletes it is a dream to run Marathon des Sables, but for me it’s another dream go far with big competition in trail running.
iRunFar: Right.
Elazzaoui: But if you run Marathon de Sables, you have experience, and now good deserts.
iRunFar: Maybe someday when you retire from trail running you can run Marathon des Sables.
Elazzaoui: Maybe, yes, I go for the party for the friends and, yeah, and enjoy life.
iRunFar: Now the people who come from Zagora are Berber and they’re known for being nomadic, for moving around to follow your animals. Is your family nomadic at home or do you have one home base now?
Elazzaoui: Yes. I am from the desert Sahara. My family is, yeah, they live in Sahara. Yeah, I come from the community Berber Nomad in Zagora and I am happy always sure with the person, my culture and my tradition.
iRunFar: So, let’s talk about how you got to Europe to start trail running. Maybe it was about four years ago when you started going to Europe for racing.
Elazzaoui: Yeah, for me, coming to Europe first time was difficult because before I didn’t have experience in trail running.
But now I am very happy because I am with the best athletes in the world and all the person now they know me and with NNormal I am very happy with this family. They help me a lot, and now I have a lot of experience.
iRunFar: Yeah. Now do you spend part of the year living in Europe and part of the year in Morocco, or where are you living and where do you train?
Elazzaoui: Yeah, I train, I run in Zagora Desert, summertime in Atlas. Now there are good places in Morocco, some secret places.
iRunFar: Okay.
Elazzaoui: It’s very, very nice and yeah, sometimes I come to Europe because it’s difficult for me sometimes the travel, the trip and sometimes I stay a little bit in Europe but I go to my country for the training.
iRunFar: Yeah. Sunday’s race is a Golden Trail World Series race. You have been part of Golden Trail World Series, I think this is your fourth year?
Elazzaoui: Yeah.
iRunFar: You won last year.
Elazzaoui: Yeah.
iRunFar: I think the years before that you were fourth and second in the series. If you have been a champion of Golden Trail World Series before, what do you want to do with the series this year? Win and win better?
Elazzaoui: I think, yeah, I give my best and this, yeah, my dream this year again, try winner the Golden Trail World Series because last year I was the first African winner in the Golden Trail Series. I returned this year with another energy and I give my best and I feel good.
iRunFar: Looking to win and run faster than last year?
Elazzaoui: Maybe yes, maybe not. Yeah, I am little bit tired with the trip, but I feel good.
iRunFar: Good. Inshallah, best of luck to you at the Golden Trail World Series Broken Arrow 23k on Sunday.
Elazzaoui: Thank you so much, and inshallah. Sunday, another day and I think if you have confidence, you have good results.
iRunFar: Thank you. Shukran.
Elazzaoui: Shukran. Thank you. Thank you.
