“Sierre-Zinal needs no introduction,” one of my running friends recently told me. But, dearest gentle reader, I promised my editors a column this month, so let’s spend some time talking about one of the most iconic trail races on the planet.
If you’re relatively new to the trail running scene, you can approach the 51st edition of the race, which starts on August 10, 2024, appreciating that it’s not just “one of those races Kilian Jornet has won a bunch of times.” To ensure we have something for the veteran fans, too, we’ll get nerdy about decades’ worth of past race results.
Sierre-Zinal is fascinating for so many reasons, including its history, terrain, and competitiveness. When we look at the data, we can also view this event as something of a case study to discuss broader trends in trail running. We see how the whole field has grown, how women’s participation rates are increasing, and how the elite fields get faster and deeper.
Kilian Jornet on his way to his ninth win at the 2021 Sierre-Zinal. Photo: Golden Trail Series | Sierre-Zinal | Jordi Saragossa
About the Race
Sierre-Zinal is a trail race of 31 kilometers (19.3 miles) held annually in the Valais Alps in Switzerland. It is famous for its view scape of five nearby mountain peaks, each with over 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) of elevation. Befitting an iconic mountain race, the Sierre-Zinal course contains steep climbing, especially the initial ascent. The route ascends a total of 2,200 meters (7,200 feet) and, due to a higher finishing location, has only 1,100 meters (3,600 feet) of descent. The trail is frequently narrow. The race organization mitigates congestion by using wave starts and affording participants in the Tourist category a choice of two routes for one of the climbs.
For decades, elite runners have been attracted to the race for its route and its competitive depth. These days, it’s a part of both the World Mountain Running Association World Cup and the Golden Trail World Series, two competitive global mountain running race series.
The race was conceived by Jean-Claude Pont, who was both a professor at the University of Geneva and a certified Swiss mountain guide. Pont recognized the mountain race would deliver a unique physical challenge to its participants and would contribute to the region in which the event was held. The inaugural running of Sierre-Zinal was held in 1974, and the event celebrated its 50th running in 2023. As of July 2024, the men’s course record was set by Kilian Jornet in 2019, when he won the event in 2:25:35. Maude Mathys set the women’s course record that same year, winning in 2:49:20.
[In 2015, Maude Mathys received a warning without suspension from the Disciplinary Chamber for Doping Cases of Swiss Olympic for two positive tests for clomifene (previously clomiphene) after it was determined that she was mistakenly taking the drug without first obtaining a World Anti-Doping Agency Therapeutic Use Exemption.]
Maud Mathys on her way to winning the 2021 Sierre-Zinal. Photo: Golden Trail Series | Sierre-Zinal | Jordi Saragossa
Participation Numbers
The online results for Sierre-Zinal provide a powerful example of the growing popularity of trail running globally. Since 1999, the number of entrants on the start line has steadily trended upward. The race rebounded after the COVID-19 pandemic and attracted over 5,000 runners in 2023 — a new peak. The graph below illustrates this trend.
Sierre-Zinal Participation Rates From 1999 to Present
This graph shows that participation rates have trended upward since at least 1999, the earliest year for which race results are available online. There was a dramatic decrease in participation in 2020, when COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and public health concerns impacted global travel and social gatherings.
Sierre-Zinal participants can choose to register in the Runner and Tourist categories. Participants in the Runner category qualify for prizes, receive rankings, and can have their results factor into their ITRA, UTMB, and Betrail scores.
The name of the Tourist category may be misleading. The category is not determined by a participant’s relationship to the region, that is, whether they are a local or are visiting. Rather, runners in this category are considered to put “the heart before the watch.” It is the category encouraged for runners who anticipate finishing slower than 4 hours and 30 minutes. Additionally, any entrants under the age of 20 wishing to complete the full distance register for this non-competitive category. Participants in the Tourist category run to complete the event; their results are not compared to one another. Plenty of fast runners choose the Tourist category. In 2023, 153 tourists finished ahead of at least 1,200 finishers in the Runner category by finishing in less than four hours.
2023 Sierre-Zinal Participant Finishing Times
This graph shows the distribution of 2023 Sierre-Zinal participants by their category and their finishing hour. For the purposes of this graph, the finishing hour refers to the hour number in a participant’s finishing time, without rounding up or down. Therefore, a runner who finished in 4:04:00 and a runner who finished in 4:57:00 are both considered to have finished in 4 hours.
As the graph below shows, the number of participants in the Tourist category has been increasing since 1999. However, Tourists as a percentage of the total field have been holding steady — they have been contributing to, but not driving, the increasing number of race participants.
Comparison of the Sierre-Zinal Tourist Category and Total Participation Numbers From 1999 to Present
This graph compares Sierre-Zinal Tourist category and total participation numbers. It shows that Tourists as a percentage of the total field have been holding steady through time.
For runners under the age of 20, Sierre-Zinal also organizes an event called the Chandolin-Zinal mountain race. Athletes in this Junior category race 19 kilometers on the same date as Sierre-Zinal. Participation in this event has grown from 30 runners in 2000 to some 2,009 runners in 2023. Female participation in the junior race has also increased over that time, and consistently exceeds the number of women in the Runner category. Since participants in the Tourist category are not compared to one another and run to complete the event, their genders and ages are not reported in the results.
Proportion of Women and Girls in Sierre-Zinal Runner and Junior Categories From 2000 to Present
This graph shows the proportion of women and girls in each of the Runner and Junior categories. It shows that female representation has increased in both categories. Female participation is consistently higher in the Junior category.
Competitiveness
The quantity of elite runners on the starting line of Sierre-Zinal each year is staggering. In 2023 alone, there were 263 women in the Elite category and 929 men. The race website doesn’t define its elite standards, but it does state that athletes who receive one of the approximately 100 invitations to participate per year — which can come with travel assistance and complimentary race entry — have the fitness to finish faster than 2:50 for men and 3:20 for women.
For context, women made up 17% of finishers in the Runner category in that period and 19% of the Elite starters. So, while the women’s field has been significantly smaller than the men’s field in these categories, the women’s victories are still hard-won and deeply impressive. In fact, as the graph below indicates, the women’s race has a more pronounced trend of faster winning times over the event’s history. It’s just one more reminder that women’s trail running is more exciting to follow than ever.
Sierre-Zinal Women’s and Men’s Winning Times From 1974 to 2022
This graph shows each year’s winning time for women and men, respectively, as part of a line. The times were not adjusted for variable factors such as weather or course changes. In 2002, Sierre-Zinal used a shortened course due to weather, which accounts for the significantly faster winning times that year.
Closing Thoughts
If you are a regular reader of this column, these trends will be familiar. We recognize that participation in trail running is increasing. We see more women on the starting line. We see deeper competition at the front of the field. To observe all of these trends in a single race reflects the significance of Sierre-Zinal. Sierre-Zinal embodies the way our sport is changing. But with 51 years of history — and counting — it is part of trail running’s roots and traditions as well.
Call for Comments
- Are you a past participant or veteran fan of Sierre-Zinal? If so, what do you think new fans and prospective participants should know about the event?
- In your experience, how do these insights about Sierre-Zinal compare to your other favorite trail races?
