Golden Trail World Series 2026

Finally, the new season of Salomon’s Golden Trail World Series is unveiled:

• ZEGAMA-AIZKORRI 17 MAY
• LEDRO SKY TRENTINO 24 MAY
• QUEBEC MEGA TRAIL 5 JUL
• PITZ ALPINE GLACIER TRAIL 1 AUG
• SIERRE-ZINAL 8 AUG
• MYOKO TRAIL 20 SEP
• JINSHANLING GREAT WALL 27 SEP
• MUJU TRAIL GRAND FINALE 24-25 OCT

Everyone has been scratching their collective heads on what the larger strategy here is for Salomon and the team putting on this series. It feels like it’s decreasing in value and importance year after year. But all snark aside, here are a few things they are actually improving on and helping push the sport forward:

Beyond the calendar itself, the 2026 GTWS season introduces a series of major developments designed to further strengthen the championship as a modern, global competition fully optimised for broadcast and aligned with the highest standards of elite trail running.

So we are getting our answer already. All these changes are there to “optimize for broadcast”.

Prize money will see a significant increase across all levels of competition in 2026, rising by 45% compared to 2025 and bringing the total prize purse to €435,000. Of this total, €30,000 will be awarded to the winners of the men’s and women’s overall rankings.

Good. I don’t know how this compares to other sports, but good to see them continue to push the envelope here. I wonder how UTMB will follow this up. Who will be the first series to claim the €1 million in prize money?

The stakes are being raised not only financially, but also on the sporting side. The championship will introduce a new strategic performance layer through uphill, downhill and sprint segments, each awarding bonus points towards the overall classification. This innovation is designed to intensify in-race competition, encourage tactical racing, and further enhance the live and broadcast viewing experience.

I’m curious how this will play out, both from a spectator point of view, and from a racer point of view – do runners love this sort of thing?

In another landmark development, and for the first time in its history, the GTWS will introduce a team ranking. This classification will be calculated based on the points scored by the top two men and top two women from the same team at each race, adding a new dimension of collective strategy and competition to the series.

Also something new – and something we’ve first seen at WMTRC. But it will be interesting to see how they implement this. Clearly this is something many of the top media people have been talking about. (And no, I won’t bring up Formula One here.)

At the same time, and with the objective of safeguarding sporting integrity, the GTWS will significantly expand its anti-doping program in 2026. This will include an increased number of controls at each event, as well as enhanced out-of-competition testing throughout the season.

Also good. And a first for trail running: ‘out-of-competition’ testing. Probably a requirement now after last year’s epic doping scandal that rocked Sierre-Zinal.

So clearly the GTWS ain’t dead yet. 2026 is here. But without any race in North America.