Ascona Locarno Golden Trail Finals

Trail running has exploded in popularity in recent years, and competitions are springing up everywhere. The Golden Trail World Series were set up to celebrate competitive trail running and bring it on further. They aim to support the development of professional trail runners, showcase and protect the breathtaking natural backdrops to the races and incorporate the passion of the fans into the running itself. The location for each of the series’ eight races, which are held across seven countries, was selected specifically for its landscape, its history, the atmosphere it offers to both competitors and spectators, and the challenge that it poses.

The Golden Trail Series took place in the Ascona-Locarno region for the first time. The races were spread over four days on Cardada, high above the city of Locarno. The warm-up event on Thursday (women) and Friday (men) provided an opportunity to introduce the finalists on a six- to seven-kilometre-long route and also gave amateurs the chance to test their mettle alongside the world’s top runners. The “Grand Finale” on Saturday (women) and Sunday (men) was then feature the best 30 women and the top 30 men in the overall rankings after eight races, who competed to crown the best male and female trail runner in the world in a thrilling, gruelling race along Cardada’s trails. The 23.5-kilometre-long trail through the picturesque Ticino countryside was made up of several different sections each around 6 km long. Each of these passes the fan zone, which gave spectators various fun and entertaining ways to follow the race and the individual runners. The Ascona Locarno Golden Trail Finals emphasised the joy of exercise in nature and fun, and new friendships were made.