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ANNECY, France, May 17, 2022 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

After four amazing seasons, the Golden Trail World Series returns in 2022 with

new ambitions. They include: supporting athletes in their quest to become

professionals and above all making trail running a must-see, televisual event.

The trail "world cup"

Trail running has experienced a spectacular rise in popularity over the last

fifteen years. So spectacular that the sport has witnessed the development of

many private circuits across the world. Between the short and the ultra

distances, the national and the private circuits, it was tricky to know what

was what for a while. "Nobody understood who was doing what exactly, and more

importantly, the athletes' level of performance became diluted across all the

different circuits, which prevented those at the top from competing against

each other" explains Gregory Vollet. And it was precisely to offset this

problem that he came up with the idea of launching the Golden Trail World

Series in 2018. A trail circuit based on the most mythical 21 to 42 kilometre

races in the world and which united the best athletes in the world to compete

over these distances. Today there are many runners who consider the Golden

Trail World Series to be a real trail world cup.

"The most exciting project to come out of the last 10 years!" In addition to

the level of performance, which continues to increase year on year, it is also

the visibility of the Golden World Trail Series which attracts athletes today,

irrespective of nationality or sponsor. This is the case for Italian runner

Francesco Puppi (Team Nike), winner of the final in El Hierro in 2021. "What

makes the organisation of the Golden Trail World Series different is the

communication it generates around the event, he stated in an interview with

trailrunner.com The organisers are in the process of taking our sport to

another level and are a real source of inspiration for all athletes, be they

elite or amateur. They also pay a lot of attention to environmental issues,

believing that we can always do better and do more. I sincerely believe that

the Golden Trail World Series is the most exciting project to come out of the

last 10 years in trail running, and therefore deserves our recognition."

Widening the audience

And it is precisely because of this communication and showcasing of the

athletes and the sport that the Golden Trail World Series stands out today from

other world circuits. In 2021 the series also demonstrated its ability to

define itself as one of the greatest trail running events in the world with its

impactful communication in the media and on social networks, as well as its

high quality books, which have boosted its popularity in the trail running

world. But GTWS doesn't want to stop there and aims to widen its audience. "The

event that we offer athletes is so intense that we really believe that today

it's possible for our sport to be televised and reach a wider audience,

explains Gregory Vollet, director of the Golden Trail World Series. Ultimately

GTWS is simply a structure that allows them to express themselves and to

represent their sponsors to the best of their ability so that they can enjoy

their passion."

A global web series

And to support their ambitions, in December 2021 the Golden Trail World Series

teams launched "Chasing Dreams", a 7-episode web series that takes the viewer

behind the scenes of an international trail running competition. With original

content, exclusive footage from the race and behind the scenes, breathtaking

scenery and on-camera combat, "Chasing Dreams" goes beyond the competition to

tell the stories of the athletes who make it. Viewers are given an exceptional

opportunity to get an insight into the personal lives of the runners, to get

know their dreams, their fears, their joys... "How do they manage the pressure?

The rivalries? The injuries? How to the brands fight between themselves to get

optimal visibility? The series answers lots of these questions" explains

Gregory Vollet. With this first TV series dedicated to trail running, the

director of the Golden Trail World Series believes that a new step has been

taken this year. "The world of trail running is constantly evolving, and it is

thanks to the investment of brands that athletes, amateur runners, organisers,

media, retailers, consumers, spectators and now television viewers are all

benefiting", insists Greg Vollet. And it seems to be working, since more than 4

million people have already viewed "Chasing Dreams" around the world!

New ambitions and new partners

And because any adventure is only fun if it is shared, to achieve the ambitions

it has set, the Golden Trail World Series has decided to surround itself with

new partners for 2022. Whilst historic series partner Salomon will still be

present, three new brands have also decided to support GTWS actions over the

coming years.

- Firstly Sidas. The brand is a specialist foot comfort and as such was

immediately attracted by the Golden Trail World Series project. "At Sidas we

have the goal of becoming one of the essential actors in this discipline. So

that trail runners can forget about their feet and can simply focus on the

pleasure of running. The partnership that we have just signed with the 'Golden'

really makes sense", Sidas explains. "For several years we were partners of

UTMB(R) Mont Blanc, continues François Duvillard, CEO of the Sidas Company.

However, we aspired to a circuit that better reflected our DNA: we didn't want

a massive mechanism, but were looking for an organisation close to the action,

the athletes and amateur runners... The really striking, punchy and fun format

of the GTWS appealed to us straight away. It makes trail running accessible! It

really makes you want to pull on your trainers and trot around up in the hills!

Finally its international, future-focused dimension which also promotes

historic European roots, with ancestral events such as the Mont Blanc Marathon

or Sierre-Zinal, ultimately convinced us.

-  And next Suunto. The outdoor watches brand has always been invested in the

development of trail running, alongside Salomon in particular. "Suunto has

always supported Salomon in its trail running projects since the very

beginning, states Gregory Vollet. Even though Suunto is no longer part of the

same group as Salomon, the brand's identity and values remain attached to the

outdoors, to navigation in hostile environments, and to the help it can provide

to runners of all levels. In concrete terms, Suunto will be our official

timekeeper, our supplier of the 3D maps on the GTWS circuit.

-  And finally, Tailwind. The sports nutrition brand offers products that are

perfectly adapted to the formats and requirements of the Golden Trail World

Series races.  

"Tailwind is a revolution in the world of sports nutrition since this drink

means that you know longer have to eat solid food, explains Gregory Vollet.

GTWS competitions are comparable to Formula 1 races where pit stops must be

minimized and stomach problems must be avoided. Tailwind gives runners the

opportunity to stop being hungry, to stop having digestive problems, to save

weight (no solid food to carry) and to save time at refuelling by simply

changing the bottles. In addition, it is more economical to run with Tailwind

than another brand because you don't have to buy bars and gels to supplement

the drink! It was an obvious choice for the GTWS to partner with a brand that

shares a revolutionary approach to the development of the sport."

The GTWS version 2022

The 2022 series will be based on the three unmissable events that are Zegama

and its Basque fever, the Mont Blanc Marathon and its rollercoasters, and the

fast and furious Sierre-Zinal. The series will also include new races, with a

trip to Norway, close to Stian Angermund (the recent winner of the 2021

series), to participate in the Stranda Fjord Trail Race, before heading to the

United States for the Pikes Peak Ascent in Colorado, which will offer a $10,000

bonus to the male runner able to cross the line in under 2 hours or 2 hours 21

minutes for women, and finally, the Flagstaff Sky Peaks, which will take us

into the heart of the American trail running community in Arizona.

-  29 May Zegama-Aizkorri, Spain

-  26 June Marathon du Mont-Blanc, France

-  6 August Stranda Fjord Trail Race, Norway

-  13 August Sierre-Zinal, Switzerland

-  17 September Pikes Peak Ascent, United States

-  25 September Flagstaff Sky Peaks, United States

-  From 26 to 30 October Grand Final, Madeira Ocean&Trails, Madeira.

Golden Trail TV: goldentrailseries.com/gttv/ [

http://www.goldentrailseries.com/gttv/ ]

Website: goldentrailseries.com

Facebook: Golden Trail Series [ https://www.facebook.com/goldentrailseries/ ]

Instagram: Golden Trail Series [ https://www.instagram.com/goldentrailseries/ ]

YouTube: Golden Trail Series [

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8szqVDJF60HueoqJrD50qw ]

press@goldentrailseries.com

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Source: Golden Trail Series