AN ICONIC OPENING
The 2026 GTWS season will get off to a spectacular start on May 17 at Zegama-Aizkorri (Spain). Widely regarded as the most iconic mountain marathon in the world, the race celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and once again places the small Basque town of Zegama at the very centre of the global trail running spotlight. The course traverses four of the highest peaks in the Basque Country, but it is the race’s unparalleled atmosphere that truly sets it apart, with thousands of passionate fans lining the course and carrying athletes through legendary sections such as the iconic climb to Sancti Spiritu.
A medium mountain route over the Aratz massif and the Sierra of Aizkorri which includes the four highest peaks in the Basque Autonomous Region (Aratz – Aizkorri – Aketegi). From the town of Zegama (296m) it is climbed up to the high of Otzaurte (652m ) and then, from the mountain pass mentioned before, a route along paths and mountain tracks of great natural beauty. It combines forests, principally beech, with steep rocky slopes and high grazing land. It is very technical and with a high level of difficulty.
