The 2018 Salomon Ring of Steall Skyrace™ is already confirmed as a Skyrunning World Championships race. Now, we are upping the ante yet again, with the event also featuring in Salomon’s new Golden Trail Series.

The Golden Trail Series combines five of the most iconic short-distance trail races on the planet into a dream tour for both athletes and fans. The series tears up the rule book on prize money, with a mammoth €100,000 prize pool to be shared equally amoung the overall top 10 men and women at the Grand Final in South Africa. Each of the top 10 athletes gets the trip of a lifetime, traveling to the Grand Final with a friend or partner of their choice.

 

 

The Grand Final will also act as a stage for the twenty athletes to support a cause they're passionate about. "Each of the top 10 final athletes will be able to compete in the Grand Final race for a charitable cause they choose to support,” says Greg Vollet, Salomon Running Global Sports Marketing Manager. “This allows each athlete to have a voice in the trail running community. For the five qualifying races, the competition will be intense and at the highest level as the athletes compete for a top-10 spot. We want the Grand Final to be different, giving the athletes a chance to support a cause that means something to them." 

2018 Golden Trail Series Races will consist of the following events: 

• ZEGAMA (Spain)
• MONT BLANC MARATHON (France)
• SIERRE-ZINAL (Switzerland)
• PIKES PEAK (USA)
• RING OF STEALL SKYRACE (Scotland)

GRAND FINAL: OTTER TRAIL (South Africa) 

 

 

"We chose the Golden Trail Series races because they are the most exciting races to follow where the winners aren't decided until the very end,” Vollet says. “It will be five legendary races full of adventure, emotion and competition, each celebrating a key component of the spirit of trail running. Zegama has the best fans, Mont Blanc Marathon has the best scenery, Sierre-Zinal is the fastest, Pikes Peak has the altitude and Ring of Steall is very technical. So this is the best of the best." 

 

^{Stian Angermund-Vik demonstrated his 2016 Skyrunning World Champion credentials to win the 2016 and 2017 Salomon Ring of Steall Skyrace™ © Guillem Casanova​}

 

The Golden Trail Series will also adopt a groundbreaking athlete health and anti-doping program. "If, on one hand, we offer a big prize money, we want to make sure to have honest athletes competing for the love of trail running,” Vollet says. 

The unique series format was created to promote professional trail runners as the world-class athletes that they are, to acknowledge the amazing, passionate fans as an essential ingredient in the sport and to showcase and protect the awe-inspiring nature and environments where we play and compete. The Golden Trail Series is more than just a race series, however. It is also a celebration of trail running, trail running athletes and the fans. 

For more details, visit: www.goldentrailseries.com