Moroccan runner Elhousine Elazzaoui claimed victory in the Wild 55 Adelboden in the Swiss Alps on Saturday, setting a new course record at the event, part of the Wildstrubel by UTMB series linking the cantons of Bern and Valais.
The athlete from Zagora secured first place after a closely fought race, covering the 55-kilometer course with 3,300 meters of elevation gain in 4 hours, 49 minutes and 5 seconds.
Elazzaoui finished 22 seconds ahead of French runner Thibault Debaise, who took second in 4:49:27. Another Frenchman, Gaspard Raveau, completed the podium in third with a time of 4:55:20.
The victory is particularly significant as Elazzaoui lowered the best time recorded at the event in 2025 by 4 minutes and 45 seconds. Swiss runner Maxime Belloschou won last year’s Wild 50 in 4:53:50.
Elazzaoui set the new mark despite the course being extended to 55 kilometers this year from 53 kilometers in the previous edition, while the total elevation gain remained at 3,300 meters.
The route connects Adelboden in the canton of Bern with the resort of Crans-Montana in Valais, crossing the Lenk highlands and the rugged Wildstrubel mountain massif, which reaches nearly 2,800 meters above sea level.
The victory further strengthens Elazzaoui’s standing among the world’s leading short-distance trail runners.
He has twice won the Golden Trail World Series title and holds a strong UTMB Index of 968 points, adding another major international result to his record and another Moroccan success on the global sporting stage.
