Mădălina Florea Wins Pitz Alpine

At the fourth round of the Golden Trail World Series 2026, Scott athlete Mădălina Florea took the second consecutive win in the circuit, consolidating her overall lead.

Scott Running athlete Mădălina Florea took a back to back GTWS win at the Salomon Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail on Saturday, August 1st. The reigning GTWS champion claimed her second win of the 2026 season, clocking 2:32:16 on the highly alpine 24.5 km course with 1,618 m of elevation gain in Austria’s Pitztal Valley.

The race, one of the most technical and high-altitude events on the Golden Trail World Series calendar, unfolded as a battle of pure climbing power through the Tyrolean Alps. Florea quickly positioned herself at the front alongside Kenya’s Ruth Gitonga and Miriam Chepkirui, setting a strong tempo on the long ascent toward the glacier. By Lake Rifflsee the leading group had reduced to two, and Florea’s superior strength on the steepest pitches (including sections over 30%) proved decisive. She reached the high point at Sunna Alm Hut (2,847 m) first and opened a gap that she controlled all the way to the finish.

Despite a slip on the descent, Florea remained composed and crossed the line more than four minutes clear of Gitonga, with 2025 race winner Naomi Lang completing the podium just 11 seconds further back.

This dominant performance further strengthens Florea’s lead in the overall Golden Trail World Series standings as the series heads next to the iconic Sierre-Zinal in Switzerland. On the men's side, Nico Molina and Alessandro Riva achieved P14 and P25, respectively.

Eyes on Sierre-Zinal. Will this be the year?
On August 8, the Golden Trail World Series (GTWS) will return to Sierre-Zinal for the fifth race of the season. This legendary Swiss race is marked in bold on Mădălina's calendar, as she aims to make history there while taking a big step towards for the 2026 GTWS title. known as The Race of the Five 4,000-Metre Peaks, into one of the most iconic and prestigious events in global trail running.

"As I said, my goal this year is to find happiness and joy in racing, I know I am in the good path. Looks like it's working for me until now. Today I was training for what is coming next weekend. When you enjoy and love what you do, it makes for something great."

Mădălina Florea
Golden Trail World Series Lead
Scott Running Athlete