Morocco’s Elhousine Elazzaoui topped a stacked field in the 2026 Zegama-Aizkorri Marathon to win the race for the second year in a row. In the following interview, Elhousine talks about how strong all of the racers were, how he used his experience in the race to pull away in the final kilometers, and how well his NNormal teammates did at the race.
For more on how the race played out, read our in-depth 2026 Zegama-Aizkorri Marathon results article.
[Editor’s Note: If you are unable to see the video above, click here to access it.]
Elhousine Elazzaoui Post-2026 Zegama Marathon Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Meghan Hicks of iRunFar. I’m with Elhousine Elazzaoui. You’re the champion of the 2026 Zegama Marathon. Actually, you’re the two-time champion.
Elhousine Elazzaoui: Yes. Hello, Meghan, and always, thank you for the best interview with me. I run free, and I am happy now to talk with you for Zegama today.
iRunFar: Yeah. I love interviewing with you, because you’re always so excited about the running you do.
Elazzaoui: Yeah. Thank you.
iRunFar: You must be excited about winning Zegama for the second year in a row.
Elazzaoui: Yeah, yeah. I am very, very happy, and today for me is dream, is historic. When I got here, Zegama, with the strong athlete, the best trail in the world, Zegama for me is very, very happy.
iRunFar: The Zegama competition is always strong, but this year, for the anniversary with past champions invited back, it was even more strong. Did you feel pressure being the defending champion with all of those men?
Elazzaoui: Yeah. Reality, some pressure, but you have experience. I run Zegama six year. I know exactly the track, and yes, this year you have most athletes strong, and you have a little bit of pressure, but pressure positive.
iRunFar: To talk about today’s race, it seems like whoever was leading, whoever was in the front, you were sort of marking them. You were running close to them, but letting them set the pace. Is that what was happening?
Elazzaoui: Yeah. Today, the race, this condition is very hard, but the race, most athlete, you go fast. For example, Rémi in the uphill is …
iRunFar: Rémi’s uphills.
Elazzaoui: Yeah, go fast. [Daniel] Pattis go fast, right? I thought, what happened today? All athlete, you go fast on this condition, but great for all athletes today. Strong athlete.
iRunFar: But you said Rémi is fast. Daniel Pattis is fast, but you were also fast. You were there, all along from early on.
Elazzaoui: But yeah, today I have shit in my legs, but Aizkorri, the last downhill, you have some problem in my legs, but Zegama is experience and is confidence and smart.
iRunFar: So, at the finish line, you were limping a little bit, like you had a little bit of pain in your leg?
Elazzaoui: Yes, because I don’t go fast in the downhill because you have some pain, and today you go just control the race, and I hope I finish good last kilometer.
iRunFar: At the top of the final climb at Andraitz, you and Daniel Pattis were together, sharing the lead. Then, I think you ran downhill a little bit together, and then you left him with a couple kilometers to go. Is that how it ended?
Elazzaoui: Yeah. I think just the 39 kilometer, I look Pattis, “You are very, very strong, this guy is today.”
iRunFar: He says the same about you, by the way.
Elazzaoui: He is very strong, this guy. Yeah, the last kilometer, I looked at Pattis. I think you have some problem in the downhill, and after I think it’s difficult for him go with me in the flat, but the last kilometer, I know very, very good, and I push for finish line.
iRunFar: And you finished just 20 seconds in front of him, so just with enough gap to win.
Elazzaoui: Yeah, yeah.
iRunFar: Coming to the finish line for the second year in a row as the winner, how does that feel?
Elazzaoui: Yeah. This win is for me, and for all the team and Nnormal, because this race is for Kilian [Jornet], and today I don’t know what happened, but yeah, that is the sport, but finish line is because, before you have work with friend, with my team. Before you have good, good, good work.
iRunFar: Yeah. Kilian had, I guess, a little bit of a leg problem today, but also your Nnormal teammate, Lucille Germain, in the women’s race, she got top ten, so it was a successful day for team Nnormal.
Elazzaoui: Yeah. For me, it’s a great result for Lucille and for another guy, the China.
iRunFar: Yeah. Guo [Shi].
Elazzaoui: You run for the Nnormal. This is great, great result. This race is special for Kilian and for Nnormal.
iRunFar: And also now for you.
Elazzaoui: Yeah, exactly. And now for me. Zegama, that is nice race and some spirit. You have full people.
iRunFar: Crazy.
Elazzaoui: Zegama is the best in the world for me, for the trail and running.
iRunFar: You have just a short recovery now, because the Golden Trail World Series continues next weekend in Italy, correct?
Elazzaoui: Yeah. Next weekend you have hard work, and you have 20 kilometer with the guys from Africa, very strong.
iRunFar: Oh. They’ll be there. Okay.
Elazzaoui: Yeah. Yeah. I hope. I give my best, and I hope.
iRunFar: And then, we spoke before the interview, and you said home to Morocco for a few weeks, and then travel to America for Broken Arrow.
Elazzaoui: Yes. For this moment, I go in Italy. I stay a little bit in Italy, but after finish the rice, I go visit my family, because it’s very, very important. I am happy. I give the nice picture for trail running in Africa and for Morocco for children, and for me, it is a nice picture for my country.
iRunFar: Yeah. I think that’s a really important thing to say and an important thing for you to be thinking about, that the kids of Morocco look up to somebody like you and think, “If he can do it, maybe I can do it.”
Elazzaoui: I hope. This is my dream, because reality, win in Zegama, win a Golden Trail World Series is the best trail in the world, because now in Morocco you have step by step, you have the media, you talk for the trail, you have some race organization in my country, but the reality, I gave the best picture for trail running for Morocco and for the community Berber.
iRunFar: Congratulations to you on your second win of the Zegama Marathon.
Elazzaoui: Thank you, Meghan. It is always pleasure.
