My marathons

Sierre-Zinal

Canton of Valais
Zinal
Zinal. Photograph by Christian David, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The course

The organiser describes Sierre-Zinal as a 31 km mountain trail with 2,200 m of elevation gain and 1,100 m of vertical drop in the Valais Alps.

The course in short 2 lines
  • 31 km, 2,200 m up and 1,100 m down31 km, 2,200 m up, 1,100 m down.
  • Runners, tourists and juniors on separate routesRunners, tourists via Niouc or Saint-Antoine, and juniors.
Course notes 2 short reads on the course
Whole courseGradient31 km, 2,200 m up and 1,100 m down31 km, 2,200 m up, 1,100 m down.

The race runs between Sierre and Zinal and is also called the Course des Cinq 4000.

Sourced

Whole courseTacticsRunners, tourists and juniors on separate routesRunners, tourists via Niouc or Saint-Antoine, and juniors.

The 53rd edition was held on Saturday 8 August 2026. The organiser calls it the oldest big mountain race in Europe, and the next one is on Saturday 7 August 2027.

Sourced

Race fuel

Energy gel
An energy gel sachet
Illustration · drag to turn

4 gels for Canton of Valais, plus 1 spare

Finish

One every 40 minutes, by the clock:

  1. km 7.1mile 4.4
  2. km 14.2mile 8.8
  3. km 21.3mile 13.2
  4. km 28.3mile 17.6

Our pick: SiS BETA Fuel gel, box of 6, strawberry and lime. 40 g of carbohydrate a gel, about twice a usual gel, from two kinds of sugar your body takes up side by side.

Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

In Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel, 24-pack, the best seller there.

Outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Italy, the rest of the EU and Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Chocolate Outrage, 24-pack on Amazon.com, the best seller there.

Anti-chafe
Compeed Anti-blister stick
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

An invisible layer before the start keeps seams, straps and shoes from rubbing skin raw.

Put it on before you leave for the start: heels and toes, inner thighs, under a bra or heart-rate strap.

Try it on a long run first, like everything you use on race day.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Number belt
A race number belt
Illustration · drag to turn

Compressport Race Belt

Holds your bib without safety pins through your top, with loops for up to 8 gels.

Clip the bib on the night before, so it goes on with your shorts in the morning.

Keep the number on the front, where officials and photographers can see it.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Electrolytes
A tube of electrolyte tablets
Illustration · drag to turn

SiS Hydro electrolyte tablets, tube of 20

One tablet in a bottle puts back some of the salt you sweat out.

One tablet in 500 ml of water in the hour before the start.

Only if you have used them in training: nothing new on race day.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Blister plasters
Compeed Blister plasters, medium, 6
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

One in a pocket cushions a blister if one starts.

Put it on clean, dry skin and leave it until it comes off by itself.

Give a couple to whoever comes to cheer, so they are there at the km you need them.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
distance
31.0 km19.3 mi

Trip

Getting a place

Entry through the organiser

Entry details on the organiser’s site →

The organiser, a third party. We take no entries and have no part in the race.

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