This is it. The reason the mud exists. The reason the shoes were designed. The reason thousands converge on this tiny Basque village. Race Day.
I don't think the alarm wasn’t necessary. Across the camp our internal clocks, dialed into the nervous tension of the lodge, had us all awake minutes before the crude beep. The air in San Sebastian was cold and completely still.
There is a distinct ritual to race morning, even when you aren’t racing. The ACG crew moved with quiet efficiency. Layers were donned. The ACG Zegama shoes, now dry and battle-tested from Day 2, were laced tight, our trust in their grip cemented. By 5:00 AM, we were on the bus heading south.
You might think a 5:00 AM bus ride is silent, filled with sleeping bodies. Not today. Not for Zegama. As we rolled toward the Goierri valley, the energy in the vehicle was a tangible, ascending force. The hum of conversation grew louder with every kilometer. The anticipation in the cabin was building its own crescendo. It felt as though the entire Basque Country was inhaling, holding its collective breath.
We arrived in Zegama as dawn was just a suggestion of gray against the black peaks of the Aizkorri massif. The town, which we had left as a chaotic street party just hours ago, was now a serious staging ground.
First priority: fuel. A quick, powerful coffee at a temporary stand, a hand-grabbed fistful of fruit, and a nutrient-dense snack. That was it. Our mission today wasn't running the marathon; it was surviving the pilgrimage to Sancti Spiritu.
And a pilgrimage it is. Leaving the start line gantry behind, we joined the thousands moving out of the village. The early light illuminated a sea of headlamps, a luminous river winding up the steep trails. What makes Zegama unique isn't just the runners; it’s the sheer number of people heading up simply to cheer. We were walking alongside entire families, grandparents with walking sticks, parents with children on their shoulders, all carrying their local pride flags, from the local basque flag (Ikurriña) to other nationalities. We were all moving as one... and using the hum of the distant cowbells as guides up the mountain.
This energy is dangerous; it is completely infectious. Our ACG group, initially focused on the technical aspects of the hike, was quickly swept up. We stopped being media, retailers, and staff; we became fans. We found ourselves cheering each other up the steepest pitches, drawn into the shared cultural fervor that defines this race.
The goal was the 975-meter mark: Sancti Spiritu. This is the halfway point of the marathon and the legendary emotional epicenter of the entire race.
As we ascended, the trees began to thin, revealing the exposed ridge. The sound, a dull roar at the base, became deafening. It is a wall of sound: thousands of voices, hundreds of bells, traditional irrintzi screams, and music.
We arrived to form part of the Human Corridor. There is barely any path here. Just a narrow channel of rock and mud, flanked on both sides by a dense mass of screaming, singing, frantic humans. It is claustrophobic, intense, and utterly beautiful.
Standing in that corridor, the ground beneath our ACG shoes vibrating with the noise, we felt it. The energy shift. The lead athletes were coming.
You don't see them first; you see the crowd explode in front of them. It’s like a tsunami of sound rolling up the hill. And then they were there. The elite runners, moving at an impossible pace through a corridor just wide enough for their bodies. We were screaming, sweating, reaching out (but never touching), providing that raw, physical energy that athletes say only exists at Zegama. We saw the masks of pain, the focus, and the sudden look of recognition as they hit the cauldron of support. To see the athletes we studied—the ones wearing the same gear we tested—fighting at this level, in this atmosphere, was a spiritual experience.
After the elite field passed through, the energy in the corridor stabilized, though it never truly dropped. We began our descent, moving away from the chaotic peak.
This long walk back down provided the space to finally reflect on the landscape. This is the incredible gem Zegama has in its backyard. Leaving the rocky cauldron of Sancti Spiritu, the trail drops into classic rural Basque country.
We moved through ancient forests of moss-covered trees and past isolated, historic stone farmsteads (baserriak) where the smell of woodsmoke and sheep hung in the air. The contrast was striking: from the deafening, modern chaos of the peak to this timeless, serene landscape. It was a powerful reminder that while the race is modern, the environment ACG designs for is ancient and unforgiving.
Back in Zegama town, the race was reaching its actual crescendo. The big screens were flashing times that defied the brutal mud and technicality of the course.
The men’s race was a masterclass in controlled power. Elhousine Elazzaoui came in first, clocking 3:45:09. His second consecutive win was dominant, a proof that his intuitive understanding of how to run this specific, technical, muddy terrain is unmatched. He didn’t just run the course; he tamed it.
In the women’s race, we witnessed history. Tove Alexandersson won the female race shattering the previous record. Alexandersson, a true multi-sport warrior, obliterated the course record with a performance that was almost intimidating in its clinical efficiency. She didn’t just win; she reset the expectation of what is possible on the Aizkorri massif.
The local heroes ensured the crowd’s energy remained at a peak until the end. The final podium steps were filled with Spanish pride as Malen Osa and Sara Alonso completed the podium. Their fight on the technical descents provided the narrative that the local fans craved, proving that the future of Catalan and Spanish trail running remains incredibly strong.
We ended the day not at a Sidrería, but back in the village square, reflecting on the madness. The ACG Zegama Experience was more than a product launch or a marketing event. It was a raw immersion into the culture that demands this type of gear. We felt the mud, heard the bells, saw the pain, and witnessed the legends. We had taken the gear into its home, and the home had taken us in.
Until next time, Zegama.
