On Running Sierre-Zinal: An Interview with Zach Friedley
All photos: Sierre-Zinal
Born without his right leg from above the knee, Zach Friedley is an adaptive trail runner motivated by his love for nature and freedom of movement. He is sponsored by On and is an advocate for adaptive athletes–organizing events through his nonprofit Born to Adapt.
Zach races around the world, and his results include finishes from UTMB’s 40km MCC race, the Val d’Aran 15km Skyrace, and the Tarawera 21K trail race in New Zealand. He’s much more than an adaptive athlete, though. Zach has spent time in Ashrams in India, climbed 6000-meter peaks in South America, and speaks on disability access issues at panels around the world, including addressing members of US Congress and speaking at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
On Zach’s bucket list for years, he was determined to add Sierre-Zinal to his experience as an adaptive athlete. The Sierre-Zinal course is hands-down one of the most famous trail race courses in the world. It’s the oldest trail race in Europe that has been run each year, having started in 1974. Part of Salomon’s Golden Trail Series of races, Sierre-Zinal routinely draws the best trail runners in the world.
The course is 31km with 2200 meters of elevation gain and 1100 meters of descent. It begins in Switzerland’s Rhône valley, climbs steeply to gain a ridge, then stays above treeline, until plummeting to the alpine village of Zinal, at the end of the valley and not far from the Italian border.
Called “The Race of the Five 4,000-Meter Peaks,” runners can catch sight of some of the most famous peaks of the Alps: the Weisshorn, Obergablehorn, Dent Blanche, Zinalrothhorn, and the Matterhorn.
We caught up with Zach to learn more about his experience at Sierre-Zinal after he added it to his list of finishes in August 2024.
Here’s Zach’s take on this legendary race:
Why did you pick Sierre-Zinal?
Zach: I picked it because it’s a super iconic race. When I first started trail running, I learned of Sierre-Zinal very quickly and it’s been on my radar ever since. I’ve been watching it, a fan from afar, and really wanted to add this to my list of accomplishments. I put it on my vision board in 2022, and it became a reality in 2024 thanks to Run The Alps connecting me with the folks they know at the race. I don’t know for sure, but there’s a chance that I might be the first above-the-knee amputee to finish this race. So as an adaptive athlete, it was enticing to chase that goal.
Also from an adaptive athlete perspective, the race course is super challenging, which is one of the reasons why I picked it. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, especially with the massive climb at the beginning, and it was really, really challenging. The course itself is probably one of my all time favorites.
As an adaptive athlete, how did you find the registration and entry process compared with other races?
Zach: Signing up for this race was fairly easy. Going to the website and entering all my information, I would say it’s on par with some of the other trail races that I’ve signed up for. One of the only differences was that I was able to contact the race about my needs and they allowed me to run with trekking poles. Historically the race hasn’t allowed the use of poles, but as an athlete who is missing a leg, it was really important that I use poles. I thought it was really cool that they allowed it.
Can you describe what it’s like running with your blade? What’s hard about it and what does it feel like?
Zach: I don’t know if it’s hard or not, but it’s different from other people that I talk to in the running community–there are pieces that break. I have to carry tools with me — a kit that I take with on a long race to fix certain things. I have wrenches with me, which is a little bit different than everybody else. Most people don’t run with an Allen wrench or silicon glue or spare valves.
Before a race, I usually get my leg dialed-in and adjust the gait. There’s different tweaks we can do. That’s always changing depending on how my body changes, the shoes I’m wearing, and wear and tear. Sometimes things move. It’s like a Formula 1 car–that’s how I explain it. An F1 car goes around a track, but it has to stop into the pit. Maybe the wing is off or maybe the tires need to be changed. Same for me, I guess. I don’t have a crew, but I’m out there doing my own thing and adjusting as needed.
How did the race go for you? What was your highpoint? How about your low point?
Zach: I really do enjoy climbing and technical challenges, but I also found a lot of runnable sections that were really cool. Being in the Alps, there are amazing 4,000 meter peaks to look at. From my own experience, it was one of the most memorable courses to date.
Besides the scenery, the overall race experience–the volunteers and the people out there–was top notch. It was one of my best running experiences in Europe, period. Everybody was super supportive and treated me like a professional. I am a professional, but at races I’m not often treated that way. At Sierre-Zinal they actually treated me like a pro. Sierre-Zinal is a tier or two above other experiences I’ve had. The race and its organizers deserve some credit for that. I remember coming through one of the aid stations chasing a cutoff, and the race volunteers helped me refill my water. As a matter of fact, I felt like I maybe even got more aid at aid stations. When a pro comes through an aid station, people swarm them. I got swarmed just like that. There were hands helping all over, so I was in and out quickly.
Honestly, the hardest part of the course was when the elites came through because I had to get out of the way. It happened at a tricky section where you’re picking your line through a boulder field. I had to let Killian Jornet or Rémi Bonnet or Anna Gibson, or any of the badasses that are stacked at Sierre-Zinal, pass. (Editor’s note: The race has two major starts, with most runners starting in waves early in the morning, and elite runners expected to finish fastest starting several hours later.)
I would run Sierre-Zinal again, for sure.
From an adaptive perspective, how was the race experience for you?
Zach: Everybody was engaging and made me feel super welcome. The medics even asked me, “Hey, are you all right? Do you need anything?” Also, the fans were awesome– people were cheering me along the way.
At one of the very last aid stations, one of the main race coordinators stuck his hand out and thanked me for choosing their race. I thought it was really cool, and something that’s never happened to me in a European race. It’s little things that are really meaningful, and tell me that this race valued having an adaptive athlete on the course. Those things allow me to tell my adaptive athlete community at large that this is a race they should consider. And so, I’ve already told the rest of the adaptive athlete community about Sierre-Zinal, and that they should definitely put it on their to-do lists, their dream lists.
Anything you’d like to share with the race organization?
Zach: Well, I’d like to be able to connect with the race organizers and have a sit down. I think we could make Sierre-Zinal one of the premier events in the elite adaptive athlete space. Similar to what we’re doing with Mammoth Trail Fest, Tim Tollefson’s race. That race is going to be one of the marquee adaptive athlete events in the world, and I think Sierre-Zinal could be on that list. Who knows? Maybe we could have a Born to Adapt Trail series with a competitive circuit for adaptive athletes. That’s the kind of thing that I dream about, and it would be really cool to have Sierre-Zinal as part of it.
Will you be back at Sierre-Zinal?
Zach: I’ll definitely be back, maybe even as soon as 2025. I think we have something to build upon, and I firmly believe that this could be something special in the future.
Learn more about Zach, Born to Adapt, and Sierre-Zinal
Zach on Instagram
Born to Adapt website & instagram
REI Podcast: Trail Running with a Blade with Zach Friedley
Road Dog Podcast: Episode 287: Zach Friedley Shares His UTMB Experience
Here’s just a few articles about Sierre-Zinal from Run the Alps’ own archives:
Celebrating 50 Years of Sierre-Zinal: Race Legends Look Back
Sierre-Zinal with a Happy Heart: My Perspective as a Mid-pack Runner
Why Sierre-Zinal is the Best Trail Race In the World
Pablo: The Man Behind a Remarkable Sierre-Zinal Record
The Allure of Running Sierre-Zinal
