The submit Mădălina Florea, 2026 Sierre-Zinal Champion, Interview appeared first on iRunFar.
Romania’s Mădălina Florea used happiness to win the 2026 Sierre-Zinal. Within the following interview, Mădălina talks about how successful Sierre-Zinal was a dream come true, the significance of balancing pleasure with seriousness in high-level working, her journey since her first time on the race in 2023, and the way she didn’t take extreme threat on the ultimate downhill.
Learn our 2026 Sierre-Zinal outcomes article for the complete play-by-play on this yr’s race.
[Editor’s Note: If you are unable to see the video above, click here to watch it.]
Mădălina Florea, 2026 Sierre-Zinal Champion, Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Meghan Hicks of iRunFar. I’m with Mădălina Florea. You’re the winner of the 2026 Sierre-Zinal. Congratulations.
Mădălina Florea: Thanks a lot. I’m now so emotional, the place I believe it’s extra more durable now to search out my phrases than the race. So generally if you end the race you make your dream to say, as a result of now for me, it’s a dream since 2023, was turn out to be true at the moment. So I want nonetheless to get up. I want an espresso perhaps to get up. Sure.
iRunFar: You simply have the end line as your espresso now. It’s the vitality that’s carrying you.
Florea: No, nonetheless, I don’t notice it. Perhaps after we met in Damaged Arrow, at that second I say, “Wow.” And it was a tremendous day for me, however now coming with one other race, no, I can’t consider it.
iRunFar: You might be having an unbelievable 2026. As you stated, we noticed you at Damaged Arrow the place you received the 23k there. You’ve received this race. You might be principally sweeping the Golden Path World Sequence this yr. Is it starting to really feel very regular that you simply win this stuff?
Florea: Precisely. I’m repeating myself now as a result of final yr and the earlier yr, I used to be all the way down to say a relentless outcome, however one thing was lacking. The pleasure to get pleasure from, to be Mădălina, what it’s making enjoyable and every little thing on this route. So this yr I say, “Okay, my primary objective, it’s to be blissful, to get pleasure from, to do Mădălina.” I nonetheless need to compete, even for 20 years in future, to assume for the longer term. So if this all collectively could make a superb outcome, and I say, “Okay, I’ll respect it, and I’ll get pleasure from it.” And all the outcomes till now, nonetheless I can’t consider it, however already my coach, my supervisor, my group, everybody supporting me to have the most effective circumstances. So step-by-step, I attempt to do the most effective Mădălina, however we by no means know what’s the greatest Mădălina. However the most effective for Mădălina now, it’s to have happiness and revel in as a lot I can.
iRunFar: I believe that’s a extremely good query, as a result of I believe it’s tough to be an expert at one thing, to be an expert runner, and to additionally hold the enjoyment and hold the fireplace. How are you navigating that? How do you be sure you’re taking it significantly as a runner, however having severe enjoyable too?
Florea: Sure. So till now, I used to be there competing with the opposite. So to say, I notice what I would like, to be shut between the opposite girl, what’s competing since a few years in the past, however was lacking one thing, was miss the Mădălina to have happiness and fewer stress. Nonetheless I’ve, in fact, I want to enhance increasingly as a result of, in fact, I’ve some days the place perhaps the coaching, it’s extra more durable than the competitors. And it present me, “Okay, what’s the manner?” So I must hearken to myself. So what I prefer to say now, again to your self. So I hope on this race I can clarify who it’s Mădălina behind the bib, as a result of that is necessary. Perhaps everybody can see me working, competing, and this, as a result of earlier than the race, I’m the identical horrible particular person, as a result of I need to be centered on my manner.
However exterior, I can having fun with. In the event you put me right here to leap, I can do it as a result of that is Mădălina. And I need to present for the individuals, I’ve emotion, I’m not sleeping someday, I used to be perhaps not consuming. And all of this, I’ll begin to enhance with the individuals who assist me, as a result of in the long run, we’re not a robotic, we’re human. So sure.
iRunFar: This race at the moment, you will have been to Sierre-Zinal earlier than. You will have a number of finishes. What made at the moment completely different? I imply, you already know the course, you already know precisely the way it went, however what made at the moment so completely different for you?
Florea: So since ’23, I used to be dreamed to be right here and to have a superb outcome. So I used to be final seventh, third. Final yr, I used to be coming simply to get pleasure from. However this yr I used to be arrive early right here. I used to be three weeks earlier than right here. I used to be skilled very properly. I used to be actually understanding all of the stone, however nonetheless I used to be falling as a result of I want a tattoo to have on myself to actually fill the course.
iRunFar: You knew a lot of the stones. You missed that one in your coaching.
Florea: Precisely. As a result of right here, you already know it’s on the medal you will have a stone. So me, I used to be actually need to really feel that stone. Sure.
iRunFar: That was a imply stone that took you down at the moment.
Florea: Sure. The adrenaline was preserving me rapidly to rise up and to see simply the end line in my thoughts. Sure.
iRunFar: This course is de facto distinctive in that it has three primary components, an enormous climb to start out, after which the flat-ish, rolling-ish, hilly-ish center, after which to the end on the finish. How did you break up the course in your head at the moment? Had been you enthusiastic about the sections like that, or had been you pondering support station to help station? Or what was your thoughts about at the moment?
Florea: I believe this race has me loopy. And it’s with a whole lot of up and down as a result of this I used to be having my life now to have the ability to arrive right here. So coming in ’23, precisely right here with out sponsor, after which step-by-step with the race, it’s in U.S. and received the Ultimate. I’ll say I turn out to be skilled. However this race was the identical like Mădălina to know the individuals who is the Mădălina, as a result of till there, no one was to say know me. So it’s a really particular race. I’m nothing right here. So I used to be ask the organizer promise me as a result of I’ll have a bib for all my life. So I’ll come right here on a regular basis as a result of it’s so particular. And I like even the quick and livid. I don’t know quick and livid, if it’s actually symbolize me, however to say loopy and someday the livid, as a result of I’m an excessive amount of with the emotion and the sentiments, what on a regular basis I can experiment, however nonetheless is extra inside.
iRunFar: All the race, you had been in touch with the leaders. Whoever occurred to be in entrance in the mean time, you had been fairly near them, both with them or you possibly can see them. Was that intentional, or had been you making an attempt to mark whoever was main at the moment, or had been you making an attempt to run your individual race, and that’s simply the place you had been?
Florea: Yeah, simply what I say, as a result of I used to be arrived right here three weeks in the past. So I used to be down the course just a few instances and even for a portion, and was to observe the guts price. As a result of now my primary objective, it’s not to have a look at the others and by no means was to check myself with the opposite as a result of then you definitely don’t hearken to your physique, however you actually practice daily as a result of I’m not capable of be centered on the others as a result of I can’t management them. All what I can management, it’s myself. So this, I used to be actually perceive step-by-step since you come to compete the others, however you don’t practice on a regular basis with the others. So it’s simply your self to coach. Yeah. So due to this, I used to be centered on my coronary heart price. After all, I used to be having a little bit bit up and down. I used to be virtually there. However generally it’s the climate, what you can not management. And it’s a whole lot of issues what you can not management, however you’ll want to adapt. So I used to be making an attempt to adapt.
iRunFar: Just a little stone caught you up, and also you took a tumble, which individuals on the TV noticed at the moment. After which this race, it ends with a really steep downhill and it’s important to do it so quick to have a profitable race. On that final downhill the place you had been simply letting it go, had been you enthusiastic about that stone that caught you or had been you simply working free?
Florea: So pondering, as a result of two weeks in the past I used to be executed the complete course. So precisely one kilometer earlier than, no … Perhaps, sure. Earlier than the highway, I used to be fall. So I used to be take my… Bear in mind-
iRunFar: You had it within the thoughts.
Florea: Precisely. And I say, “Okay.” I used to be ask some particular person, individuals across the course, “Which is the hole?” Okay. They are saying, “A couple of minute.” And I say, “Okay, that is excellent.” So then I used to be take it simple to make certain I cannot fall, and I’ll lose all the trouble what I’d executed till there.
iRunFar: So that you gained a little bit hole earlier than the steep descent and knew that you simply had a while, so that you didn’t need to take all of the dangers?
Florea: Sure, as a result of on that steep of hill, generally the legs can say, “Hey, listen to not get one thing.” And I used to be actually need to hearken to my physique say, “Keep a little bit bit slowly,” as a result of although I used to be have the end with the opposite, nonetheless I used to be have vitality to avoid wasting and the adrenaline in my physique to attempt to push till to the top.
iRunFar: The Golden Path World Sequence is beginning to get its shut for the yr. There’s not so many races left. What’s your race plan for the yr? Are you going to do a pair extra Golden Trails or what’s subsequent?
Florea: Subsequent, it’s to go at residence and to get pleasure from with my household.
iRunFar: After all. Sure.
Florea: And I don’t need now to actually assume for the race, however you ask me, I’m nonetheless centered for all of the collection for Golden. So within the subsequent few days, after I’ll get pleasure from it, I’ll flip the web page and focus for the opposite race. So sure, I’ll compete Japan and China after which the ultimate.
iRunFar: So first, residence to loosen up and spend time with household, after which flip the thoughts a little bit bit to the ultimate races.
Florea: Precisely.
iRunFar: My final query for you, you’re recognized to your flowers. It’s in your identify. You want to speak about it.
Florea: Sure. I actually obtain for my group this as a result of I didn’t count on it. So sure, that was made for me. My supervisor for the group need to put 26 and him was have a birthday yesterday. So say, “No, I’ll put the one and to make certain, even you’ll not have the wonderful race, we don’t put strain on you. We’re having fun with, however for us, you’re primary to remain on this route.” Sure.
iRunFar: I adore it. Madalina Florea, congratulations in your win of the 2026 Sierre-Zinal. You received!
Florea: I must get up.
iRunFar: I do know.
Florea: Sure, nonetheless is me. I’ll perhaps within the subsequent few days get pleasure from it extra.
iRunFar: Congratulations.
Florea: Thanks a lot. Thanks.
Mădălina Florea, 2026 Sierre-Zinal Champion, Interview by Meghan Hicks.
