MF🇷🇴

Mădălina Florea

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Sighișoara, RomaniaBorn 1993-02-03Sponsor Scott
UTMB 817ITRA 803Wins 9Podiums 20

Romanian mountain and trail runner from Sighișoara, Mădălina Florea was crowned the 2025 Golden Trail World Series overall champion after a season of relentless consistency on technical sub-marathon courses. A former track and road specialist who switched fully to the mountains in the early 2020s, she rose to global attention by winning the 2023 GTWS Grand Final in Noli and now ranks among the world's best classic-distance mountain runners.

Race Results

2026
5 races4 wins
1st
Sierre-Zinal
Aug 8
31km
2,200m+
2:55:46
First Sierre-Zinal victory
1st
Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail/PAGT GTWS Race
Aug 1
24km
1,600m+
2:32:16
Golden Trail World Series - 4th stop; pulled away on the 30%+ climbs to win by over four minutes ahead of Ruth Gitonga and Naomi Lang for her 2nd GTWS win of 2026
1st
Québec Mega Trail/QMT 30
Jul 5
30km
1,450m+
2:27:12
Golden Trail World Series - won the inaugural QMT GTWS 30, the first GTWS race held in Canada, pulling away from Caroline Kimutai in the second half
1st
Broken Arrow Skyrace/23K
Jun 21
22.9km
1,372m+
2:02:18
23rd overall
2nd
Ledro Sky Trentino
May 24
21km
1,700m+
2:17:52
Golden Trail World Series
2025
10 races5 wins
1stCR
Kolitza Balmatrail
Nov 1
12km
750m+
0:57:53
Women's course record - first woman under one hour
2nd
Ledro Sky Trentino
Oct 11
21km
1,700m+
GTWS Grand Finale - sealed overall series title
1st
Ciucas X3/Semimaraton
Sep 7
22km
1:51:45
4th overall
1st
Ciucas X3/Cros
Sep 6
9km
0:37:51
3rd overall
1st
Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc/ETC
Aug 26
15km
1:30:55
26th overall
12th
Sierre-Zinal
Aug 9
31km
2,200m+
3:13:13
3rd
Tepec Trail/Tepec Trail 34K
Jun 30
34km
3:47:12
17th overall; GTWS race
2nd
Broken Arrow Skyrace/23K
Jun 22
23km
2:02:03
GTWS race
1st
Il Golfo dell'Isola Trail
May 17
26km
2:22:25
GTWS race; defended 2023 Grand Final title on same course
3rd
Jinshanling Great Wall Trail Race/Jinshanling Great Wall Trail
Apr 26
24km
1,489m+
2:43:14
21st overall; GTWS race
View All 21 Results

Career Highlights

2017: Achilles tendon rupture forces a long rebuild from athletics
2019: Returns to competition combining road and mountain running
2022: Win at GIIR di Mont Mini (18km) signals breakout to international circuit
2023: Wins the Golden Trail World Series Grand Final race in Noli, Italy
2024: Podium streak in GTWS - 2nd at Marathon du Mont-Blanc, 3rd at Sierre-Zinal, 2nd at Headlands 27K, 2nd at Mammoth 26K
2024: Bronze at European Off-Road Championships (Up & Down, Annecy)
2025: Wins ETC by UTMB Mont-Blanc and Il Golfo dell'Isola Trail; podiums at Kobe, Jinshanling, Broken Arrow, Tepec, Ledro Sky
2025: Crowned overall Golden Trail World Series champion - first Romanian to win the title
2025: Becomes first woman under one hour at Kolitza Balmatrail (57:53), breaking Joyce Njeru's record

Key Achievements

Québec Mega Trail QMT GTWS 30 Winner (2026) - inaugural GTWS race in Canada
Golden Trail World Series Overall Champion (2025)
Golden Trail World Series Grand Final Race Winner (2023, Noli)
Kolitza Balmatrail Women's Record Holder (2025) - First woman under one hour (57:53)
ETC by UTMB Mont-Blanc Winner (2025)
Il Golfo dell'Isola Trail Winner (2023, 2025)
Sierre-Zinal Podium (2024) - 3rd female
Marathon du Mont-Blanc 42km Runner-up (2024)
European Off-Road Running Championships - Up & Down Bronze (2024)
2017 Jeux de la Francophonie participant (road)

Notable Traits

Practised rhythmic gymnastics before turning to athletics
Background on the track at 5,000m and 10,000m before moving to mountain running
Trains 400-700 km per month from her base in Sighișoara (Transylvania)
Represented CSM Sighișoara throughout her career
Switched from Salomon to SCOTT Running in early 2025
Specialises in technical 15-30K mountain races; minimal ultra-distance experience