Author: Tomo Sarf

Day 2 of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships saw the Trail races play out in style in the hills to the west of Chiang Mai, Thailand.

First off at 6:30 a.m. local time were the Long Trail athletes, who were to tackle 78km and 4,800m+. An hour later it was the turn of the Short Trail runners whose course of 38km and 2,400m+. Both courses got right down to business, beginning with the 1,000m climb to Ban Khun Chang Khian, finish line of yesterday’s Uphill race.

Full results can be found here.

SHORT TRAIL

Men

Through the race’s first half the quartet of Norway’s Stian Angermund, G.B. & N.I.’s Jonathan Albon, U.S.A.’s Max King and Italy’s Francesco Puppi were inseperable, coming through the 18km aid station metres apart. Clearly the podium would be decided among these 4 runners, it was just a question of who would make the winning move.

In the end it was Angermund who pushed on in the second half, forcing the pace and pulling the group apart. He came to the finish visibly suffering but with more than enough time in hand to savour his win. Silver went to an ecstatic Francesco Puppi, repeating his result from 2019 in Argentina, with defending Trail World Champion Jonathan Albon having to settle for bronze.

Behind, G.B. & N.I.’s Kris Jones had been running a patient race. Sitting in 17^th after the first climb, he scythed through the field in the second half, moving into first the top 10, then the top 5. As Max King battled cramp, Jones loomed ever larger in his rear view mirror, pursuing the American in an agonising final push along the road to the finish. In the end there was not enough race left for him to make the catch and King crossed the line in 4^th with Jones 17 seconds behind in 5^th.

Women

In the women’s race Romania’s Denisa Dragomir, Long Distance bronze medalist in 2017, took control early. Strong and confident, she lead for almost the entire race, Spain’s Nuria Gil moving to the front only briefly at the bottom of the first long downhill. On the climb back up to Ban Khun Chang Khian Dragomir moved away for good, time trialling all the way to the finish to claim her title of World Champion. Her gap was never massive but it never looked like she would falter.

From the chasing pack, it was Barbora Macurová of the Czech Republic who proved to be the strongest. She put in a charge on the final descent, moving from 4^th to 2^nd and even closing the gap to Dragomir. Another 3 minutes passed before Sweden’s Emilia Brangefält appeared on the finishing stretch, coming in to claim the bronze and making it 6 different nations for the 6 individual medals in the Short Trail.

If the medal winners all had the luxury of savouring their finish, the same could not be said for the Spanish pair of Nuria Gil and Sheila Aviles who gave it everything in the closing kilometre, fighting for every second as they took 4^th and 5^th respectively, 14 seconds apart.

Teams

If Gil and Aviles had the team contest on their minds as they hammered down the finishing stretch, then they caused themselves unnecessary suffering. With Julia Font coming in to take 10^th place the Spanish women won gold by a convincing margin.

U.S.A. and G.B. & N.I. both continued their strong World Championship campaigns with silver and bronze team medals to go with the gold and silver that they won in yesterday’s Uphill.

In the men’s competition it was another golden day for the Azurri as the Italian men made it 2 titles in 2 days, packing all 3 of their counting runners into the top 10. The French team claimed the silver medals, less than 90 seconds ahead of G.B. & N.I. who took bronze.

LONG TRAIL

Men

Coming into the race U.S.A.’s Adam Peterman had never lost an ultramarathon. He still hasn’t.

Biding his time early on, he moved to the front in the middle third of the race, running with and just ahead of France’s Nicolas Martin. Three minutes head at 50k, it was on the 1,000m climb to the 66k aid station that Peterman really put the pressure on, extending his lead to over 10 minutes with just the final downhill to go. He cruised back into Chiang Mai to take the World Championship crown and extend his ultra win-streak.

Martin also made good use of that long climb, moving 5 minutes clear of the chasers and giving himself a little relaxation room as he descended to the silver medal. Behind, the competition for the final step of the podium was close. Spain’s Jose Angel Fernandez and Italy’s Andreas Reiterer were just seconds apart through 50k and 66k, with Fernandez’ teammate Aritz Egea never far behind.

On the decisive final downhill it was Reiterer who had something left in his legs, pushing hard to pull out a little over 2 minutes and take the bronze medal. Just like the Spanish women did in the Short Trail, Fernandez and Egea finished 4^th and 5th respectively.

Women

Just as in the men’s race the decisive moment came on the final 1,000m climb. Defending Trail World Champion Blandine L’Hirondel of France trailed long-time race leader Ida Nilsson of Sweden by 3 minutes at the bottom. By the time she arrived at the top L’Hiondel had turned that deficit into a 7 minute advantage. She continued her charge on the downhill, crossing the line well clear, draped in the tricolour and overflowing with emotion, just as she was in Portugal in 2019.

Although she couldn’t match the pace of L’Hirondel, Nilsson remained focussed and strong, doing more than enough to hold on to her second place and take the silver medal. Twelve minute further back was Gemma Arenas of Spain, who took bronze. Eszter Csillag of Hungary and Rosanna Buchauer of Germany came from way back, 17^th and 30^th respectively after the first climb, to take 4^th and 5^th place.

As in the Short Trail, there were 6 different nations represented among the medalists.

Teams

If L’Hirondel was a convincing winner then so too was the French team. Audrey Tanguy and Marion Delespierre came in together in 6^th and 7^th to wrap up the gold medals. Spain took silver and Italy bronze.

Just like his compatriot Allie McLaughlin, Peterman takes home 2 gold medals, his victory laying the foundation for team U.S.A. to come out on top in the men’s race. Similarly Nicolas Martin takes home 2 silvers as France finish 2^nd, while Spain added yet more team medals to their already impressive haul with bronze.

All that remains now is the Classic Up and Down, taking place tomorrow for both Seniors and Juniors. Will the pecking order of Saturday’s Uphill be maintained? Will the Ugandan’s shake things up? The Junior Men kick off the action at 01:30 a.m.CET\08:30 a.m. Thailand. Don’t miss it!

Photos by Marco Gulberti and Jacek Bedkowski. More from Marco here.

Individual honours for Patrick Kipngeno and Allie McLaughlin, Italy and U.S.A. take team gold.

It was hot and humid in Chiang Mai as athletes took on the 8.5km+ and 1,065m+ of the Classic Uphill Championship, the first race in the first ever World Mountain and Trail Running Championshis.

Although it was the Kenyan Philemon Kiriago who took the race out hard, it was his compatriot Patrick Kipngeno who eased away in the race’s second half to become the first Kenyan man to win a mountain running World Championship.

As he has done so many times this year, the 2022 Valsir World Cup winner made it look all too easy, cruising into the finish fully 90 seconds ahead of Kiriago who was once again the best of the rest. In third was an emotional Alejandro Garcia who collapsed to the floor upon crossing the line just 6 seconds ahead of Switzerland’s Joey Hadorn.

Fifth place was the icing on the cake for Zak Hanna after taking the same position at the European Championships and 3rd in the Valsir World Cup. The best is yet to come for the Irishman.

Defending champion Joe Gray, U.S.A. was just 7 seconds back in 6th.

Results – Male Individual 

In the women’s race, U.S.A.’s Allie McLaughlin grabbed the race by the scruff of the neck from the very early stages. Showing no signs of fatigue after 5 days of racing at the Golden Trail Series Final, the 2014 Long Distance World Champion just kept on pushing, only slowing in the very late stages. By then she was out of reach and crossed the line to take a jubilant victory!

Persuing McLaughlin were the giants of mountain running; 6 time World Champion Andrea Mayr of Austria, 5 time European Champion Maude Mathys of Switzerland. With daylight between them and the rest of the field, 

For Mayr, that is her tenth individual World Championship medal, 14 years after her first, a bronze in Sauze d’Oulx in 2004.

Monica Florea of Romania came in 4th, not quite able to add a Worlds medal to the European Championship medal she claimed in El Paso in July. Onditz Iturbe of Spain rounded out the top 5.

The women’s race was truly fitting of a World Championship, with 11 nations in the first 11 positions!

Results – Female Individual 

McLaughlin’s win lead Team U.S.A. to gold in the women’s race, with G.B. & N.I. and Switzerland tied on points behind. The tie is broken by the position of the 3rd runner on each team.

Did Holly Page know what was at stake as she sprinted through the race’s final metres, giving everything to come in a second ahead of Silvia Schlaiger of Slovakia? Maybe, maybe not, but her efforts were well rewarded; that position was the difference between silver and bronze as Switzerland’s 3rd runner, Selina Burch, came in 25th.

Results – Female Teams 

Italy may have missed out on the individual medals today, but the Azzuri men packed well to come away with a first team title since 2015. 

It was double delight for Switzerland as they ended the day with 2 sets of team medals, the men going one better than the women in taking silver. Alejandro Garcia’s tremendous run lead the Spanish team to the 3rd step of the podium.

Results – Male Teams

With most of the athletes in today’s race doubling back to race again in the Classic Up and Down on Sunday, we’re in for a red hot rematch in the hills above Chiang Mai! 

Photos courtesy of the LOC. Replay the full livestream below.

All of the weekend’s action streaming live on YouTube.

All the racing at this weekend’s World Mountain and Trail Running Championships will be streaming live on the Thailand Tri-League Series YouTube channel.

Timetable (CET +6):

Friday 4th – Uphill Championship 
Senior Men Start- 10:15 a.m.
Senior Women Start- 11:00 a.m.
Awards Ceremony – 5:30 p.m. 
Results

Saturday 5th – Trail Races (Men and Women)
Long Trail Start – 6:30 a.m.
Short Trail Start – 7:30 a.m.
First Finisher Short Trail – 10:30 a.m.
First Finisher Long Trail – 3 p.m.
Awards Ceremony  – 6:00 p.m.
Results

Sunday 6th – Up and Down
Junior Men Start – 8:30 a.m.
Junior Women Start – 9:00 a.m.
Senior Men Start – 9:45 a.m. 
Senior Women Start – 11:00 a.m.
Awards Ceremony – 1:00 p.m.
Closing Ceremony – 2:30 p.m.
Junior Startlist
Senior Startlist

The event will take place in Annecy, France on 26th-27th May.

Co-organised by the WMRA, the Fédération Française d’Athlétisme and the Maxi-Race association, the International Under 18 Mountain Running Cup heads to the department of Haute Savoie for its 16th edition in May next year.

The event website can be found here.

The IU18MRC is an opportunity for young athletes to gain experience of international competition and for fans of the sport to get a look at some of the stars of tomorrow. Incorporated into the Maxi Race, a 3 day festival of the trail and mountain running on the shores of Lake Annecy, next year’s edition guarantees an atmosphere like no other! 

The report of this year’s event in Saluzzo, Italy can be found here.

Photos by Davide Vaninetti, I.U.18M.R.C. 2022.

Who will be the movers-and-shakers in Thailand this weekend? Here are 10 men we think will be in the mix.

The defending champion, past medallists, up and comers; with the world’s best gathered in Chiang Mai for the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, we’re all set for a fantastic weekend of racing. The Uphill race, 8.5km with 1,065m of ascent, is the championship’s curtain-raiser, taking place on Friday, while the Up and Down, 10.7km with 475m of climb and descent, is the finale, taking place on Sunday.

Here are 10 of the men we think could be fighting it out at the pointy end this weekend. Now watch as all the medals are won by athletes we’ve left out. . .

Joel Ayeko – Uganda Classic Up and Down

Junior World Champion in 2016, Ayeko has taken silver twice as a senior, in 2017 and 2018. On both occassions he was second to one of his teammates though he did cross the line in 2018 more or less in step with Robert Chemonges. Ayeko came out on top in the Ugandan trial race in early October and will be looking to come in ahead of his teammates in Chiang Mai. Will that be enough to finally earn him a senior Gold medal?

Joe Gray – USA Uphill and Classic Up and Down

What needs to be said about Joe Gray? He is the defending champion, one of only 2 people to have won both Uphill and Up and Down championships and has too many national titles to count. Always a top performer, Gray seems to find something extra when he’s racing for his country, as his win at Challenge Stellina in August demonstrates.

Sylvain Cachard – France Classic Up and Down

Cachard only raced once at the European Championships, a decision that paid off in style; he ran a race brimming with confidence to take the Up and Down title ahead of Maestri. Recent results haven’t been as impressive, 8^th at both Pike Peak Ascent and Flakstaff Sky Peaks, but if he gets his timing right and peaks for Chiang Mai he’ll be a medal contender.

Javier Carriqueo – Argentina Classic Up and Down

Carriqueo has had a long and successful career in road and cross country, winning national and continental titles and representing Argentina at the 2012 Olympics. He’s turned his attention to the mountains with great success, winning the South American Up and Down title in San Juan in August. After multiple 11^th place finishes, the Argentinian men finally cracked the World Champs top 10 on home soil in 2019, Carriqueo will lead the charge to hang on to that position.

Miquel Corbera – Spain Uphill and Classic Up and Down

Corbera out-sprinted Hanna to take 4^th at the Euro Champs Uphill, then followed that result up with an 8^th place in the Up and Down race 2 days later. Corbera is part of a very strong Spanish contingent which also features Sierre-Zinal winner Andreu Blanes (Up and Down) and 2019 Long Distance medalist Oriol Cardona (both races). Look for them to feature in the team competition.

Maximilien Drion du Chapois – Belgium Uphill and Classic Up and Down

The surprise package at the European Championships, Drion, timed his race perfectly to take the Short Trail title. Moving down to the shorter distances in Thailand, he will be a marked man this time around.

Zak Hanna – Ireland Uphill

Already an established contender, it’s been a breakthrough year for Hanna. He came within seconds of a medal when he finished 5^th at the European Championships Uphill and has had 3 Valsir World Cup podium finishes, finishing 3^rd in the series overall. Only 35^th in Argentina, he’ll be looking to improve significantly in Chiang Mai.

Patrick Kipngeno – Kenya Uphill and Classic Up and Down

The revelation of the 2022 mountain running season, Kipngeno has been nearly unstoppable. Six Gold Label wins on the Valsir World Cup with further victories at Dolomitenmann and a tremendously impressive record-breaking victory at Thyon-Dixence. If he comes into these championships on top form he will be very hard to beat.

Cesare Maestri – Italy Uphill and Classic Up and Down

Maestri is a consumate championship performer. Before this year he had 6 top 10s and 2 silver medals in European and World Championships. Then in July he had his breakthrough; gold in the European Championships Uphill, with silver in the Up and Down for good measure. A win at Drei Zinnen in September may indicate that he is ready to bring his best championship form to Thailand.

Chris Richards – G.B. & N.I. Uphill and Classic Up and Down

There’s a big performance coming for Chris Richards. He had a stinker at the Euro Champs uphill, coming in 17^th, he came back to finish 7^th in the Up and Down. Since then he’s had podium places against international competition at Fletta Trail and Challenge Stellina, and more recently was a class apart at the British Fell and Hill Relays.

As ever with Championship racing, suprises are near enough guaranteed! Who is flying under the radar, waiting in the wings to upset the favourites?

Get all the weekend’s racing action on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Photos by Corsa in Montagna.

We take a look at just some of the women to keep an eye on in the Uphill and Classic Up and Down mountain races in Chiang Mai this weeked.

Coming after a full season of racing and with the new 2 race format, there’s more intrigue than ever in the run up to the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. Fast, exciting racing is a certainty, with close battles and sensational stories guaranteed well beyond the medal positions.

Here, in alphabetical order, are just 10 of the women who we think could have a role in the drama.

The full entry lists for both races can be found here.

Scout Adkin – G.B. & N.I. Uphill & Classic Up and Down

Adkin was one of the top performers across both races at July’s European Championships; bronze in the Classic and 4^th place in the Uphill. Since then, she has been 2^nd at both Challenge Stellina and Chiavenna-Lagunc, to Grayson Murphy and Andrea Mayr respectively. More recently she ran the fastest opening leg at the British Fell and Hill Relays in Scotland, coming in just 4 seconds ahead of 2019 bronze medalist Phillipa Williams, who will be her teammate in Chiang Mai.

Rispa Cherop – Uganda Classic Up and Down

The Ugandan women’s team might be the biggest unknown at this championship. While the men have swept the medals at 4 of the last 7 championships, the only time the country has sent a full women’s team was in 2015, when they came away with team bronze and Stella Chesang as World Champion. They will surely be a factor again in Thailand, with Rispa Cherop looking set to lead the charge, having taken a comfortable win at the trial race in early October.

Monica Madalena Florea – Romania Classic Up and Down

Finishing 18^th in the long distance race in Argentina, Florea’s results in 2022 indicate she could go a lot better this time round. European Championship Silver in the Classic Up and Down in July was followed by 3^rd at Giir di Mont Uphill (behind only Andrea Mayr and Joyce Njeru), 2^nd at Vertical Nasego and 4^th at Trofeo Nasego the next day. Can she emulate her compatriots Cristina Simion and Denisa Dragomir, who have both won medals in recent World Championships?

Alice Gaggi – Italy Classic Up and Down

It is hard to pick the standout from the Italian ranks as a number of athletes have taken turns coming out on top in their head to heads this year. Gaggi has abundant championship experience, taking the title in 2013 and finishing in the top 6 no fewer than 6 times. Her recent form looks good; she won Trofeo Ciolo in late September, beating a number of her teammates in the process. The Azzuri won team silver and bronze at the European Championships and will have an eye on more team medals in Thailand.

Lauren Gregory – USA. Uphill & Classic Up and Down

Defending champion Grayson Murphy may be out injured, but luckily for the U.S.A. their women’s lineup is still packed with talent. Gregory took a convincing win at the inaugural U.S.A.T.F. Vertical Mountain Running Championships at Loon Mountain in July and has followed that up with strong results at Trofeo Nasego, 3^rd, and Flagstaff Sky Peaks, 5^th. She won junior bronze at the 2017 World Championship in Premana, can she do the same again as a senior?

Chiara Mainetti – Argentina Classic Up and Down

Mainetti already had multiple national titles to her name when she added the South American Up and Down title to her CV in San Juan in August. Her Championship results are on an upward trajectory; 41st in Andorra in 2018, 13th on home soil in 2019. She’s been on the roads since then, making her marathon debut in London, will the extra leg speed and endurance allow her to continue to improve?

Sarah McCormack – Ireland Classic Up and Down

After a disappointing performance at the European Championships, McCormack has been on strong form in recent months; 5^th at Sierre-Zinal, 2^nd at Šmarna gora and a win at Trofeo Vanoni. Twice a top 10 finisher at the World Championships, she was 12^th at the most recent champs in Argentina in 2019. She is one of a few athletes running only one race, skipping the Uphill to keep her powder dry for the Classic Up and Down. Will fresher legs make the difference?

Maude Mathys – Switzerland Uphill and Classic Up and Down

Mathys has been unstoppable at the European Championships in recent years, taking every title since 207, including double gold this year in El Paso. A World Championships win has proved elusive though; 4^th in 2014 and 2017, a silver medal in Andorra in 2018 is her strongest performance to date. She’s maintained her form since the Euros, with 2^nd at both Sierre-Zinal and Pikes Peak Ascent, can she finally claim World Championship gold in Thailand?

Andrea Mayr – Austria Uphill and Classic Up and Down

Sixteen years after her first World Championship win, the great Austrian goes in search of a record breaking 7^th World title in Chiang Mai. Now 43, she shows no sign of slowing down and has taken numerous big wins in 2022; Piz Tri Vertical, Fletta Trail, Vertical and Trofeo Nasego, Šmarna gora and KV Chiavenna-Lagunc, the Valsir World Cup Final.

Joyce Njeru – Kenya Uphill and Classic Up and Down

Njeru has been stupendous in 2022. The defending World Cup champion returned to the circuit in even better form than 2021 and dominated the series, taking 6 Gold Label wins. She maintains a big lead at the top of the World Mountain Running Ranking, a position she has occupied for well over a year. Barring disaster, she will be looking to improve significantly on the 13^th place she managed at the 2018 championship in Andorra.

Get all the weekend’s racing action on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Photos by Corsa in Montagna.

The E.G.I.S. for next year’s World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Innsbruck-Stubai is now available.

The Early General Information Sheet has been sent to Member Federations and team leads for this year’s World Championships. It contains information on the event schedule and venues, travel and accomodation, as well as the spectacular, challenging courses that await athletes in Austria next July.

It is available for download here. Check the event out on Instagram, Facebook and at the event website.

Welsh multi-disciplinarian could be the surprise package in a team full of big names.

After the Scafell Pike Marathon, the Great Britain and Northern Ireland trial for the Short Trail race at next weekend’s World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, one competitor described the course as “perfect for a runner who is good at everything.”

It should perhaps be no surprise then that the race was won by an athlete who has already represented G.B. & N.I. in road running, track, cross country and orienteering: Kris Jones.

Certainly a generalist, you’d hardly call Jones a Jack-of-all-trades; 12th place in the European Cross Country Championships in 2018, taking team gold; personal bests of 13:45 and 28:23 for 5,000m and 10,000m; 63:05 for the half marathon, set in the World Championships in Poland in 2020; individual and team medals at the European and World Orienteering Championships respectively.

When the Welshman races in Chiang Mai he will add a 5th discipline to his national team C.V., something which may in itself be a unique achievement.

With all eyes on Jonathan Albon, Jones’ Short Trail teammate and 2019 I.A.U. Trail World Champion, the Swansea Harriers athlete might be a revelation for many come race day.

He took some time out of training to tell us about life as a multi-discipline athlete.

Do you think that competing across a broad range of disciplines makes you a stronger athlete overall?

“Competing in different disciplines seems to work for me, my life, and what I want to achieve with running. There is transfer from one event to another – the time spent developing speed on the track benefits me when racing on the hills and vice versa for the strength developed on the hills. There is a big overlap between the qualities you need to perform in the different disciplines. Of course, I don’t know if I could be better in any one discipline if I focussed on it 100% of the time but I think that being a generalist has opened up a lot of opportunities that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

You’ve said that running the trial was a welcome break from the roads and the track, where you can end up feeling like you’re chasing times. Are the rewards of different disciplines different?

“It is a different mindset between the disciplines. Track is a pure test of how fast you can run, both on paper and in comparison to the others on the start line that day. I enjoy that aspect of track but it can become frustrating when the finishing time matters more than the placing. Hill running and XC are a good antidote to that because it is just about getting to the finish line as fast as possible. The course and conditions mean that you can’t compare too much race to race. That is more in line with my background as an orienteer, where each race is new and unique. It is about keeping myself engaged with different challenges.”

You’ve maintained some of the multi discipline approach through your training for the Worlds, racing on the roads (and winning) at the Manchester Half Marathon as a tune-up. What’s your take on specificity when it comes to training across disciplines? How much do things change if you’re training for road vs. xc vs. trail etc.?

“There are specific challenges to different races but I believe there is more in common between different disciplines than there is different. My training remains mostly the same, but the key sessions I do in preparation for each event change. Before the World Orienteering Championships, where I was racing around flat Danish towns for between 6 and 15 minutes, I did more sessions focussing on speed and power – that also fit well with the track racing I did earlier in the year. For Thailand, I have been doing more long runs and hills. For me, the most important things are training consistently and arriving on the start line healthy – everything else comes after that.”

You’ve raced for your country many times, most recently at the World Orienteering Championships in June. Does it still feel different or special? Is your thinking different in the run up to a major championship?

“It is still special. It is special to represent your country and it is special to know that you are on the start line alongside some of the very best athletes in the World. Things do change in the run up to a championship – I try to have more focus on my preparations for some weeks before but it is mostly small improvements. The main thing I have learned is to try to enjoy championship races. There is a lot of pressure sometimes, from yourself or from others, but I seem to perform best when I am relaxed and enjoying the experience.”

You’re based in Scotland, where the autumn weather is a little cooler than conditions in Thailand. Have you been doing anything to prepare for racing in warmer weather?

“I haven’t done anything yet but I will do some heat acclimatisation before travelling – mostly via hot baths and extra clothes on runs. We are in Thailand for a little over a week before the competition, so that should help with acclimatization also.”

The Short Trail race starts at 7:30am local time on Saturday 5th of November.

Photos courtesy of High Terrain Events and W.O.C. 2022/Kell Sønnichsen.

In Morbegno, Italy, the elite of mountain running challenged each other just a few days before the World Championships.

The men’s race was the classic relay, with teams of 3 each completing a lap of the 7.35km, 435m+ course. The women raced individually on a 5km, 248m+ route.

65th Trofeo Vanoni

After the gunshot all attention was on the race, with the French launching the young Quentin Meleux, who lead at the end of the climb. But on the descent, the captain of the Slovenians Timotej Becan gained ground, coming in first at the changeover in Via Vanoni. In third place was an excellent Matthew Knowles (Great Britain), followed by Welshman Tom Wood and Team Valtellina newcomer Mattia Gianola, freshly called up for the World Championships.

On the second leg, France took the lead again with Emmanuel Meyssat pushing hard uphill (his was the best time of the day at 29’44”) and carving out a large gap on the chasing pack (a good two minutes). Behind the transalpine runners, the Italian team SA Valchiese made up ground with Marco Filosi changing to third place ahead of the Slovenians, separating them by 21 seconds. Great Britain held on to fourth place with Harry Bolton, while the Italian team La Recastello Radici Group made a great recovery with Isacco Costa.

In the third leg, it was a triumphal parade for Alexandre Fine who, like two years ago, lifted the finishing tape to the sky, stopping the clock after 1h31’39”. The great recovery of captain Alberto Vender (29’52” his final time) brings the Italian champions of SA Valchiese to 2nd place, as last year, in 1h32’30”, while in third and fourth place only 5 seconds divide Slovenia with Klemen Spanring in third leg (1h34’05 final time) and the excellent Great Britain with the Scottish Ross Gollan in third leg (1h34’10”).

Completing the top five was La Recastello Radici Group with Luca Magri, Isacco Costa and Fabio Ruga. There was an excellent 6th place for Wales thanks to Tom Wood, Matthew Roberts and Gavin Roberts, while 7^th went to the Podistica Valle Variata with Elia Mattio, Simone Giolitti and Manuel Solavaggione. In 8^th, the GS Orobie of recordman Alex Baldaccini, and a strong 9th place for the GS CSI Morbegno with Marco Leoni, Francesco Bongio and Diego Rossi (first relay in the province of Sondrio). Closing the top ten were Great Britain Scott Sport UK with Ben Mounsey, Harry Holmes and Ben Rothery.

Full Results

39th Vanoni Femminile

Almost a hundred athletes took part in a truly high-level women’s Vanoni. The 5 km course, featuring 248 metres of climbing and descending was slippery at times due to the rain that fell during the week. After the ribbon-cutting ceremony by the president of the GS CSI Morbegno and the mayor Alberto Gavazzi, record-holder Sarah McCormack and the Italian Elisa Sortini (Atl. Alta Valtellina) immediately took the lead. They definitely had an extra gear and set off at full speed, taking the GPM at the top of the “Dosso” with a one-minute lead over home favourite Alice Gaggi (La Recastello Radici Group) and Slovenian Lucija Krkoc.

On the descent Sarah and Elisa pressed the accelerator pedal even harder. Halfway down the descent Elisa tried everything, knowing that on the final flat section of the Vanoni Street she would not be able to keep up with her Irish friend. In front of the large Morbegno supporters, at the “Tempietto”, Elisa took the lead. It was a tight finish, but the record holder Sarah McCormack pulled out her remaining energy and appeared on the red carpet of Vanoni Street in the lead. She crossed the finish line smiling and victorious with an excellent time of 21’22” (4th best overall time in the history of the race), 10″ ahead of Elisa Sortini, at her personal best with a time of 21’32”.

Completing the podium was Italy’s Alice Gaggi, who was unable to keep up with the ‘train’ of the first two, but still gave it her all, third in 22’54”. Completing the top five were Slovenian Lucjia Kroc (23’12”) and Beatrice Bianchi (La Recastello Radici Group, 23’52”).

Full Results

Photos by Davide Vaninetti, Angelo Testa and Roberto Ganassa.

Looking back at 12 Gold Label races across 9 locations in 6 countries, producing 2 Overall champions.

Joyce Njeru and Patrick Kipngeno of Kenya claimed the top step of the podium as the Overall Champions in the Valsir Mountain Running World Cup. Second Overall were Kenya’s Philemon Kiriago and Austria’s Andrea Mayr, with Zak Hanna of Ireland and Lucy Murigi of Kenya rounding out the podium.

Full Overall and category results

 2022 Valsir World Cup Gold Label Races:

19/06 Montemuro Vertical Run POR
10/07 Grossglockner Berglauf AUT
16/07 La Montée du Nid d’Aigle FRA
30/07 Giir di Mont Uphill ITA
31/07 Giir di Mont ITA
13/08 Sierre-Zinal SUI
03/09 Vertical Nasego ITA
04/09 Trofeo Nasego ITA
09/09 Canfranc-Canfranc Vertical SPA
11/09 Canfranc-Canfranc 16km SPA
02/10 Zumaia Flysch Trail SPA
08/10 KV Chiavenna-Lagunc ITA

Cover photo by Marco Gulberti.