SAAPUNKI STORMS TO COMMANDING WIN AND ATUYA TAKES MEN’S CROWN AT VELIKA PLANINA
The final of the 2025 World Cup began in spectacular style today with a dramatic competition at Velika Planina. A host of top international athletes congregated in this stunning area of Slovenia to take on this historic course.
Not only has Velika Planina been used as the venue for the 2010 World Mountain Running Championships and the 2017 European Off-Road Championships, but it will also be the course used in the European Off-Road Running Championships in June 2026. And with the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Canfranc just a month away, the World Cup finals were perfectly timed to provide a highly competitive opportunity for the athletes to test their fitness and racing strategies.
Velika Planina was the World Cup’s final classic uphill race and the course climbed 1280m over 8.5km, starting at Stahovica and finishing at Gradišče. With a mix of steep forest trails, open meadows offering some easier running, and a final kick up to the finish line, this route had a bit of everything for the runners. The unique finish line was amongst the shepherds’ villages that the area is famous for, with oval huts with spruce shingles. The misty conditions at the summit just added to the special atmosphere at the summit.
THE WOMEN’S RACE
With the unfortunate withdrawal of women’s World Cup leader, Scout Adkin, the women’s race was wide open. With a field including established World Cup superstars like Andrea Mayr (Hoolirun), Gloria Chebet (Run2Gether) and Valentine Jepkoech Rutto (Atletica Saluzzo), as well as breakout performers from this year like Nelie Clement (Gap Hautes Alpes Athletisme) and Elle Twentyman (England Athletics), plus a number of young American athletes we were seeing for the first time, it was a fascinating women’s start line.
But there was one athlete determined to take it out right from the start and that was Susanna Saapunki (On Running). We have seen some incredible performances from Saapunki since she made the switch from cross-country skiing to mountain running, so we knew her early breakaway was ominous for the other runners.
By the first timing point Saapunki had opened up an impressive lead of a minute over the chasing pack of Mayr, Kirsty Dickson (Carnethy Hill Running Club) and Italian Benedetta Broggi (Sport Project VCO). Twentyman was right on their heels, with Martina Falchetti (Sport Club Merano) and Clement 20 seconds further back.
Saapunki managed to maintain and even extend her lead through the next section, despite a knee injury hampering her on the downhills. By this point Dickson and Mayr had opened up a lead of over a minute and a half on Falchetti and Clement, with Lucia Arnoldo (Atletica Domomiti Belluno) and local favourite Lucija Krkoc (ŠD Nanos) now joining the chase.
Eventually Saapunki could not be caught and took an emphatic victory in 1.01.43. With just 1km to go there were three women – Broggi, Dickson and Mayr – all together and desperately trying to put some distance between each other. Broggi eventually won a very close duel with Dickson and took second place in 1.04.32, with Dickson just one second behind in third. Mayr took fourth place and Chebet came through for a very creditable fifth.
Top 5 women
- Susanna Saapunki (Finland) – 1.01.43
- Benedetta Broggi (Italy) – 1.04.32
- Kirsty Dickson (Great Britain) – 1.04.33
- Andrea Mayr (Austria) – 1.05.03
- Gloria Chebet (Kenya) – 1.05.13
THE MEN’S RACE
As with the women’s race, the men’s field was incredibly strong. Seven of the top ten men in the World Cup standings were on the start line, including Paul Machoka (Atletica Saluzzo), Philemon Ombogo Kiriago, Michael Selelo Saoli and Richard Omaya Atuya (all Run2Gether), who we’ve seen dominate so many races this year. Add in top Italians Andrea Rostan (La Sportiva/Atletica Saluzzo) and Andrea Elia (Topo Athletics), (Henri Aymonod unfortunately had to withdraw due to injury), another top Kenyan in Josphat Kiprotich (Run2Gether) and revered local runners like Luka Kovačič and Klemen Španring and we really had a race on our hands.
Where the women’s race had a definitive leader from the off, it was more tentative in the men’s race. Initially a small group formed and it took a while for anybody to break away from it. When they did it was Kiprotich who made the move. But Atuya stuck to him and it didn’t seem that Kiprotich was able to put much distance between them. Just behind lay Kiriago and then Machoka and Elia were neck-and-neck through the first timing point. Rostan was also a few seconds behind, with Abraham Ekwan (Pega Kenya).
Atuya made his move after the steep forest section and he reached the next timing point in the lead. He had now put 20 seconds between him and Kiprotich, but it was still a narrow margin. Kiriago and Elia were now together and had broken away from the rest of the pack, a minute and a half behind Atuya and 45 seconds ahead of Machoka and Španring, who was by now exercising his local advantage. It was all still extremely close and would come down to the flatter final section before the uphill finish.
Atuya had run a very smart race and he had plenty in the tank to extend his lead on the faster section. He took the win in 50.21, with Kiprotich holding on to second in 51.14. Kiriago won the battle against Elia to claim third in 52.18.
Top 5 men
- Richard Omaya Atuya (Kenya) – 50.21
- Josphat Kiprotich (Kenya) – 51.14
- Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (Kenya) – 52.18
- Andrea Elia (Italy) – 52.39
- Paul Machoka (Kenya) – 53.35
