MAYR TAKES FIFTH WIN AND IT’S THREE IN A ROW FOR KIPNGENO AT VERTICAL NASEGO
Round eight of this year’s Valsir Mountain Running World Cup – a double header – kicked off in style today in Casto in the North of Italy with Vertical Nasego. Along with Trofeo Nasego, which takes place tomorrow, this event is a race steeped in mountain running history. This is the 23rd year of the event, which seems to get bigger and better every year.
Today’s Vertical Nasego was our next short uphill Gold Label race for the World Cup. As well as the World Cup competition it was also incorporating a Three Nations competition between England, Ireland and Scotland.
Runners took on 1000m of ascent over 4.3km in blazing heat, beginning with a gradual climb from Casto towards Briale village. But then things kick up a notch as the route becomes steeper and more technical as it winds its way up past Rifugio Nasego (at 1270m) to the finish line at 1430m.
THE WOMEN’S RACE
The women set off first, with the men’s race starting 45 minutes later. Last year we saw Andrea Mayr (SV Schwechat/Hoolirun) take her fourth win at Vertical Nasego. Today she faced stiff competition from a stacked women’s field that included current women‘s World Cup leader Scout Adkin (HOKA EU), the always strong Philaries Jeruto Kisang (Run2gether), Joyce Muthoni Njeru (Atletica Saluzzo) and Susanna Saapunki (New Balance), among many others capable of making the podium.
It was Kisang who decided to lead it out, as the women got off to a very fast start through the streets of Casto. As the climbing began she maintained her lead, but was very closely chased by Saapunki, Mayr and Adkin. We know how strong Kisang is on these uphill only courses, but you can never bet against Mayr on this particular one! Would we see a repeat of that unforgettable duel between Mayr and Kisang in the uphill race at the World Championships last year? Or would Saapunki or Adkin come through in the later stages?
Mayr kept Kisang in her sights and with 350m of climbing remaining, she made her move. This steeper terrain is very much Mayr’s territory, and although Kisang kept her in her sights, she wasn’t able to catch her. Mayr took her fifth win in 40.51, with Kisang in second in 41.34 and Saapunki in third in 41.44.
THE MEN’S RACE
Defending champion, Patrick Kipngeno (Run2gether), made his intentions clear at the pre-race press conference, saying that he was going for the record. This would also make it three in a row for him. Standing in his way were a trio of his team mates from team Run2gether – Philemon Ombogo Kiriago, coming off his second place at Sierre-Zinal, Josphat Kiprotich and Michael Selelo Saoli. In addition Henri Aymonod (The North Face) and Paul Machoka (Atletica Saluzzo) were toeing the start line.
It was Kiprotich who set the pace initially, with Kipngeno leading the chase, closely followed by Kiriago and Machoka. But as we saw in the women’s race, a lot can happen in this race, especially when the gradient changes and sections become more technical.
Kipngeno decided it was time to strike and as the men emerged onto a steeper part of open mountainside he had taken the lead from Kiprotich. We expected to see either Kiriago or Machoka in third but it was in fact the young US athlete Meikael Beaudoin-Rousseau (The Trail Team), who was third at this year’s Broken Arrow 22k race, who had worked his way up to third. What would happen in this final stretch?
Kipngeno couldn’t be caught and he took the men’s win in 34.28. But the battle behind him got even more interesting when Aymonod began his charge to the top. Kiprotich took second place in 35.03 and Aymonod came through for third place in 35.20, which was remarkable given that he spent yesterday helping Kilian Jornet on his Alpine Connections project, scaling Italy’s highest peak.
On Sunday 1st September Trofeo Nasego starts at 9.30am
Last year’s women’s winner, Anna Gibson (Brooks), was back to defend her title. She was also second in the Skyrace last year and she will be contesting the 1500m in the US Olympic Trials next week, so is a very exciting talent. At the first timing point it was Allie McLaughlin (HOKA), winner of last year’s women’s Skyrace, who led the women’s field, followed by the 2023 women’s World Cup winner Joyce Muthoni Njeru (Atletica Saluzzo), Gibson, last year’s VK runner-up Jade Belzberg (Topo), then Hali Hafeman. McLaughlin said before the race that her dog, Harley, was waiting for her at the summit as a motivator for her to get up there as quickly as possible. It appeared to be an effective strategy.
year’s winner, Becan, who led initially but in the latter stages it was Costa who managed to break away and he took the win in 43.13, just eight seconds ahead of Lolkurraru in second. Leroux completed the podium ten seconds behind him in 43.31, securing some useful World Cup points in the process.
with 360m of ascent, taking the most direct route from the start in Tacen to the top of the hill. The records for this race are 12.36 for the women (set by Andrea Mayr in 2022) and 10.59 for the men (Filimon Abraham, 2020).
For the men, Remi Leroux (CAN) is having a great season, with second places at the Canfranc vertical uphill race and Montemuro Vertical Run, and will be among the favourites. He is currently sitting in fourth place in the men’s World Cup standings with 138 points. Liam Meirow (USA) could be one to watch, as could Lengen Lolkurraru (KEN). There are some strong Italian runners too, including Michael Galassi and Isaaco Costa, and last year’s winner, Timotej Becan (SLO), can’t be discounted.
athletes took the lead, then Henri Aymonod from Valle D’Aosta, winner of the Overall Cup ranking in 2021, opened the gas in the direction of Sante Caterine where the GPM was located. At the first passage of Fiera di Primiero, the Kenyan Lengen Lolkurraru was first, behind Chevrier and Aymonod and the other Kenyan Timothy Kimutai Kiriu controlled the situation. The big jolt came from two-time world champion Chevrier who, unleashed, took the lead. A perfect push on his boots and an impeccable technical action allowed the star from Valle d’Aosta to gain immediately a good margin. Behind him, the race was very close between Aymonod, the Canadian Remi Leroux and Alberto Vender from Trentino. The Kenyans, who perhaps started too strongly, lost some ground, while the experienced Alex Baldaccini, Michael Galassi and Liam Meirow came up. 
The women’s race was more or less similar: Finland’s Susanna Saapunki took the reins of the race straight away, edging out the Kenyan favourite Lucy Murigi, England’s Sara Willhoit and the newly crowned Italian champion Vivien Bonzi. The multi-sport athlete Saapunki, who is as fast on the run as she is on the narrow skis, stretched out on the last lap, with the Kenyan Murigi suffering a 10-second delay, followed by a brilliant Bonzi, who wanted to be part of the games at all costs. Susanna Saapunki literally pulled away, celebrating at the finish line after 51′ of the race. 1’33” behind for the experienced Murigi, while Sara Willhoit completed the podium. Slipping off the podium was the Italian Bonzi, who suffered an attack by the Briton in the final.
with Murigi (pictured, credit Marco Gulberti) five minutes behind. At this point Magliano was 90 seconds behind Murigi, so the race for second and third was still very much alive, even if the victory seemed in little doubt. Behind them lay Bel Calero (ESP), Cotton and Ainara Alcuaz (ESP).
At the summit of La Moleta it was still all very close. Leroux hit the summit first, in 1.03.49, but Osanz was right on his heels. Behind them there was a gap of just under a minute to Hernandez (pictured, credit Marco Gulberti) and then a small gap of 20 seconds to Marcelo Goncalves (POR), with Adil Moussaoui (MOR) just behind. A further minute behind lay Alric Petit (FRA) and Ondrej Fejfar (CZE). It was all going to come down to the technical and slippery descent.
was going to give it up as he just kept up the pace. Behind him the real race was on as Leroux and Loustau constantly switched places as they chased Steward and fought each other. In the end Steward couldn’t be caught and won convincingly in 35.34, with Leroux winning the race for second just under two minutes behind him. Loustau was just behind in third.
The women’s race also had some really strong contenders, several of whom are in strong contention for the World Cup this year. Joyce Muthoni Njeru (KEN) is sitting at the stop of the women’s standings, having won Fletta Trail and La Montee du Nid d’Aigle earlier this season, as well as taking second place at Sierre Zinal. She is always a serious contender in the classic races, but what could she do here? Similarly, fellow Kenyan Lucy Murigi is in the top five of this year’s World Cup competition, having had some strong results. Other runners expected to feature included Camilla Magliano (ITA) and Olivia Magnone (FRA).
Zinal. She won both races here last year and she will definitely be out to defend those titles. She will certainly face strong competition from fellow Kenyan Murigi, who has finished in the top ten for races consistently this year, as well as winning Giir di Mont. Magliano too is always a strong performer in big races and she finished fourth in the vertical race and second in the classic race here last year.
events where they race on consecutive days if they choose to double up.