Kenya’s Valentine Jepkoech Rutto ran a race record while Davide Magnini, Scout Adkin and Richard Omaya Atuya were also among the winners during the Giir di Mont Mountain Running World Cup weekend (26-27) in Premana, Italy.
The women’s uphill race set off first and while the drizzly rain cooled the temperatures, it did make the conditions underfoot slightly more challenging.
The line-up for the women included World Cup leader Adkin and seven-time world champion Andrea Mayr, plus Rutto and Joyce Muthoni Njeru, currently second and third in the World Cup standings. In addition, the presence of Gloria Chebet, Susanna Saapunki and Philaries Jeruto Kisang made the start line feel almost like a World Championship.
It was very close, with the lead changing hands many times, but eventually Great Britain’s Adkin got away and took the win in 47:52. It was Francesca Ghelfi who chased her to the end and took second place in 47:58, with Mayr completing the podium in 48:31.
The men’s race was equally stacked and it also got off to a very fast start through the cobbled streets. With the top three in the men’s World Cup competition – Paul Machoka, Philemon Ombogo Kiriago and Michael Selelo Saoli – in addition to Atuya and Josphat Kiprotich, it was one of the strongest Kenyan line-ups of the series so far this year.
The race was also the Italian Uphill only Mountain Running Championship, so there was an incredibly strong cohort of Italian athletes.
It was an all-Kenyan podium, with Atuya eventually breaking free to win in 39:49. Kiriago was close behind in 40:07, with another narrow gap to Machoka in third in 40:17. The top five all finished within one minute of each other.
Leading results
Women
1 Scout Adkin (GBR) 47:52
2 Francesca Ghelfi (ITA) 47:58
3 Andrea Mayr (AUT) 48:31
4 Valentine Jepkoech Rutto (KEN) 48:46
5 Gloria Chebet (KEN) 49:24
Men
1 Richard Omaya Atuya (KEN) 39:49
2 Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (KEN) 40:07
3 Paul Machoka (KEN) 40:17
4 Josphat Kiprotich (KEN) 40:32
5 Michael Selelo Saoli (KEN) 40:45
After a rain affected uphill race, conditions couldn’t have been more different for the 32km on Sunday. There were clear skies and warm temperatures for the runners as they stood on the start line in Piazza della Chiesa.
With a very strong women’s field, there was one runner who was determined to establish a lead straight from the start and from then on it became a case of whether she could hold on.
It was Rutto who took the race on and by the time she reached Alpe Chiarino she’d already established a lead of two minutes. Italian Roberta Jacquin led the chase, with Mathilde Sagnes 30 seconds behind, followed by Martina Cumerlato, Cecilia Basso and Elisa Presa. Simone Troxler and Alice Testini were also close behind.
Rutto had stretched her lead out to three minutes by Vegessa and Jacquin, still trying to chase her down, had opened a gap of a minute to Cumerlato, Presa, Sagnes and Testini.
Once they reached the next timing point at Larec, Rutto had used her flat speed and strong climbing to increase the gap to seven minutes. Behind her, Cumerlato, Basso and Jacquin were working together to try to reduce that gap. It was starting to look unlikely that Rutto could be caught, but the race for second and third was on.
Rutto’s relentless pace didn’t let up and by Deleguaggio she had stretched the gap out to 10 minutes. She went on to take an impressive win in a course record of 3:58.28, while Jacquin’s descending speed proved decisive and she overtook Cumerlato to take second in 4:07.56.
Italy’s Magnini struck out for an early lead in the men’s race and he emerged at Alpe Chiarino first, but with Machoka right behind him. There was then a gap of a minute back to Stian Angermund, followed by another gap back to Michael Selelo Saoli, Mattia Tanara and Alex Oberacher.
It was something of a shock to see Saoli drop out soon after and the race really was wide open. Magnini maintained his lead at the next timing point at Vegessa, but Machoka was right on his heels and looking very comfortable.
Magnini was 40 seconds ahead of Machoka at the next timing point at Larec, while Tanara and Angermund were still together another two minutes behind. Magnini was still holding firm by Delagnaggio, but Angermund had overtaken Machoka to move into second place and Tanara had moved into third.
Magnini took the win in 3:14.04, with Angermund in second in 3:15.36. Tanara completed the podium in 3:18.34.
Leading results
Women
1 Valentine Jepkoech Rutto (KEN) 3:58.28
2 Roberta Jacquin (ITA) 4:07.45
3 Martina Cumerlato (ITA) 4:08.47
4 Cecilia Basso (ITA) 4:13.49
5 Mathilde Sagnes (FRA) 4:18.42
Men
1 Davide Magnini (ITA) 3:14.04
2 Stian Angermund (NOR) 3:15.35
3 Mattia Tanara (ITA) 3:18.34
4 Paul Machoka (KEN) 3:19.15
5 Lorenzo Rota Martir (ITA) 3:20.18
Kirsty Reade (WMRA) for World Athletics