Kenyan trio headline Mountain Running World Cup in California
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Reading Time: 2min | Thu. 19.06.25. | 18:09
The defending champions will be joined by another Kenyan Philemon Kiriago in the brutal course
Kenya's mountain running duo, Patrick Kipngeno and Joyce Muthoni Njeru, will be in action this weekend as the World Cup series heads to Palisades Tahoe, California.
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The two defending champions from last year will double up in the world-famous ski resort - Broken Arrow - taking part in both the Ascent Race on Friday, 20, and the 23km Skyrace on Sunday, 22 June.
Njeru will be out on Friday to defend her title in a deep field consisting of podium finishers Anna Gibson and Allie McLaughlin.
The ascent race will see the athletes take in a brutal course that starts on the valley floor and climbs up 914 metres over 4.8km to the summit of Washeshu Peak at 2708m.
Along the way, they will also encounter steep terrain that is dominated by rock slabs, snow and scree.
In the 23km race, Njeru will face off with American trio Lauren Gregory, Janelle Lincks and Kristen Emge, while Romania's elite runner Madalina Florea will be among the favourites.
Kipngeno, on the other hand, will match up with another Kenyan, Philemon Kiriago, in the elite men's race, which will also cover both courses.
Sunday's 23km race will feature almost 1,600m of elevation gain across alpine ridges, snowfields and technical descents.
The race is part of both the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) World Cup and the Golden Trail World Series.
Additional reporting by World Athletics.
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