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Kipngeno leading Kenyan Mountain Running contingent in chase for glory
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Reading Time: 3min | Thu. 25.09.25. | 13:55
The classic is fertile ground for surprises, and Canfranc, with its dizzying descents and treacherous climbs, promises high-paced excitement
Double world champion, Kenya’s Patrick Kipngeno, master of the uphill, is one of the star attractions at the third edition of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (WMTRC) taking place in Canfranc-Pirineos, Spain, from Thursday, 25 to Sunday, 28 September.
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The event is bringing together 1600 athletes from 73 countries, the highest participation in the event's history, doing battle over four days on the beautiful yet ruthless terrain.
Athletes who excelled at previous editions return to decide who the new world champions and medalists will be in each of the four senior disciplines.
Of the 48 medals awarded in the prior two editions of this combined mountain and trail format, no fewer than 24 medalists will be at Canfranc-Pirineos to test themselves again.
This year’s fields are headlined by Kipngeno (uphill) and Stian Angermund (short trail), as well as Romanian champion Denisa Dragomir (short trail 2021), ultra-champions Adam Peterman (2021) and Benjamin Roubiol (2023), among others.
Kipngeno returns for this vertical 7km race with 1000m of elevation in a bid to win his third consecutive title in this discipline. All eyes will be on his elastic stride, turning impossible slopes into highways.
Spain’s Alex Garcia Carrillo, bronze medalist in 2021, will have the benefit of a home crowd and familiar terrain.
Despite the absence of world champion Andrea Mayr from the women’s line-up, the list of contenders is still impressive.
Philaries Kesang returns, looking to improve on her silver medal from 2023. The Kenyan was a revelation in Austria and now faces Canfranc with the confidence of knowing she is among the best on the planet.
Switzerland’s Maude Mathys, bronze medalist in 2021, an alpine finesse runner and one of the living legends of the world circuit, will also be in contention.
USA’s Grayson Murphy, who earned an uphill bronze in 2023, will this year contest the short trail race.
Meanwhile, the classic discipline is where speed and mountain collide head-on, and this year’s race, 14km in distance with 750m elevation, is no different.
With Murphy and Tove Alexandersson, the gold and silver medalists in 2023, opting for the short trail event, it has made the women’s classic race wide open.
Kenya’s Joyce Njeru, the bronze medalist in 2023, returns and will be hopeful of claiming the top spot on the podium.
Compatriot Philemon Kiriago, silver medalist in 2023, will be among the favourites in the men’s race. His aggressive style promises a spectacular duel against Europeans, who hold the advantage of knowing the technical Pyrenean trails better.
It will also be an opportunity to see if other emerging names break through. The classic is fertile ground for surprises, and Canfranc, with its dizzying descents and treacherous climbs, promises high-paced excitement.
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