Mountain Running World Cup heads to Malonno

Kenyan duo of Philaries Kisang and Joyce Njeru will renew rivalry with Austria's Andrea Mayr in the women’s races, while Patrick Kipngeno is among the contenders in the men’s events as the Valsir Mountain Running World Cup heads to Malonno in Italy for the Piz Tri Vertical and Fletta Trail this weekend.

Former winners, six individual medallists from the recent World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, and a host of young up-and-coming athletes are in action in the Piz Tri Vertical, a 3.4km race with 1000m of ascent, on Saturday and the Fletta Trail, a 21km race with 1100m of ascent, on Sunday.

In the Piz Tri Vertical, runners start at Moscio at 820m and then climb relentlessly up to Malga Campel at 1820m on the slopes of Piz Tri. This perfect finish position offers panoramic views for the spectators, as well as a brutal, steep, grassy final section for runners, who will find themselves using their hands as well as their feet.

In the women’s race there will be a rematch of the recent World Championships duel in Innsbruck between Kenya’s runner-up Kisang and Austria’s champion Mayr, who is a five-time Piz Tri Vertical winner and the event record-holder (37:20).

But there will be a very strong field challenging them both. Britain’s Scout Adkin comes into this race straight off a win at the Montemuro Vertical Run two weeks ago, plus an eighth-place finish in the short uphill race at the World Championships. Kenya’s Njeru was second at Montemuro, third at the classic race in the World Championships and is the reigning women’s World Cup champion from 2022.

Valentina Belotti was the champion here in 2016 and she will be looking for another victory on home turf. Other women expected to feature include Lucy Murigi, Andie Cornish, Sarah Carter, Maddalena Soma, Vivien Bonzi, Betty Bergstrand, Adele Blaise-Sohinus, Eve Pannone, Celia Powell, Emma Clayton, Katie Lord, and Eden O'Dea.

The men’s field is just as competitive and the record-holder (33.38) and last year’s winner, Andrea Rostan of Italy, will be there to defend his title off the back of his win at the Broken Arrow a month ago. But the newly crowned world champion of the short uphill race, Kipngeno of Kenya, certainly won’t take it easy on him. Just as hotly tipped will be Henri Aymonod, the short uphill king. Timotej Becan was fourth here in 2021 and 2022 and also returns.

Philemon Kiriago burst on to the scene last year and finished second here. Also expected to feature are Filimon Abraham, Alric Petit, Andrea Elia, Marco Moletto, Max Farcoz, Damiano Pedretti, Alex Baldaccini, Ephantus Njeri, Marek Chraschina, Sylvain Cachard, Bastien Racineux, Joe Steward, Harry Bolton, Jake Collier, and Cynog Williams.

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Year after year the Fletta Trail attracts some of the best mountain runners in the world and delivers some of the most exciting racing in the calendar. The course is spectacular and challenging, with long climbs and descents. The runners start in Malonno at 525m and then climb steadily for 4km until they reach 960m. At that point they then have the respite of 1km of downhill, before beginning the long haul up the highest point in the race – 1271m – over the course of 6km. Then there’s just the small matter of a fast and furious 7km descent to decide the race.

In the women’s race Njeru, current course record-holder (1:38:44) and champion in 2021, will be back to race the champion of 2022, Mayr. But as with the previous day of racing, there is huge depth in this field. Kisang is new to the race but will be one to watch, as will Adkin. Other women doubling up at the Piz Tri Vertical and Fletta Trail include Bonzi, Cornish, Carter, Murigi, Clayton and Soma.

In addition to those runners who will have ‘warmed up’ with the previous day’s race, we will see Monica Madalina Florea, who was sixth in the classic race at the recent World Championships, plus 2020 winner Elisa Sortini, 2016 champion Sara Bottarelli and Susanna Saapunki, Alessia Scaini, Lucie Marsanova and Eli Anne Dvergsdal, which is billed by organisers as the strongest ever women’s field for Fletta Trail in terms of depth, number of titles and pure quality.

In the men’s race the athlete to beat will be Kipngeno, world champion in the short uphill in 2022 and 2023 and winner of the 2022 Valsir World Cup.

Defending his record (1:25:26, set in 2019) will be Italy’s Cesare Maestri, but two athletes who will no doubt be snapping at their heels are Kiriago and Abraham. As the silver and bronze medallists respectively in the classic race at the recent World Championships, and in Kiriago’s case the defending champion of Fletta Trail, they are expected to challenge.

Other runners doubling up with the Piz Tri Vertical include Cachard, who memorably dominated the race for 20km in 2020 before Francesco Puppi overtook him in the final straight, plus Aymonod, Chraschina, Rostan and Becan.

The programme for the weekend opens on Friday evening with the presentation of the athletes and a screening of a documentary about the race, to mark and celebrate its 60-year milestone. The Piz Tri Vertical will kick off the racing on Saturday morning.

Reporting by World Athletics.