World Mountain Championships: Kenyan Men Dominate Podium While Women Stumble On Day One

Kenyan men were off to a great start while the women’s team struggled to find form on the steep course in the Vertical Uphill at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in CanfrancPirineos, Spain.

In the men’s race, Switzerland’s Remi Bonnet stole the show as he dethroned defending champion Patrick Kipngeno with a record-breaking run.

Confident from the start, Remi Bonnet attacked the steep course perfectly suited to his strengths. By the halfway control point, he had already opened up a clear lead on his rivals.

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He surged ahead to claim gold in 37:50, smashing the course record and leaving no doubt about his dominance.

At the finish, Remi Bonnet said, “I’m very happy to win here. My training style, combining ski mountaineering with trail running, made me feel very confident.

“It’s never easy to beat the top Kenyan runners in an Uphill race, but today I managed to do it. I’m really pleased with my performance.”

Though unable to defend their title with defending champion Patrick Kipngeno in the mix, the Kenyan team showed strength and depth with two athletes on the podium.

Richard Omaya, another Kenyan who looked poised to take top honours, claimed silver in 39:04, while former champion Patrick Kipngeno secured bronze with 39:20.

After the race, Richard Omaya noted, “Past the halfway point, I saw that Remi had opened too big a gap, so I focused on running my own race to the finish. I'm also really happy with the excellent result achieved by our Kenyan team today.”

“From around kilometre 2, I realised the dream of a third title wouldn’t be possible today, Remi and Richard were just too strong. As for the course, I really enjoyed it. I love these landscapes and the overall atmosphere,” Patrick Kipngeno added.

Team Results: Gold: Kenya – 22 points Silver: Switzerland – 34 points Bronze: USA – 41 points

Kenyan women, expected to challenge for individual medals and team gold, ultimately fell short of expectations, failing to place a runner on the highly competitive podium.

The challenging 6.4-kilometre course, which featured a steady 990 meters of elevation gain up the slopes of Larraca Mountain, was a perfect test of pure climbing power.

The women's race was instead controlled by Germany’s Nina Engelhard, who delivered a masterclass in uphill racing, securing a commanding victory in 45:33 in her world championships debut. She was followed by Finland’s Susanna Saapunki and the USA’s Anna Gibson.

This outcome is particularly disappointing considering Philaries Kisang's silver medal performance in the same event at the 2023 Championships. Philaries Kisang crossed the finish line in 14th place, with other Kenyans Mirriam Chepkirui finishing in 54th.

The pressure is now on the team to regroup for the Classic and Trail events later in the week to secure the individual and team medals that global audiences have come to expect.