Patrick Kipngeno wins at the 2023 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (© Organisers)
The Aragonese Pyrenees will welcome 1600 athletes from 73 national teams for the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships CanfrancPirineos 2025, held on beautiful yet ruthless terrain from 25-28 September.
Athletes who excelled at previous editions return to decide who the new world champions and medallists 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 medallists will be at CanfrancPirineos to test themselves again.
This year’s fields include double world champions Patrick 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). Not forgetting the legendary former short trail champions Francisco Puppi (2017) and Jim Walmsley (2019), and the double classic champion Grayson Murphy.
Uphill: Kipngeno targets hat-trick
Kenya’s Patrick Kipngeno – master of the uphill – returns for this vertical 7km race with 1000m of elevation in a bid to win his third consecutive title at this discipline. All eyes will be on his elastic stride, turning impossible slopes into highways. Spain’s Alex Garcia Carrillo, bronze medallist 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 the revelation in Austria and now faces Canfranc with the confidence of knowing she’s among the best on the planet. Switzerland’s Maude Mathys, bronze medallist 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 uphill bronze in 2023, will this year contest the short trail race.
Classic: Kiriago and Njeru seek Kenyan double
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 Grayson Murphy and Tove Alexandersson – the gold and silver medallists in 2023 – opting for the short trail event, it’s made the women’s classic race wide open.
Kenya’s Joyce Njeru, the bronze medallist in 2023, returns and will be hopeful of claiming the top spot on the podium.
Compatriot Philemon Kiriago, silver medallist 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.
Short trail: Angermund seeks third successive win
While Kipngeno pursues a third gold in the uphill, Norway’s Stian Angermund looks to do the same in the short trail, a 45km race with 3600m elevation, closer to a short ultra than a classic alpine marathon.
Angermund’s blend of power and technique makes him the leading candidate, though the Pyrenean terrain will not give anything away. The full podium from 2023 will be reunited as Britain’s Thomas Roach and Italy’s Luca del Pero, the silver and bronze medallists two years ago, also return.
The women’s race also promises to be thrilling. Romania’s Denisa Dragomir, champion in 2021, is out to reclaim her throne in a race that also features Switzerland’s Judith Wyder and Therese Leboeuf, the silver and bronze medallists in 2023, plus the legendary Maude Mathys, who is moving up in distance after her classic bronze in 2021.
Grayson Murphy and Tove Alexandersson, gold and silver medallists in the classic race in 2023, try their luck at the longer distance. After coming close to threatening the men’s record in the last Canfranc short trail, Alexandersson could produce another outstanding run this weekend.
Long trail: Peterman vs Roubiol for second gold
The long trail – an 80km race with 6000m elevation – will be a clash of the titans as the past two winners of this title go head-to-head in the men’s race.
France’s Benjamin Roubiol defends his title against 2021 winner Adam Peterman of the USA. While Peterman usually aims to dominate with a steady pace, long strides, and the ability to crush kilometres consistently, Roubiol is more of a strategist who knows how to suffer, manages each climb like a chess player, and finishes strong when others falter.
Italy’s Andreas Reiterer, a podium finisher at the past two editions, will be targeting his first gold. Slovakia’s 2023 bronze medallist Peter Frano is also one to watch.
Jim Walmsley, 2019 short trail world champion, and Italy’s Francesco Puppi, short trail runner-up in 2021, both try their luck at the 80km.
The silver medallists from the past two editions clash in the women’s race in the form of Germany’s Katarina Hartmuth and Sweden’s Ida Nilsson. Spain’s 2021 bronze medallist Gemma Arenas, meanwhile, arrives with experience, resilience and the warmth of the local crowd.
