Scout Adkin at the Zmeu X-Fest in Romania (© WMRA by Marco Gulberti)
The WMRA Mountain Running World Cup season starts with the São Brás Cross in the Castro Daire region of Portugal on Sunday (19) and the start lists read like a who's who of international mountain running.
In the women's race, all eyes will be on Great Britain’s defending World Cup champion Scout Adkin. She has proven herself at the highest level across all three race categories – uphill (3–9km), classic up & down (10–21km) and long mountain (22–50km) – and arrives in Portugal for this 10.9km up & down race as one of the favourites.
But she will not have it easy. Nélie Clément of France won the classic up & down race at Vauban last season and backed that up with two top-10 finishes at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, while Kenya’s Ruth Mwihaki Gitonga announced herself on the global stage with silver in the classic up & down race at the World Championships. Benedetta Broggi, Camilla Magliano, Marie Nivet and Elle Twentyman complete a women's field of considerable depth and quality.
The men's race is no less competitive. Kenya’s Michael Selelo Saoli arrives as a strong favourite after claiming two classic up & down victories en route to third place in last year's overall World Cup standings.
Italy’s Alberto Vender has been a model of consistency on the World Cup circuit, while Ireland’s Zak Hanna brings a wealth of international experience to the start line. Théodore Klein of France had an impressive 2025 campaign and will be looking to build on that momentum, and Great Britain’s Matthew Knowles has been producing a series of increasingly competitive results at senior level in recent seasons.
Thomas Hilton could also be one to watch along with former World Cup champion Andrew Douglas and local favourite Marcelo Gonçalves.
The race takes athletes across the rugged terrain of the Serra de Montemuro, its technical course set against a landscape of granite ridges, forested valleys and open moorland. At 10.9km with 628 metres of climbing, the São Brás Cross is no gentle season opener. The course has three shorter climbs but one bigger climb at around the 3km mark that could sort the field early and ruthlessly.
The long downhill section between kilometres four and six could prove equally decisive, demanding confidence and fast legs on technical terrain. And the course delivers one final twist – a cruel uphill finish that will test fitness and resolve in equal measure.
The 2026 WMRA Mountain Running World Cup features 16 races in 10 countries across four continents – from the mountains of Central Portugal to the peaks of Austria, Switzerland and beyond. Full calendar.
Kirsty Reade (WMRA) for World Athletics
