Joyce Muthoni Njeru during the Transvulcania uphill (© WMRA - Marco Gulberti)
Philemon Kiriago and Ruth Mwihaki Gitonga claimed victories in the long-distance races at Transvulcania on Saturday (9), leading a sweep for Kenyan athletes across the four races held during the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) World Cup weekend on La Palma where all four winners also broke course records.
Kiriago won the men’s long-distance race in 2:07:43 after a dramatic battle over the closing stages with France’s Anthony Felber, who finished just four seconds behind in 2:07:47. Richard Omaya Atuya and Sweden’s Linus Hultegård shared third place in 2:08:15 after crossing the line together.
Gitonga was more dominant in the women’s race, taking control on the long climb before extending her advantage on the descent to win in a course record of 2:22:50. Fellow Kenyan Joyce Muthoni Njeru finished second in 2:25:39, with Great Britain’s Kirsty Skye Dickson taking third in 2:33:21.
The long-distance race, the first in that discipline on this year’s WMRA World Cup circuit, covered 25 kilometres with more than 2100 metres of ascent on the volcanic terrain of La Palma in the Canary Islands. Starting from the Faro de Fuencaliente lighthouse, runners tackled the demanding Ruta de los Volcanes route before finishing at Refugio de El Pilar.
In the men’s race, the Kenyan Run2gether On Trail trio of Atuya, Kiriago and Ephantus Mwangi Njeri quickly moved to the front and remained together through the early stages. Atuya gradually opened a gap on the long climb and reached the high point at Las Deseadas more than two minutes ahead of Kiriago and Njeri.
But the race changed dramatically on the descent. Kiriago, the 2025 world mountain running champion, steadily reeled in his teammate before moving into the lead on the final downhill section. Felber also closed rapidly in the closing kilometres, pushing Kiriago all the way to the finish before the Kenyan prevailed by four seconds.
Atuya held on for third after matching Hultegård stride for stride on the run-in, while Njeri was forced to withdraw following a fall on the descent.
Gitonga’s victory was built on the climb. After establishing an early lead, she steadily increased her advantage over Njeru and Dickson through the ascent to Las Deseadas, reaching the summit around three minutes clear.
The Kenyan maintained her momentum over the descent to seal an emphatic victory and underline her growing status on the World Cup circuit. Njeru held on for second, while Dickson secured another podium finish after placing runner-up in the uphill race earlier in the weekend.
Two days prior, Kiriago and Gitonga had both secured podium finishes in the uphill races as compatriots Atuya and Njeru claimed victories in record-breaking performances.
A high-calibre elite field took to the start line in the Port of Tazacorte on Thursday (7) for a 7.3km course demanding 1200m of vertical ascent.
The opening kilometres offered a steep start as athletes wound their way along zigzags overlooking the sea, through verdant terrain along the GR131 long-distance hiking trail in the warm evening sunshine. There was some brief respite in the form of a gentle road section, but the course's character shifted markedly as the field progressed beyond the El Time Viewpoint at 513 metres and the Hungarian House at 624 metres. Beyond those landmarks, the route became considerably more hostile – rocky underfoot and unrelentingly steep – while descending cloud cover brought cooler temperatures and added a further dimension of difficulty.
The leading contenders set off at a furious pace to take advantage of the brief stretch of flat road before the climb began. The elite field started at one-minute intervals in a time trial format, adding to the drama at the finish line, where conditions continued to deteriorate as the race went on.
Dickson (55:37) and USA’s Tyler McCandless (50:09) set the early marks to beat in the women’s and men’s races respectively, but they had a nail-biting wait to see if they could hang on to their positions.
Kiriago and Atuya have had many close battles in World Cup uphill races, and this one was no different. Kiriago set off last, and the chase was on. Ephantus Mwangi Njeri took a chunk off McCandless’s lead, finishing in 47:39, but Atuya then reached the summit in a record time of 45:01.
Only Kiriago and Sweden’s Martin Nilsson had the chance to beat him, but Kiriago fell short for once, settling for second place in 47:33. Anthony Felber of France was fourth in 48:20 and Nilsson was fifth in 48:46.
In the women’s race, it looked as though Dickson might hang on as Gitonga reached the finish line in 58:00. But Muthoni Njeru and her compatriot Philaries Jeruto Kisang remained out on the course and Muthoni Njeru – who won in Changping – showed strong form again and took the win in a record 55:02.
Dickson held on to second place ahead of Gitonga, while Italy’s Benedetta was fourth in 58:30 and Spain’s Moana Lilly Kehres fifth in 58:35. Kisang did not finish.
Kirsty Reade (WMRA) for World Athletics
