Joyce Muthoni Njeru during the Transvulcania uphill (© WMRA - Marco Gulberti)
Richard Omaya Atuya and Joyce Muthoni Njeru secured a Kenyan double at the Transvulcania uphill, the fourth stage of the WMRA Mountain Running World Cup, in La Palma on Thursday (7).
La Palma, widely regarded as the steepest island in the world, provided an uncompromising backdrop for the competition. A high-calibre elite field took to the start line in the Port of Tazacorte for a 7.3-kilometre course demanding 1200 metres of vertical ascent.
The opening kilometres offered a steep start as athletes wound their way along zig zags 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.
Great Britain’s Kirsty Skye Dickson (55:37) and USA’s Tyler McCandless (50:09) set the early marks to beat, but they had a nail-biting wait to see if they could hang on to their positions.
Kenya’s Philemon Ombogo 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 Kenya’s Ruth Mwihaki Gitonga, one of the major threats and champion at the Sāo Brás Cross, 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.
The first long-distance race of the World Cup season takes place in La Palma on Saturday (9). The 25-kilometre course sets off at 7:30am from the island's iconic Faro de Fuencaliente lighthouse and the finish line is at Refugio de El Pilar.
Kirsty Reade (WMRA) for World Athletics
