Mayr and Adkin win Mountain Running World Cup final in Italy

Andrea Mayr and Jacob Adkin took victories at the historic Chiavenna-Lagunc Vertical Kilometre in Italy on Saturday (8) as the 2022 Valsir Mountain Running World Cup reached a fantastic conclusion.

It was appropriate that a race that began way back in 1986 and was the first officially recognised vertical kilometre would seal the final podium positions after 17 races.

An event that has witnessed world records in the past again produced some of the quickest times on the VK circuit, thanks to a short 3.2km distance accommodating the 1000m climb.

In contrast to the cold of last year, athletes were greeted with warm, sunny conditions, although they were mainly shaded by the trees on the steep hillside that leads out of the town.

Mayr seals short category success

Although the absent Kenyan Joyce Njeru had already cemented the overall win in the Valsir World Cup, Mayr’s successful Chiavenna defence snatched second place as well as the short category honours.

With a time of 36:34, Mayr was within a minute of her course record 35:40, set in 2018, which is the fastest ever in a race disallowing poles.

With her fourth win here, the Austrian confirmed her title as queen of the vertical. Starting the last of the elite women, she made up more than two minutes on everyone else. Britain’s Scout Adkin (38:55) and Italy’s Elisa Sortini (39:00) were next quickest to cover the countless steep steps that are a characteristic of the course.

Although the runners started at one-minute intervals, the time trial scenario added to the drama as the elapsed times were revealed as soon as they crossed the line. It was no surprise for the enthusiastic crowd of supporters in the small commune of Lagunc to hear the winner’s name.

However, for the six-time world champion, winning feels far from routine and is no less enjoyable. “Every time is definitely a special feeling,” said the 42-year-old. “It’s a challenge every year and maybe it’s getting even more challenging because I’m getting older.

“I always make myself a lot of pressure before a race, but it was a good race and the weather’s beautiful, the atmosphere’s beautiful.”

Ominously for her rivals, she feels she may have been able to go even quicker had she been fresher. “I think this time I lost the record the week before,” said the winner. “I did some hard sessions the day before and that is definitely the reason I didn’t have enough."

Adkin, bronze medallist at July's European Championships and sister of men’s race winner Jacob, excelled on her first appearance here, although admitting she was unsure how to pace a time trial.

The Brit, who will compete in the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand next month, said: “It was really good. I was a bit worried about pacing it because I’ve not done a time-trial style for a long time and haven’t done a VK this short and steep before, so I think it worked well in the end. I managed to start picking off people from about half way up, which was good.”

She will return home for a few weeks before heading to the World Championshops, where she will compete in both uphill and up-and-down. However, she hopes to contest more World Cup events next year. “I was a bit gutted I only managed to do two this year, so my plan will definitely be to do at least three of the uphill ones and ideally a couple of the others.”

Twice world champion Lucy Murigi claimed third overall for the season, although she finished just 12th today in what is not her speciality.

Njeru and Romania’s Monica Madalina Florea ranked second and third overall in the short category, with the classic and long races all completed before today.

Adkin claims big comeback win

Even though he won uphill-only gold at the European Championships in 2019, GB's Adkin was able to enjoy victory as something of an underdog as northern Italy’s Henri Aymonod, winner each of the last three years, had been centre of most attention.

His victory in 32:11 – 1:56 outside the course record – represented a great comeback to the top of the sport after he broke an ankle this year and then had Covid affect his build-up to the European Championships.

He was just 12 seconds in front of ski-mountaineer Matteo Eydallin of Italy, who improved from fifth last year.

However, there was gasps of disappointment as the fast-finishing Aymonod was confirmed to be third with 32:29.

Adkin said: “I knew training had been going well up until last week for Smarna Gora last weekend in Slovenia. Unfortunately, I obtained an injury during that race. I had a bit of a down period this week, so I wasn’t sure going in what to expect from my body.

“It’s such a good field today, really top-class athletes from different sports as well as vertical specialists. Really happy to have taken the win here. It’s a classic race I’ve always wanted to do and a real honour to have placed first.

“I was able to keep a good rhythm running most of the way even with all the steps, which sometimes are quite big, so I was able to keep the rhythm running instead of having to stop and walk, which keeps the momentum going.”

Like his sister, he is soon off to Thailand, although he will race just the uphill-only event.

Eydallin said afterwards: “I knew I was in good condition in general but I’m not a mountain runner. Being a time trial and not with the other runners, the important thing is to stay concentrated until the end. I’m happy with my race because it was hard and the time is better than I did last year.

“The beautiful thing here in Chiavenna is it’s a neutral race because everybody can do a good performance, whether you’re a cyclist, mountain runner, ski-mountaineer. It’s a bit of a meeting between people of different sports. It’s a good atmosphere, a good party for the people of the village.”

In fifth, Ireland’s Zak Hanna did enough for third place overall behind Kenyans Patrick Kipngeno and Philemon Kiriago. However, all three scored equal points in the short category rankings and Hanna found himself sandwiched between Kipngeno and Kiriago on the tiebreak rules.

Paul Halford (WMRA) for World Athletics

Leading results

Women
1 Andrea Mayr (AUT) 36:34
2 Scout Adkin (GBR) 38:55
3 Elisa Sortini (ITA) 39:00

Men
1 Jacob Adkin (GBR) 32:11
2 Matteo Eydallin (ITA) 32:23
3 Henri Aymonod (ITA) 32:29

Full results

Final Valsir Mountain Running World Cup standings

Overall

Women
1 Joyce Njeru (KEN) 300
2 Andrea Mayr (AUT) 215
3 Lucy Murigi (KEN) 186

Men
1 Patrick Kipngeno (KEN) 300
2 Philemon Kiriago (KEN) 230
3 Zak Hanna (IRL) 173

Short category

Women
1 Andrea Mayr (AUT) 140
2 Joyce Njeru (KEN) 125
3 Monica Madalina Florea (ROU) 70

Men
1 Patrick Kipngeno (KEN) 100
2 Zak Hanna (IRL) 100
3 Philemon Kiriago (KEN) 100