Kenyan athletes have dominated world distance running in track, cross-country and road in recent decades and are fast moving to challenge Europe and the USA’s dominance in trail and mountain running following their success in the world’s most competitive trail / mountain run at Sierra-Zinal, Switzerland on the weekend.
The top-flight Swiss race marked the final event in the Golden Trail World Series and the penultimate race in the Mountain Running World Cup before their respective season finales within the next two months.
Run2gether On Trail’s Philemon Kiriago and Milimani Salomon’s Joyline Chepngeno defended their titles in emphatic manner to stand atop the podium following the high-intensity 31km race between the Swiss towns of Sierra and Zinal and were delighted to share their respective podium with several of their compatriots.
The sole non-Kenyan to grab a podium place was ultra-marathon star, Katie Schide. Although voted the world’s number one trail athlete last year, that honour was primarily on the back of her top performances over 100 mile races and the French-based American’s speed to finish third in Switzerland took many by surprise.
Sierra Zinal brings together the disciplines of trail and mountain running, this combination, together with the runnable course attracting road athletes, ensuring a world-class field year on year.
In a perfectly-paced race, Kiriago took the lead from surprise package, Swiss triathlete, Adrien Briffod, in the final quarter, the sharp descent playing into the hands – and feet – of the Kenyan. Briffod had built an early lead on the lung-searing climb from the start and was a minute ahead of his rivals through Hotel Weisshorn, near the high-point of the race, just 11km from the finish.
Kiriago, who won at Sierra Zinal in 2023 and was second by a whisker to a record-breaking Killian Jornet last year, crossed the line at Zinal in 2 hr 28 min 32 sec, 37 seconds clear of his Run2gether On Trail teammate Patrick Kipngneno and three minutes outside Jornet’s record time. A third Kenyan, Michael Saoli was just 6 seconds back in third to complete a remarkable Kenyan clean-sweep.
Earlier two other Kenyan athletes, Josphat Kiprotich and Timothy Kibett had been in the mix, together with Swiss Dominik Rolli, but they faded on the long descent to the finish with yet another Kenyan, Paul Machoka, flying into fifth place behind Briffod.
Three years ago, Joyline Chepngeno, a single mother of two, was reflecting on the running successes of her former schoolmates, where she had been a talented steeplechase athlete. Determined to succeed for her kids, she trained hard for two years, shed 30kg and arrived at the start line at last year’s Sierra Zinal in top condition.
Chepngeno shocked the trail world by winning that race and she returned last weekend to defend her title in emphatic manner in 2:54:50 – just less than a minute ahead of her Milimani Salomon teammate, Caroline Kimutai and five minutes off Swiss athlete Maude Mathys’ course record from 2019.
German 2hr 24min marathoner, Laura Hottenrott, turned to trail over the weekend and led the race on the toughest section of the climb, before Kimutai took over at the front of the women’s race.
Chepngeno gradually closed the gap, taking over the lead from Kimutai just after Chandolin, 12km into the race, with Romanian Madaline Florea and local hero Mathys rounding out the top five.
Chepngeno’s flowing strides took her further ahead as she raced home to victory, with Schide moving through the field to finish third behind Kimutai.
The 2025 Golden Trail World Series season began in Asia (Kobe Trail and Jin Shan Ling Great Wall Trail Race) in April, continued in Europe (Il Golfo dell’Isola and Zegama-Aizkorri) before crossing into the Americas in June (Broken Arrow Skyrace and Tepec Trail). Last week’s Salomon Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail and Sierre-Zinal have brought the GTWS ‘league’ phase to a close.
African athletes are to the fore in the league standings going into the Grand Finale at Ledro Sky Trentino in Italy, October 9 to 12, and will be looking to cement their positions to clinch their share of the lucrative prize money at stake.
Moroccan, Elhousine Elazzaoui, who races for Killian Jornet’s NNormal team, tops the table, having amassed maximum points from three wins in the series, with three Run2gether Kenyan athletes, Kipngeno, Kiriago and Saoli, close behind in positions two to four. Italian Daniel Pattis closes out the top five.
Florea tops the table in the women’s competition ahead of the Spanish duo, Sara Alonso and Malen Osa with two Kenyans, Joyce Njeru and Kimutai, in fourth and fifth respectively.
| RESULTS SIERRA-ZINAL 31KM TOP 10 MEN |
| Philemon Kiriago (Kenya – Run2gether On Trail) 2:28:32 Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya – Run2gether On Trail) — 2:29:09 Michael S. Saoli (Kenya – Run2gether On Trail) — 2:29:15 Adrien Briffod (Switzerland – Atlet) — 2:32:07 Paul Machoka (Kenya – Atletica Saluzzo) — 2:33:02 Martin Nilsson (Sweden – VJ) — 2:33:53 Dominik Rolli (Switzerland – Salomon) — 2:34:10 Andreu Blanes (Spain – Hoka) — 2:35:20 Elhousine Elazzaoui (Morocco – NNormal) — 2:36:00 Francesco Puppi (Italy – Hoka) — 2:37:50 |
TOP 10 WOMEN |
| Joyline Chepngeno (Kenya – Salomon Milimani Runners) 2:54:50 Caroline Kimutai Kenya – Salomon Milimani Runners) 2:55:34 Katie Schide (USA – On) 2:58:32 Maude Mathys (Switzerland – Asics) 2:58:57 Oria Liaci Switzerland – Brooks) 3:00:22 Laura Hottenrott (Germany – Asics) 3:00:32 Miao Yao (China – Salomon) 3:01:36 Susanna Saapunki (Finland – On –) 3:02:31 Anna Gibson (USA – Brooks Running) 3:05:14 Joyce Njeru (Kenyia – Nnormal) 3:06:05 |
| GTWS OVERALL STANDINGS TOP 10 MEN |
| Elhousine Elazzaoui (Morocco – NNormal) — 600 points Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya – Run2gether On Trail) — 588 points Philemon Kiriago (Kenya – Run2gether On Trail) — 588 points Michael S. Saoli (Kenya – Run2gether On Trail) — 498 points Daniel Pattis (Italy – Brooks) — 470 points Taylor Stack (USA – Brooks) — 453 points Roberto Delorenzi (Switzerland – Brooks) — 436 points Cesare Maestri (Italy – Nike) — 434 points Dominik Rolli (Switzerland – Salomon) — 432 points Pierre Galbourdine (France – Brooks) — 423 points TOP 10 WOMEN Madalina Florea (Romania – Scott) — 576 points Sara Alonso (Spain – Asics) — 566 points Malen Osa (Spain – Salomon) — 540 points Joyce Njeru (Kenya – NNormal) — 538 points Caroline Kimutai (Kenya – Salomon Milimani Runners) — 532 points Lauren Gregory (USA – Nike) — 481 points Rosa Lara (Spain – Compressport) — 459 points Philaries Jeruto Kisang (Kenya – Run2gether On Trail) — 456 points Naomi Lang (United Kingdom – Salomon) — 451 points Takako Takamura (Japan) — 443 points |
