Michael Saoli and Joyce Muthoni Njeru enjoy victory at the WMRA mountain running World Cup event in China on Sunday.

The 2026 WMRA Mountain Running World Cup produced another memorable day of racing in Beijing Changping, where the season’s third event took athletes to the historic Silver Pagoda Forest for the Classic Up & Down, World Cup category powered by Turismo Centro de Portugal

Surrounded by ancient Buddhist pagodas, forest trails and steep mountain slopes, the venue offered a completely different challenge from the previous day’s race on the Great Wall. The Silver Pagoda Forest, also known as Yinshan Pagoda Forest, is one of northern China’s most important Buddhist heritage sites. Its pagodas were built across several dynasties, with many dating from the Jin Dynasty (1115–1234) and later additions from the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, making parts of the site more than 800 years old.

Supported by the Beijing Changping District Government, the event once again welcomed runners from across the world to compete in a place where sport, history and nature met in rare fashion.

THE CLASSIC UP & DOWN: 18KM OF CLIMBING, DESCENDING AND DECISIONS

The race covered approximately 18km with around 1,200 metres of ascent. It demanded far more than raw speed. Athletes needed strength on the climbs, control on the descents and good judgement over a course that kept changing rhythm.

After the opening climb through the pagoda area, runners dropped into the first technical downhill of the day before entering a rolling middle section of around four kilometres. At CP2 (km 9), the race reached its key moment, with the biggest climb on the course shaping the final outcome before the descent to the finish.

MEN’S RACE: SAOLI TAKES CHARGE EARLY

Kenya’s Michael Selelo Saoli moved to the front from the start and never gave the field much room to respond. He reached the Silver Pagoda Forest and the first major climb in the lead, followed by Italy’s Isacco Costa and fellow Kenyan Paul Machoka, with Britain’s Andrew Douglas close behind.

Saoli stayed strong through the technical downhill and the faster middle section, arriving at CP2 still in control. On the longest climb of the day, he held his advantage and then managed the final descent well to secure victory in 1:25:49.

Costa continued his excellent weekend with second place in 1:28:00, while Machoka took third in 1:28:58. Douglas ran consistently for fourth in 1:29:31, and Italy’s Luca Merli finished fifth in 1:30:43.

WOMEN’S RACE: NJERU STAYS CALM AND DELIVERS

The women’s race opened at a fast pace, with Kenya’s Joyce Muthoni Njeru reaching the Silver Pagoda Forest in first place alongside Chinese runner Liu Junhui.

As the race developed, USA athlete Courtney Barnes Coppinger and Switzerland’s Maude Mathys moved into the main chasing positions. By CP2, Njeru still held the lead, while the battle for the podium remained close behind her.

On the decisive climb, Njeru kept her rhythm and never looked under real pressure. Courtney held second, Mathys stayed third, and on the final downhill Italy’s Camilla Magliano used her descending skills to move past Liu Junhui.

Njeru crossed the line in 1:40:33 for victory. Courtney Barnes Coppinger followed in 1:42:27, with Mathys third in 1:43:17.