Classic mountain race witnesses brilliant races as the WMRA World Cup hits Valais in Switzerland on Saturday

Sierre-Zinal never fails to draw top elite fields, but one of the things that truly sets this legendary race apart is its uncanny ability to attract crossover stars from other disciplines like triathlon, road and ultra running and even cycling. Last year, Joyline Chepngeno also proved the event’s magic as a springboard for unknown talents, bursting on to the mountain running scene from obscurity. Predictability has no place here. Sierre-Zinal thrives on surprises, rewriting expectations with every edition.

Sierre-Zinal’s relentless evolution is evident in its finish times. Before Jonathan Wyatt shattered the 2hr 30min barrier in 2003 and Angela Mudge broke three hours in 2001, these marks seemed untouchable. Now we routinely expect the course record to be under threat by multiple runners every year. This year’s field alone packed 23 men under 2:40 and 11 women below 3:10.

There was no Kilian Jornet this year, but that certainly wasn’t going to make the men’s race any less competitive, with former winners like Andreu Blanes (Salomon) and Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (Run2gether) and a deep field of top athletes. Chepngeno (Milimani Runners Salomon) was back to defend her title in the women’s race, but Maude Mathys (ASICS) would want to add to her record four wins, and a whole host of the best female runners in the world would be trying to stop them. And all runners had extreme heat to deal with today.

Women's race

Just as we saw Chepngeno announce herself onto the world scene last year, Sierre Zinal debutante Caroline Kimutai (Milimani Runners Salomon) struck out for the lead straight away. Kimutai is a team mate of Chepngeno, but it was clear from the start that it would be fiercely competitive between them.

Kimutai initially opened up a lead of around 90 seconds on the long climb, and was ahead of Chepngeno’s time last year, with Chepngeno herself, German marathon runner Laura Hottenrott (ASICS), Mathys, Madalina Florea (Scott) and Miao Yao (Salomon) leading the chase. Behind them lay Cristina Simion (Stiinta Bacau), Susanna Saapunki (On Running) and Katie Schide (On Running), who is generally found doing (and winning) races approximately five times longer than Sierre Zinal.

By Chandolin, 12km into the race, Kimutai was still holding on to the lead, and she was still ahead of last year’s winning time, but Chepngeno had started to close the gap and now it was only 40 seconds. Hottenrott sat a minute behind, with Mathys and Florea just behind her. But there was still a very long way to go, and as we see year after year at Sierre-Zinal, anything can happen.

As the gap between Kimutai and Chepngeno and the chasing runners started to grow, at no point did they stop racing. Slowly Chepngeno closed the gap and overtook Kimutai, but Kimutai didn’t take her foot off the gas. And now there was a really interesting race shaping up for third too, with Hottenrott, Mathys and Florea close together. By Hotel Weisshorn, nearing the top of the climb section of the course, Schide and Saapunki were still in contention and Oria Liaci (Brooks) and Anna Gibson (Brooks) had also started to move up into the top 10.

Once they were on to the descent it really started to shake up the placings. Chepngeno maintained a narrow lead over Kimutai, but Mathys was starting to make her move, overtaking Hottenrott, and Schide was now up to fifth, with Liaci a minute behind. It didn’t look like anybody was going to catch Chepngeno and Kimutai, but the race for third was really on.

Chepngeno successfully held on for the win, in 2:54:29 (just 23 seconds slower than her winning time last year) with Kimutai taking second in 2:55:31, an incredible debut. Schide illustrated that ultra runners can have great speed as well as endurance by coming through to take third in 2.58.56, overtaking Mathys and Hottenrott on the final downhill. Liaci came through to take a brilliant fifth.

Afterwards, Schide said she found it incredible to find herself in the "Queen of races " alongside the "Queen of the race", Mathys. She also said that she "could never have dreamed, when I did this race in 2021, that I’d be on the podium of this race".

It seems we might be seeing more of Hottenrott in mountain running too. She said afterwards that while she’s still pursuing marathon running on the roads, she’s loving combining it with mountain running during the summer and plans to return to Sierre-Zinal to try to run faster.

Top five women
Joyline Chepngeno (Kenya) 2:54:49
Caroline Kimutai (Kenya) 2:55:31
Katie Schide (USA) 2:58:30
Maude Mathys (SUI) 2:58:56
Oria Liaci (SUI) 3:00:20

Men's race

Just as the women’s race was led out by a runner making their debut here, it was Adrien Briffod (Team ATLET) of Switzerland who decided to take the men’s race on. Known more as a triathlete, it must have been a surprise for some to see him challenging early on. But the group let him go and he opened up a lead of over a minute by the first timing point at Ponchette, 8km in. At this point it was Josphat Kiprotich (Run2gether), Timothy Kibett (Milimani Runners Salomon), Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (Run2gether) and Dominik Rolli (Salomon) leading the chase.

On the long climb Briffod showed no sign of letting up and he continued to maintain his lead. Those chasing him must have slowly realised that he hadn’t gone out too fast, and he wasn’t going to make it easy for them by blowing up. By Chandolin, at 12km, Kibett was leading the chase, with the same runners, but now Patrick Kipngeno (Run2gether), Elhousine Elazzaoui (Nnormal), Michael Selelo Saoli (Run2gether), Paul Machoka (Atletica Saluzzo) and Blanes were joining in.

By Hotel Weisshorn they must have been wondering what they had to do to catch him, so Kipngeno took some decisive action and began to close him down. Saoli and Machoka were also starting to ramp it up. It was still extremely close and it was all going to come down to the long descent to Zinal.

Brifford could not hang on with his solo run any longer and he was caught by Kiriago, Kipngeno and Saoli early on the long downhill. Could he hang on and still make the podium? It was looking unlikely as the top three started to open a gap on him. And it was very close for the podium places. Eventually an emotional Kiriago held on to take his second victory here, in 2:28:45. Kipngeno held off Selelo, taking second in 2:29:08 with Selelo third in 2:29:14. Brifford did hang on for fourth, in a stunning debut. Martin Nilsson of Sweden came through for sixth, having run a smart race.

Top five men
Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (KEN) 2:28:45
Patrick Kipngeno (KEN) 2:29:08
Michael Selelo Saoli (KEN) 2:29:14
Adrien Briffod (SUI) 2:32:06
Paul Machoka (KEN) 2:33:00

Scout Adkin and Paul Machoka hold on to their World Cup lead going into the World Cup Finals in Slovenia on August 23-24.

Full results here.