It’s been a weekend in Thailand! Sunday’s World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down race was the last of four world championships on the weekend in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The race course ran as a lollipop going uphill 475 meters (1,558 feet) almost from the jump to a halfway high point. Runners then rocketed back downhill toward a 10.7-kilometer (6.6 miles) finish.
There was a $16,500 prize purse with money going five deep, just like in each of the weekend’s other races.
Speaking of other races, you can check out our results articles for the 2022 World Mountain Running Championships Uphill, 2022 Trail World Championships 40k, and 2022 Trail World Championships 80k races.
The start of the 2022 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down women’s race. All photos: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
2022 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down Women’s Race
Ugandan runners Rebecca Cheptegei and Annet Chelangat Chemengich dominated the women’s race, finishing first and second in 46:25 and 46:52. Second-place Chemengich was the only runner within two minutes of the winner. Cheptegei ran a 2:31 marathon earlier this year.
Rebecca Cheptegei, 2022 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down Champion.
Annet Chelangat Chemengich of Uganda took second at the 2022 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down race.
Both of those two were racing for the first time on the weekend, but Allie McLaughlin (USA) doubled back from winning the uphill race on Friday to earn individual bronze here. She was third in 48:31.
Allie McLaughlin of the USA on her way to taking third at the 2022 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down race.
Monica Florea (Romania) and Scout Adkin (U.K.) were fourth and fifth in 49:12 and 50:19, respectively.
With runners finishing sixth, 13th and 15th, Switzerland earned the team win ahead of Great Britain and the U.S.
2022 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down Women’s Results
1 – Rebecca Cheptegei (Uganda) – 46:25
2 – Annet Chelangat Chemengich (Uganda) – 46:52
3 – Allie McLaughlin (USA) – 48:31
4 – Monica Florea (Romania) – 49:12
5 – Scout Adkin (U.K.) – 50:19
6 – Judith Wyder (Switzerland) – 50:36
7 – Hanna Groeber (Germany) – 50:49
8 – Holly Page (U.K.) – 50:52
9 – Onditz Iturbe (Spain) – 50:57
10 – Adeline Martin (France) – 51:01
Women’s Teams
- Switzerland – Judith Wyder, Maude Mathys, Rea Iseli
- Great Britain– Scout Adkin, Holly Page, Naomi Lang
- U.S. – Allie McLaughlin, Rachel Tomajczyk, Corey Dowe
Switzerland’s Judith Wyder took sixth at the 2022 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down race, leading her country to a gold medal in the women’s team race.
2022 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down Men’s Race
Ugandan and Kenyan runners really, really dominated the men’s race, taking the first five finish positions. Second-place Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya) was the only non-Ugandan runner in the top five.
First-place Samuel Kibet (Uganda) raced up, then down in 40:02. Just 21 years old, Kibet set a 28:29 personal best over 10k earlier this year. Kipngeno, the uphill winner from earlier in the weekend, was a close second in 40:12, and Timothy Toroitich (Uganda) was third in 40:26.
Uganda, of course, took the team win, and Spain and Italy were second and third.
Samuel Kibet, 2022 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down Champion. 
Patrick Kipngeno (left) of Kenya and Timothy Toroitich of Uganda race it out with about a mile to go at the 2022 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down race before finishing second and third, respectively.
2022 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down Men’s Results
1 – Samuel Kibet (Uganda) – 40:02
2 – Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya) – 40:12
3 – Timothy Toroitich (Uganda) – 40:26
4 – Leonard Chemonges (Uganda) – 40:51
5 – Eliud Cherop (Uganda) – 41:27
6 – Andreu Blanes (Spain) – 41:31
7 – Alberto Vender (Italy) – 42:26
8 – Oriol Cardona (Spain) – 42:44
9 – Cesare Maestri (Italy) – 42:47
10 – Jáchym Kovář (Czech Republic) – 42:48
Men’s Teams
- Uganda – Samuel Kibet, Timothy Toroitich, Leonard Chemonges
- Spain – Andreu Blanes, Oriol Cardona, Alejandro Garcia
- Italy – Alberto Vender, Cesare Maestri, Xavier Chevrier
Team Uganda’s three scoring members, who all helped win men’s team gold in the 2022 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down race (l-to-r): Leonard Chemonges, Samuel Kibet, and Timothy Toroitich. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Andreu Blanes of Spain took sixth at the 2022 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down race, leading Team Spain to a silver medal in the men’s team race. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
