Philaries Jeruto Kisang of Kenya will compete at this weekend’s 2024 Mountain Running World Cup Finals in Chiavenna, Italy, where she’ll contest both the vertical kilometer and 23-kilometer trail race. In this interview, our first with Philaries, she talks about how she only recently took up running and found immediate success, how mountain running is her preferred type of running, and what it’s like to return to this event as the defending champion.
For more on who’s racing, check out our in-depth women’s and men’s previews and follow our coverage here on the website and on Twitter/X over the weekend.
Philaries Jeruto Kisang Pre-2024 Mountain Running World Cup Finals Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Sarah Brady of iRunFar. I’m here just a couple of days before the 2024 Mountain Running World Cup Finals in Chiavenna, Italy. And I’m here with Philaries Jeruto Kisang. How are you?
Philaries Jeruto Kisang: I’m fine.
iRunFar: Great. It’s great to meet you. I know you’ve just arrived, and you went straight to this interview, so thanks so much for making the time. You have raced here before. You were here last year, and you won both these races, the VK and the long trail. So how does it feel to come back as the reigning champion?
Jeruto Kisang: I won this race last year, both the vertical and the up and down, and this year I need to become position one in vertical. I know I noticed this year in all Europe, there are many, many, many, many runners, so I thank Run2gether for allowing me to come to this vertical and all the races.
iRunFar: Ok, and is the vertical your priority? You’re doing both races, but is the vertical more important to you?
Jeruto Kisang: The most important for me is vertical, and up and down … is somehow good.
iRunFar: It’s just an extra. To rewind, we’ve never interviewed you before, so I’d love to know about your background in running. So, I know you grew up in Kenya. When did you start running, as a child or later in life?
Jeruto Kisang: I will continue with running and until next year I will improve all. Both vertical and the up and down. Yes.
iRunFar: Ok, and have you run for many years before?
Jeruto Kisang: I started running for 2022, and for world cup, I ran between 2023 and 2024, and I will continue running again.
iRunFar: Ok, so it was all mountain running. You did no road running beforehand?
Jeruto Kisang: No running before.
iRunFar: Ok, just straight in. I like it. Last year you had an amazing world cup season. You finished second woman in the world cup, so you’ve done a lot of these races before. Is it good to come back with more experience?
Jeruto Kisang: Yes, to come with more experience in 2024, but this year I became position two or three, but let me try my best.
iRunFar: Yes, I know I’ve seen that, that you have like come second or third so many times, which is really, really good results, but I suppose also frustrating when you’re competitive and you want to win. I think you won the Grossglockner Mountain Run?
Jeruto Kisang: No, I got a position three. No position one this year, but last year I tried to go the position one, and this year position two only and three.
iRunFar: But very consistently so it’s still very good.
Jeruto Kisang: Yes.
iRunFar: Of all the races you’ve done so far this year in the world cup, what do you think was your favorite? Your favorite race so far?
Jeruto Kisang: My favorite is running a mountain.
iRunFar: And last year you did the Golden Trail World Series as well.
Jeruto Kisang: Yes.
iRunFar: So that’s a lot of racing. And this year you decided to just do the world cup.
Jeruto Kisang: Yes.
iRunFar: And has that made things easier?
Jeruto Kisang: Yes, it is easier, but this year a lot of runners from all over Kenya, all over Europe, so I tried my best.
iRunFar: It’s just getting more and more competitive.
Jeruto Kisang: Yes, competitive. Very, very competitive.
iRunFar: And do you have your strategy worked out for both of these races in terms of pacing?
Jeruto Kisang: No.
iRunFar: No strategy? Just run?
Jeruto Kisang: Just run.
iRunFar: Ok, that sounds good. Keep it simple.
Jeruto Kisang: Oh, thanks.
iRunFar: And then after this, is this the end of your season or do you have more races at home in Kenya? Do you have more races at home after this?
Jeruto Kisang: I have the Mount Longonot Trail Challenge next month. And a race in Iten, up and down. I have three in Kenya.
iRunFar: Well, the very best of luck this weekend, and we look forward to seeing you out there. Thank you so much.
Jeruto Kisang: Thank you. Thank you so much.
