Philemon Kiriago of Kenya is competing in both the vertical kilometer and 23-kilometer trail race at the 2024 Mountain Running World Cup Finals. In this interview, he talks about his running journey and competing at the highest level of international mountain running at a young age; what it was like to race against the best at Sierre-Zinal; and how he works together with teammate Patrick Kipngeno.
For more on who’s racing, check out our in-depth men’s and women’s previews and follow our coverage here on the website and on Twitter/X over the weekend.
Philemon Kiriago Pre-2024 Mountain Running World Cup Final Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Meghan Hicks of iRunFar. I’m with Philemon Kiriago. It’s a couple of days before the 2024 Mountain Running World Cup. Hi, Philemon. Hujambo [hello in Swahili].
Philemon Kiriago: Sijambo.
iRunFar: How are you? Habari yako?
Kiriago: Salama sana.
iRunFar: We are here in Italy, and it is time for the world cup Final. Your whole racing season is moving to this weekend, and then the Golden Trail World Series Finals, which are next weekend. How does it feel to be near the end of your mountain running season?
Kiriago: Of course, it was a hard time for me from the beginning, but at the moment I’m fully energetic for the finals. I’m ready for tomorrow, Sunday. Also next week for the Golden Trail Series. I want to see if I will run in the podium side overall. That’s my target.
iRunFar: This is our first video interview with you. I know we wrote an article about you recently on the website, but I’d love to learn a little bit more about you. You come from Western Kenya, from Kisii, and you played sports as a kid, but it wasn’t running. It was handball first?
Kiriago: Yes.
iRunFar: How did you find running? Is Kisii a running location? Are there runners there? How did you become one?
Kiriago: For sure, I’m coming from the Western part of Kenya. I’m near to the boundary of the Kalenjin, the Rift Valley. I usually admire how the Kalenjin, they are performing their activities. I found some relative people, they were running. I was admiring them. They run until they become successful in life. That’s why I motivated myself that I’m capable to make it.
I started from learning in school. I was performing good in school up to the regional level. That’s why I was motivated by them that everything is possible. I started to learn in the schools. I go up to the national level. After school, I joined the Rift Valley guys. I told you I joined some people near to Patrick [Kipngeno]. That’s the moment I knew Patrick after school. We trained together for two years before I joined Run2gether. When I joined Run2gether, after a few months, also Patrick joined Run2gether. We continue to be friends until now.
iRunFar: Was it about two years ago that you discovered you were pretty good at mountain running with the national championships in Kenya? How did you convert from cross-country and road running to running up big mountains?
Kiriago: For sure, for me, I was fully focused on cross-country. Because I was planning to learn cross-country good, so that I will be ready to be in the military in Kenya. But when I joined Run2gether, you know, Run2gether is in a high-altitude place, and a very mountainous place. When I came there, automatically Run2gether changed me to mountain. When I started running good, I started having small living. I said, no need again of going back to cross-country. I started to focus on mountain running. As you see me, I’m proud of Run2gether.
iRunFar: So you joined Run2gether, do you remember your age? Were you 20?
Kiriago: I was 19 years old.
iRunFar: You were 19. And that was your first time to Austria and to the Alps, and to see the mountains of Europe?
Kiriago: My first year was when I was 20 years. My first time, I was coming to test if I will continue running in mountain, or I go back to cross-country. When I came, I found myself that I have the potential of running. And I was being motivated with my coaches, and also with my manager Thomas [Krejci], that everything is possible when you have a strong mind. That’s why I see that mountain running is a very nice competition in the world.
iRunFar: And you have not given up cross-country in total, because you mountain run in the summers, and then when you’re home in Kenya in the off-season, you race cross-country still? Smaller races?
Kiriago: Yes, of course. But we race as we are training, like a part of a training. You go to the competition, but you know when you are running a mountain, the more you run the mountain, the speed, it lowers. Now you go there, you just race from behind to say that I’m part of training.
iRunFar: Yeah, I like that. And just one more thing about your background. You are 22, you’re quite young, but you’re a dad. You are married and you have a baby at home.
Kiriago: Yeah, of course. After training Run2gether, you know I was somehow young. But after that, I started to have everything. Now I said that I’m capable to take care of somebody else. I decided to have a girlfriend and having one baby that when I’m running, I’m saying that I’m looking for something for my baby. That’s why you see me, every moment I want to run a podium cycle.
iRunFar: I love that. Yeah, I love that. This year you’ve raced a lot of different races. You’ve been simultaneously competing here in the Mountain Running World Cup, and you’ve also been in the Golden Trail World Series. Have you been to three continents for racing? Asia, Europe, and North America?
Kiriago: Yes. Yes.
iRunFar: What has that been like for you? Do you ever have these moments of, I’m from a small town in Kenya, and now I’m in China, and now I’m in America. What is that transition to international racing like for you?
Kiriago: According to me, I’m so happy to interact with different people and different nations. You know, I’m happy that when you meet strong guys, strong international runners from different countries, you share skills. You know that how people are living, where they are coming from, what the consequences they are suffering, and we learn from each other.
iRunFar: And in terms of this season in the world cup, you’ve had a great season. Probably your best finish in the world cup was a very narrow second place to Kilian Jornet at Sierre-Zinal. What was it like, yeah, what’s it been like racing this season and seeing your level continue to grow and grow such that you’re close to a person like Kilian, who is, I don’t know, trail running’s greatest of all time?
Kiriago: For sure, I’m happy to run with international runners because I’m very young. When I see that I’m running with international runners, those people that are having skills than me, I’m so happy. I want to challenge them to see which strategy they are using in order to learn a long time, to perform good. That’s why I try to test Kilian, if I’m capable to challenge him. But he said to me that you are young, come slow.
iRunFar: Ah, okay. Take your time, learn it, grow.
Kiriago: Yes.
iRunFar: And then you’ll be the champion one day.
Kiriago: Yes, of course.
iRunFar: I like that. You have had great performances in the world cup. Lots of second places to your teammate Patrick Kipngeno. This weekend and in the world cup, in the standings, he is first and you are second. Will you be competing together to lift you both up? Or will you and he be competing against each other to see who is the best this weekend?
Kiriago: For sure, before I told you that I’m so young, Patrick is older than me. I want to learn behind him, to learn some skills, so that I win in the future. For now, I don’t have the pleasure to challenge him with another team. Expecting to complete this season with friendship and continue to have friendship in the future.
iRunFar: I love that mentality because they always say that with friends or with teams, you each can do more by lifting each other up.
Kiriago: Yes, of course. When you are a team, you know, when you are in teamwork, you can do better than individually. Even if you run in front yourself, you cannot make it. So when you are in a team, you push each other, you push for each other until the finish.
iRunFar: And so for this weekend’s races specifically, today’s Friday, tomorrow is the vertical kilometer, and then Sunday is the trail race, back to back with no break in between. Tomorrow, are you racing from the gun all the way up, time trialing, or will you be thinking a little bit about Sunday tomorrow?
Kiriago: For sure, tomorrow, it will be hard for everybody because, you know, tomorrow running individual. Most of the people, they like to run as a group. But according to me, I do train individual sometimes, I do speed work individual. So I’m expecting to run good. Of course, even if the course is technical, I will try to perform good.
iRunFar: Put everything in tomorrow, try to recover as best as you can, and put everything into Sunday.
Kiriago: Yes, of course, but we don’t think about Sunday because we think for tomorrow. Sunday is another day. God knows, yes. You cannot jump tomorrow, you go for tomorrow, but you should focus for tomorrow, then Sunday.
iRunFar: Philemon Kiriago, asante sana. Thank you for the interview, and good luck in both the vertical kilometer and the trail race.
Kiriago: Karibu sana. Thank you so much for a good interview.
iRunFar: Thank you.
Kiriago: You’re welcome.
