The Golden Trail World Series and World Mountain Running Association World Cup converged at Sierre-Zinal in Switzerland, and Kenya came away the winners. There was a little bit more racing out there too, and we’ll ease into the week with another This Week in Running.
Sierre-Zinal – Sierre, Switzerland
It was double gold for Kenya at Sierre-Zinal and the country had a strong showing throughout the top 10 too.
The 31-kilometer race is one of the world’s best, and this year’s run was again part of both the World Mountain Running Association’s World Cup and the Golden Trail World Series. You can also read more in our 2022 Sierre-Zinal results article.
Men
The race starts with a big climb and near the top Mark Kangogo (Kenya) made a move that broke up the pack. He later shed countryman Patrick Kipngeno and finished alone in first at 2:27. It was Kangogo’s debut run at Sierre-Zinal and his finish sits third best ever, two minutes back of the course record from 2019. Kangogo appears to hold 1:02 half marathon and 2:14 marathon bests, dating to 2014 and 2018, respectively.
Andreu Blanes (Spain) took a figurative parachute off the high point and blasted the downhill to finish second in 2:29. Kipngeno, this year’s WMRA World Cup leader, was third in 2:29.
While course record holder and nine-time winner Kilian Jornet (Spain) was high-fiving fans toward the finish, Petro Mamu (Eritrea) slipped past and the pair finished fourth and fifth in 2:30. Jornet, of course, is the 2022 Hardrock 100 champion, and he’s expected to race again in two weeks at UTMB.
[In 2017, Mamu failed two doping tests, after both the World Mountain Running Championships and the World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships. He was given a nine-month ban starting in September of 2017 by the IAAF for testing positive for fenoterol.]
Mark Kangogo, the 2022 Sierre-Zinal men’s champion. Photo: Marco Gulberti/Corsa in Montagna
The race is so deep, so we’ll list out the top 20 below.
6 – Philemon Kiriago (Kenya) – 2:30
7 – Robert Pkemoi Matayango (Kenya) – 2:31
8 – Daniel Osanz (Spain) – 2:34
9 – Rémi Bonnet (Switzerland) – 2:34
10 – Robbie Simpson (U.K.) – 2:34
11 – Dominick Rolli (Switzerland) – 2:37
12 – Anthony Felber (France) – 2:37
13 – Sylvain Cachard (France) – 2:38
14 – Francesco Puppi (Italy) – 2:38
15 – Daniel Pattis (Italy) – 2:39
16 – Thomas Roach (Austria) – 2:39
17 – Stephen Wenk (Switzerland) – 2:40
18 – Geoffrey Ndungu (Kenya) – 2:40
19 – Mekonen Tefera (Ethiopia) – 2:40
20 – Cristian Minoggio (Italy) – 2:40
American results included Eli Hemming (21st), Jeshurun Small (49th), and Nicholas Turco (57th).
Women
Esther Chesang (Kenya) zoomed out from the jump, but Maude Mathys (Switzerland), winner of the last three Sierre-Zinals and the course record holder, made it close. Mathys outran Chesang on the downhill, but Chesang finished 30 seconds in front, both at 2:52. Mathys’s course record stands at 2:46. Chesang, another new name to this column, appears to have 1:09 half marathon and 2:26 marathon bests, from 2019 and 2021, respectively.
[In 2015, Mathys received a warning without suspension from the Disciplinary Chamber for Doping Cases of Swiss Olympic for two positive tests for clomifene (previously clomiphene) after it was determined that she was mistakenly taking the drug without first obtaining a World Anti-Doping Agency Therapeutic Use Exemption.]
The two frontrunners gapped the field and Philiares Kisang (Kenya), Teresiah Omosa (Kenya), and Sarah McCormack (Ireland, lives in U.K.) were third through fifth in 2:58, 3:01, and 3:04.
Esther Chesang, the 2022 Sierre-Zinal women’s champion. Photo: Marco Gulberti/Corsa in Montagna
The remainder of the top 20 went as follows:
6 – Bailey Kowalzcyk (USA) – 3:04
7 – Lucy Murigi (Kenya) – 3:06
8 – Núria Gil (Spain) – 3:07
9 – Sara Alonso (Spain) – 3:08
10 – Tabor Hemming (USA) – 3:08
11 – Sally Jepkosgei (Kenya) – 3:09
12 – Patricia Pineda (Spain) – 3:09
13 – Mathilde Sagnes (France) – 3:09
14 – Camilla Magliano (France) – 3:10
15 – Julie Roux (France) – 3:11
16 – Alice Gaggi (Italy) – 3:11
17 – Theres Leboeuf (Switzerland) – 3:13
18 – Oihana Kortazar (Spain) – 3:14
19 – Kimber Mattox (USA) – 3:14
20 – Dani Moreno (USA) – 3:15
Other Americans in the international field included EmKay Sullivan (28th) and Ashley Brasovan (33rd).
Skåla Opp – Stryn, Norway
It was the 20th Skåla Opp, and regrettably the race’s last too. The course looks to be roughly 8k with an uphill finish, and the U.S. dollar equivalent of $3,568 went to the winners with money going eight deep. Despite the rich prize purse, the race field was mostly Norwegian.
Men
Stian Angermund (Norway) was three minutes in front of everyone in 1:08. Henri Aymonod (Italy) and Thorbjørn Ludvigsen (Norway) were second and third in 1:11, 33 seconds apart.
Joseph Gray (U.S.A.) was fourth in 1:12.
Women
Lina El Kott (Sweden) raced to a 1:27 victory, two minutes better than Johanna Åström (Sweden). Monica Solvang (Norway) was third, also in 1:29, but 22 seconds behind Åström.
Additional Races and Runs
European Athletics Championships Marathon – Munich, Germany
Nienke Brinkman (The Netherlands, lives in Switzerland) finished third in the marathon in 2:28:52, 17 seconds back of the winner. Full results.
Kesugi Ridge Traverse – Alaska
The Kesugi Ridge Traverse event incorporated a full traverse of 30 miles and a half traverse of 15.5 miles. The full traverse was won by Peter Noon in 4:52, and Chloe Papier in 6:10. Cody Priest and Jenna DiFolco took top spots in the half traverse, in 2:11 and 2:37, respectively.
Peter Noon, the 2022 Kesugi Ridge Traverse men’s winner. Photo courtesy of Matias Saari.
Chloe Papier, the 2022 Kesugi Ridge Traverse women’s champion. Photo courtesy of Matias Saari.
Swiss Alps 100 Mile – Fiesch, Switzerland
Three ultra distances were contested, of course all on mountain routes. Gabriela Sboarina (Switzerland) and Denise Zimmerman (Switzerland) won the 100-mile race in 25:17 and 29:26, Manuel Sprenger (Switzerland) and Kerstin Dusch (Switzerland) led the 100k in 12:30 and 14:46, and Greg Miescher (Switzerland) and Marta Molist (Spain) shined in the 50k in 5:52 and 6:27. Full results.
Bigfoot 200 Mile – Mount St. Helens, Washington
They’re still going, 200 miles takes days, but, at the time of writing, Jovica Spajic and Joanna Pisarski presently lead. Spajic is 139 miles in after some 36 hours of running, and Pisarski has run 109 miles over 34 hours. Spajic was second at last year’s Moab 240 Mile. Tracking.
Waldo 100k – Oakridge, Oregon
Colton Gale and Jessie Goodell triumphed in 9:33 and 12:21, respectively. Full results.
Colton Gale winning the 2022 Waldo 100k. Photo: Waldo 100k
Resort to Rock 50k – Boise, Idaho
A small field of 31 finishers was led by Michael Postaski and Jessica Milander in 4:20 and 5:52. Full results.
Ute 100 Mile – La Sal, Utah
Run Bum Tours crowned Jeff Hern and Elle Jones as winners. Hern finished in 24:08, and Jones in 27:27. Jones’s mark was a new course record for the fifth-year race. Full results.
Eastern States 100 Mile – Waterville, Pennsylvania
The race runs as a single, 103-mile loop that collects 20,000 feet of elevation gain. Ryan Clifford was two and a half hours better than everyone else with a 20:13 finish, and Justyna Wilson won for the women in 26:04. Full results.
Call for Comments
Maybe it was a little quiet, maybe because UTMB is on the horizon? Whatcha got from the weekend to add to the results here?
