JORNET MAKES IT TEN AND CHEPNGENO BURSTS ONTO SCENE AT SIERRE-ZINAL

12/08/2024

We expected big things from this year’s Sierre-Zinal, but nobody could have predicted the race that unfolded. In what was an exceptional race, even by Sierre-Zinal standards, we saw a brand new exciting talent burst onto the scene in Joyline Chepngeno and an incredible tenth win for Kilian Jornet.

Temperatures had been rising in the Swiss canton of Valais during the week, and race day dawned with blue skies and high temperatures. It was 26 degrees centigrade on the start line, and remained hot, with very little breeze, even at 2000m. Conditions were challenging and the heat would certainly play a part.

Starting at Sierre and climbing up to Hotel Weisshorn, before flattening out and then descending all the way down to Zinal, this course has something for every runner over the course of 31k. Famously, this course produces some surprise upsets as stronger ascenders lead early on, and faster flat and downhill runners come through from the midway point. Leads built in the first half can disappear quickly in the second half. Would we see some surprises again this year?

WOMEN’S RACE

With an absolutely stacked field and all of last year’s women’s top 5 returning, there were many runners we expected to lead this race out. However, it was actually a runner we haven’t seen in any mountain races before – Joyline Chepngeno (Milimani Runners) – who shocked everybody by hitting the front. Scout Adkin (HOKA), who we know is an incredibly strong ascender, kept her in her sights, followed by Madalina Florea (Salomon), last year’s runner-up Joyce Muthoni Njeru (Atletica Saluzzo), and Philaries Jeruto Kisang (Run2gether), third last year. All eyes were on Chepngeno, to see if she had gone out too fast.

When they arrived at the first timing point at Ponchette Chepngeno was still in the lead and had in fact stretched out a lead of 49 seconds on second-placed Adkin. Behind Adkin there was over a minute’s gap back to Muthoni Njeru. Florea, who has very good flat and downhill speed, was still in touch a minute behind her, with Kisang a minute further back, followed by last year’s winner Sophia Laukli (Salomon), Cristina Simion (Stiinta Bacau) and Anna Gibson (Brooks).

The questions now were whether Chepngeno could maintain her lead in this, her first European mountain race, and would she have the speed when they hit the flatter and downhill sections? By Chandolin it was looking good for her. By now she had stretched her lead out to over 2 minutes over Muthoni Njeru, with just 14 seconds back to Adkin and Florea 30 seconds behind her. The race for second and third was really on.

In the next section Chepngeno continued her dominance and Adkin made her move over Muthoni Njeru, into second place. Florea was also starting to move up by now and she also moved ahead of Muthoni Njeru. Behind her Jeruto Kisang, Simion, Gibson and Laukli continued to chase hard.

Any thoughts of inexperience on Chepngeno’s part leading to her going out too fast were well and truly out of the window by now. She was commanding this race for the women and just stretching out her lead to almost 6 minutes. But Adkin doggedly continued to chase her and maintain her lead over Florea, working hard in the heat. Florea’s downhill speed wasn’t enough to catch Adkin and she was holding off Simion, Kisang, Gibson and Laukli.

Chepngeno arrived in Zinal to take what was an incredible first win in a race for her, in 2.54.06! Despite showing promise as a young athlete, she apparently only returned to running fairly recently, having lost 30kg of weight. Adkin took a very strong second in 3.02.21 and Florea third in 3.04.29.

Top 5

Joyline Chepngeno (Milimani Runners) – 2.54.06
Scout Adkin (HOKA) – 3.02.21
Madalina Florea (Salomon) – 3.04.29
Philaries Jeruto Kisang (Run2gether) – 3.05.52
Cristina Simion (Stiinta Bacau) – 3.07.51

Full results can be found here: DS live (datasport.com)

MEN’S RACE

With nine-time winner Kilian Jornet (NNormal) in the field, it was no surprise to see him lead it out for the men. He set off with a clear sense of determination and the race was on to see if he could secure his tenth title. He was chased by last year’s runner-up, Patrick Kipngeno (Run2gether), Swiss runner Roberto Delorenzi (Brooks), Remi Bonnet (Salomon) and Josphat Kiprotich (Run2gether), who’s achieved some strong results in the World Cup this year already. Could anybody keep in touch with Kilian, or would he have it all his own way today?

At the first official timing point at Ponchette it was still Jornet in the lead, but Kiprotich was hot on his heels, just 6 seconds behind. At this point Bonnet was a further minute behind, with Kipngeno just behind him, followed by Paul Machoka (Kenya), last year’s winner Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (Run2gether), Sylvain Cachard (HOKA) and Delorenzi.

But immediately following the checkpoint Kiprotich made his move and overtook Jornet. For the next kilometre the lead changed hands constantly, but then Kiprotich made a more emphatic statement by putting a 30 second gap into Jornet by Chandolin. It started to look as Jornet could be beatable here. At this point Kipngeno was another 90 seconds back, with Bonnet just behind him and Machoka, Cachard, Delorenzi and Ezekiel Rutto (Milimano Runners) chasing.

For a while it looked as if Kiprotich might have done it, as he maintained a 45 second lead on Jornet coming into Tignousa. Bonnet and Kipngeno were together and 90 seconds behind, with a gap back to the chasing group. However, ominously, Jornet had reeled Kiprotich in by the time they hit Hotel Weisshorn and they came into the checkpoint together. This was turning into a fascinating race.

Just when the battle semed to be between these two runners, there was another plot twist. Jornet made an emphatic move, putting a 30 second gap between him and Kiprotich within a few minutes. But then Kiriago, who had been 1 minute 46 seconds behind them at Weisshorn made his move. He slowly reeled in Kiprotich, then set his sights on Jornet.

On the long downhill section towards the finish Kiriago suddenly appeared on Jornet’s shoulder and overtook him. How would Jornet respond? He obviously answered him in exactly the way we would expect and the race was on. He closed the small gap that had opened and then picked his moment perfectly as he overtook Kiriago, by putting some distance between them again on the steep downhill section. Kiriago came back to him on the concrete streets of Zinal, but Jornet couldn’t be caught and claimed his tenth title, beating his own course record by one second in 2.25.34. Kiriago finished just 2 seconds behind Jornet to take second place, with Kipngeno in third in 2.26.59.