Saapunki and Costa Win at Smarna Gora
This weekend the Valsir Mountain Running World Cup returned to a familiar venue for its next Silver Label event. Voted the Greatest Mountain Race of All Time in a WMRA poll in 2020, Smarna Gora is an event that never fails to provide great racing on a stunning course.
The weekend kicked off on Friday evening with the warm-up event of the Smarna Gora Record, an associate member partner race for the World Cup. This short, sharp race of 1.85k with 360m of ascent always gives us an exciting start to proceedings and this year was no exception. Susanna Saapunki (FIN) won the women’s race in 13.06 and Luka Kovacic (SLO) took the win for the men (see top three results below). With a lot of athletes doubling up, would we see the same runners on the podium the following day?
Conditions for Smarna Gora Race were perfect, with Saturday dawning cool but sunny and clear. Temperatures would heat up during the morning, but not enough to create issues for the runners, who would take on the 10k route with 710m of ascent and 350m of descent. Ahead of them was an initial climb to the summit of Grmada at the 4k mark, followed by a 2k descent before a final climb which spirals around the mountain to reach the summit finish at Gostilna Ledinek Inn.
On the start line were two athletes riding high in the World Cup standings, who stood to gain some important points here. Remi Leroux (CAN), after a successful summer in Europe, had 138 points and was just two points off third place in the men’s competition. Susanna Saapunki (FIN) stood on 117 points and in sixth place.
In the women’s race it was a repeat of the previous evening’s Smarna Gora Record, with Saapunki leading it out from the start. After the climb to the first summit she had opened up a lead of about a minute on second placed Varineja Drasler (SLO) and she proceeded to add to this on the ascent up to the finish, eventually winning in 49.41. Drasler held onto second, finishing in 52.21, with Nusa Mali (SLO) completing the podium in 53.20.
The men’s race was much closer with Isacco Costa (ITA), Lengen Lolkurraru (KEN), Remi Leroux (CAN), Timotej Becan (SLO) and Michael Galassi (ITA) changing positions throughout. It was last
year’s winner, Becan, who led initially but in the latter stages it was Costa who managed to break away and he took the win in 43.13, just eight seconds ahead of Lolkurraru in second. Leroux completed the podium ten seconds behind him in 43.31, securing some useful World Cup points in the process.
Results
Smarna Gora Record
Women
- Susanna Saapunki (FIN) – 13.06
- Tea Faber (CRO) – 15.13
- Sara Bilban (SLO) – 16.03
Men
- Luka Kovacic (SLO) – 11.12
- Remi Leroux (CAN) – 11.24
- Klemen Spanring (SLO) – 11.25
Records are 12.36 for the women (set by Andrea Mayr in 2022) and 10.59 for the men (Filimon Abraham, 2020).
Smarna Gora Race
Women
- Susanna Saapunki (FIN) – 49.41
- Varineja Drasler (SLO) – 52.21
- Nusa Mali (SLO) – 53.20
- Adela Vetcha (CZE) – 54.07
- Dominika Zupancic (SLO) – 55.30
Men
- Isacco Costa (ITA) – 43.13
- Lengen Lolkurraru (KEN) – 43.21
- Remi Leroux (CAN) – 43.31
- Timotej Becan (SLO) – 43.44
- Michael Galassi (ITA) – 43.49
Records are 47.50 for the women (set by Andrea Mayr in 2017) and 41.32 for the men (Alex Baldaccini in a photo finish with Azerya Taklay with both athletes recording the same time in 2012).
See full results here: TIMING Ljubljana
Current World Cup standings
With the points removed from runners who have done more than six races it’s Joyce Muthoni Njeru (KEN) and Philemon Kiriago (KEN) who lead, with 280 and 250 points respectively. For the women Philaries Kisang (KEN) is second with 195 points, Andrea Mayr (AUT) with 190, Lucy Murigi (KEN) with 160 and Scout Adkin (GBR) just behind with 156. But Saapunki has closed the gap here, as she is now on 137 points. For the men Patrick Kipngeno (KEN) is just behind Kiriago with 230 points, but Leroux’s 14 points gained here means that he now leapfrogs Joe Steward (GBR), who has 140 points, to take third position with 152 points, with Andrea Rostan (ITA) behind Steward with 106. See full results and standings here: World_Cup_Results.pdf (wmra.info)
Next race
Next up it’s the final three races in this year’s World Cup at Sky Gran Canaria:
13th October Vertical Uphill race (6.6k, +947m)
14th October Long Mountain Race (35k, +2736m)
15th October Classic Mountain race (21k, +740m/-1970m)
With so many points available here, it will be an exciting finale to the 2023 World Cup. We will be bringing you a preview of the races in the next few days.
with 360m of ascent, taking the most direct route from the start in Tacen to the top of the hill. The records for this race are 12.36 for the women (set by Andrea Mayr in 2022) and 10.59 for the men (Filimon Abraham, 2020).
For the men, Remi Leroux (CAN) is having a great season, with second places at the Canfranc vertical uphill race and Montemuro Vertical Run, and will be among the favourites. He is currently sitting in fourth place in the men’s World Cup standings with 138 points. Liam Meirow (USA) could be one to watch, as could Lengen Lolkurraru (KEN). There are some strong Italian runners too, including Michael Galassi and Isaaco Costa, and last year’s winner, Timotej Becan (SLO), can’t be discounted.
athletes took the lead, then Henri Aymonod from Valle D’Aosta, winner of the Overall Cup ranking in 2021, opened the gas in the direction of Sante Caterine where the GPM was located. At the first passage of Fiera di Primiero, the Kenyan Lengen Lolkurraru was first, behind Chevrier and Aymonod and the other Kenyan Timothy Kimutai Kiriu controlled the situation. The big jolt came from two-time world champion Chevrier who, unleashed, took the lead. A perfect push on his boots and an impeccable technical action allowed the star from Valle d’Aosta to gain immediately a good margin. Behind him, the race was very close between Aymonod, the Canadian Remi Leroux and Alberto Vender from Trentino. The Kenyans, who perhaps started too strongly, lost some ground, while the experienced Alex Baldaccini, Michael Galassi and Liam Meirow came up. 
The women’s race was more or less similar: Finland’s Susanna Saapunki took the reins of the race straight away, edging out the Kenyan favourite Lucy Murigi, England’s Sara Willhoit and the newly crowned Italian champion Vivien Bonzi. The multi-sport athlete Saapunki, who is as fast on the run as she is on the narrow skis, stretched out on the last lap, with the Kenyan Murigi suffering a 10-second delay, followed by a brilliant Bonzi, who wanted to be part of the games at all costs. Susanna Saapunki literally pulled away, celebrating at the finish line after 51′ of the race. 1’33” behind for the experienced Murigi, while Sara Willhoit completed the podium. Slipping off the podium was the Italian Bonzi, who suffered an attack by the Briton in the final.
While day one was all about strength and power in the uphill-only 9.2km event, day two came down to endurance and tactics and a touch of technical skill as the runners faced 1191 metres of ascent and descent in the up and down race.
Vera Bernardo (POR, W40), Simone Raatz (GER, W45), Dee Collins (IRL, W35). Photo © Nancy Hobbs
Tiago Aires (POR, M40), Shaban Mustafa (BUL, M45); Bernardi Massimiliano (ITA, M40). Photo © Nancy Hobbs
First up on the race programme, which featured a shorter 
for training until February this year,”
with Murigi (pictured, credit Marco Gulberti) five minutes behind. At this point Magliano was 90 seconds behind Murigi, so the race for second and third was still very much alive, even if the victory seemed in little doubt. Behind them lay Bel Calero (ESP), Cotton and Ainara Alcuaz (ESP).
At the summit of La Moleta it was still all very close. Leroux hit the summit first, in 1.03.49, but Osanz was right on his heels. Behind them there was a gap of just under a minute to Hernandez (pictured, credit Marco Gulberti) and then a small gap of 20 seconds to Marcelo Goncalves (POR), with Adil Moussaoui (MOR) just behind. A further minute behind lay Alric Petit (FRA) and Ondrej Fejfar (CZE). It was all going to come down to the technical and slippery descent.
was going to give it up as he just kept up the pace. Behind him the real race was on as Leroux and Loustau constantly switched places as they chased Steward and fought each other. In the end Steward couldn’t be caught and won convincingly in 35.34, with Leroux winning the race for second just under two minutes behind him. Loustau was just behind in third.
The women’s race also had some really strong contenders, several of whom are in strong contention for the World Cup this year. Joyce Muthoni Njeru (KEN) is sitting at the stop of the women’s standings, having won Fletta Trail and La Montee du Nid d’Aigle earlier this season, as well as taking second place at Sierre Zinal. She is always a serious contender in the classic races, but what could she do here? Similarly, fellow Kenyan Lucy Murigi is in the top five of this year’s World Cup competition, having had some strong results. Other runners expected to feature included Camilla Magliano (ITA) and Olivia Magnone (FRA).
Zinal. She won both races here last year and she will definitely be out to defend those titles. She will certainly face strong competition from fellow Kenyan Murigi, who has finished in the top ten for races consistently this year, as well as winning Giir di Mont. Magliano too is always a strong performer in big races and she finished fourth in the vertical race and second in the classic race here last year.
events where they race on consecutive days if they choose to double up.