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WORLD MOUNTAIN RUNNING ASSOCIATION

EXCITING ELITE FIELDS TO CONTEST SMARNA GORA

Our next stop for the 2024 Valsir Mountain Running World Cup is the Smarna Gora Race on 5th October. This is a gold label event, which is our next (and final) classic mountain race in this year’s World Cup, and it’s the 45th edition of this great event.

In 2020 the race was voted the Greatest Mountain Race of All Time in a WMRA poll and it has been included as a World Cup race over 20 times. The race takes place on the outskirts of the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana. Unlike some of our other races Smarna Gora doesn’t take the runners into the high mountains. The highest summit, Grmada, stands at just 676m above sea level and less than 400m above the city below but the area boasts some incredible running routes and stunning scenery.

The race weekend kicks off on Friday night (4th October) with the Smarna Gora Record, an associate member partner race for the World Mountain Running Association. This is a fast and furious race of 1.85k with 360m of ascent, taking the most direct route from the start in Tacen to the top of the hill. Many of the runners will take part in this event as a prelude to the Smarna Gora Race the following day.

At 10k with 710m+ and 350m-, the course is a blend of tough climbs, fast running and technical trails. The summit of Grmada is reached first, just after the 4 kilometre mark, before a 2 kilometre descent brings the runners back down to begin the final climb, spiraling anti-clockwise around the mountain to finish outside the Gostilna Ledinek Inn at the summit.

Andrea Mayr holds the record for the women, 47:50 set in 2017 in the fastest of her 7 wins (the first of which was in 2008). The men’s record is from 2012, when Alex Baldaccini just pipped Azerya Teklay in a photo finish, with both athletes recording 41:32. This year, as ever, there are some strong contenders.

The favourites

The women’s race has an exceptionally strong field again this year. Five of the current top six female athletes in this year’s World Cup standings will be on the start line, including last year’s winner, Susanna Saapunki (New Balance), and the women’s record holder, Andrea Mayr. With just three races to go Joyce Muthoni Njeru (Atletico Saluzzo) sits at the top of the World Cup rankings with 238 points, Philaries Jeruto Kisang (Run2gether On Running) lies just behind on 207, with Scout Adkin (HOKA EU) in third place on 202. So a win here for Joyce Muthoni Njeru could consolidate her lead, or, a victory for Philaries Jeruto Kisang or Scout Adkin could bring them back into contention for the title.

Joyce Muthoni Njeru has been incredibly consistent this season, and her wins at both Broken Arrow races back in June, and Trofeo Nasego at the start of September are what put her at the top of the women’s World Cup rankings.  Philaries Jeruto Kisang may not have stood on the top step of our podiums yet this year, but she has stood on the other steps on many of them after some very close racing and that’s included second places at Grossglockner and Vertical Nasego. Scout Adkin has also achieved some great victories this year at both Montemuro and La Montee du Nid d’Aigle and she also had that incredible run at Sierre Zinal to finish second.

Susanna Saapunki took the win here last year in an authoritative fashion, and with recent third places at Vertical Nasego and Trofeo Nasego, she is clearly in form. And Andrea Mayr remains a force to be reckoned with on any start line. Voted the greatest female mountain runner of all time by the WMRA poll in 2020, the seven-time World Champion won Vertical Nasego and was second in Trofeo Nasego earlier this year.

Other women to watch include Alice Gaggi (La Recastello Radici), who had a strong run at Giir di Mont, Nusa Mali, who was third here last year, and Charlotte Cotton (Agrupacion Deportiva Marathon), another consistent performer in the World Cup.

The men’s race also looks very strong again this year. As with the women’s race, several of the runners riding high in this year’s World Cup will be on the start line, which should add even more excitement to the race. Four of the six top points scorers will be in action in Slovenia. While we don’t have the leaders – Patrick Kipngeno and Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (both of Run2gether On Running) here, we do have the current third placed athlete, Josphat Kiprotich (Run2gether On Running). He is currently on 186 points, which is, tantalizingly, 49 points behind Kipngeno! So a win for Kiprotich could see him take the lead in the men’s World Cup, with just two races remaining. Michael Selelo Saoli (Run2gether On Running) is currently in fourth place with 148 points, so a win for him, and a failure of Kiprotich to make the top 10 here could see him tie with or overtake him into third.

Josphat Kiprotich has been extremely consistent this season, including second places at Grossglockner, La Montee du Nid d’Aigle and Vertical Nasego. Michael Selelo Saoli won Giir di Mont and also finished third at Grossglockner and La Montee du Nid d’Aigle. Paul Machoka (Atletica Saluzzo) has also had a strong, consistent season including a third at Trofeo Nasego and strong runs at both Grossglockner and Sierre Zinal. Richard Omaya Atuya (also Run2gether On Running) had two impressive victories at Grossglockner and La Montee du Nid d’Aigle and could well be the runner to watch here.

But there will be no shortage of runners challenging for the win here. Slovenian Timotej Becan (KGT Papez) is always a runner to watch here. He has won and podiumed consistently and was fourth here last year. He has achieved several top ten finishes in mountain races this year, including Grossglockner, and knows this course as well as anybody. There are some strong Italian runners who could do well, including Michael Galassi, who was fifth here last year, Andrea Elia ((La Recastello Radici), who was third at Montemuro, Tiziano Moia (Gemonatletica S.R.L. Dil.), fourth at Vertical Nasego, Luca Merli (Atletica Valchiese) and Luciano Rota (La Recastello Radici). Alric Petit (Nike) will also be one to watch.

Smarna Gora Race starts at 10.10am local time on Saturday 5th October. You can find more information here.