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WORLD MOUNTAIN RUNNING ASSOCIATION

Yesterday’s Vertical Nasego provided an exciting start to a weekend of World Cup racing in Casto, Italy. Andrea Mayr took her fifth win and Patrick Kipngeno made it three in a row for him. Today it was the turn of Trofeo Nasego, our next long mountain Gold Label race in the 2024 Valsir Mountain Running World Cup. This was the 23rd edition of this historic race.

Most of the runners from yesterday’s Vertical Nasego were doubling up, giving us the chance to see some of the epic duels replayed on a longer, up and down, course. The runners would take on a 21.5k course, with a lot of fast, runnable sections but one very notable climb. From the start in Casto at 400m it climbs slowly for the first 6km, before flattening off for 6k, then comes the big climb up of around 750m up to Rifugio Nasego, before a long descent down to Famea for the finish. Conditions were very hot, which would certainly play a major part in the racing.

MEN’S RACE

The men and women start together in this race. The men set off fast through the streets of Casto, and a small group separated from the others quickly, comprising of Josphat Kiprotich, Patrick Kipngeno and Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (all Run2gether) and Paul Machoka (Atletica Saluzzo), Michael Selelo Saoli (Run2gether) and Luciano Rota (La Recastello Radici Group) just behind.

But there was a long way to go, and in this race the big climb up to Rifugio Nasego, then the ensuing long descent into Famea, can really shake up the positions.

It was Kipngeno who reached Rifugio Nasego first, and by this point he had a lead of around 90 seconds on Kiriago, with Machoka sitting in third place at this point. The battle for the places behind them had heated up on the big climb and it was now a matter of whether these three runners could hold on down the long descent and then in the scramble for the sprint finish through the streets of Famea.

Kipngeno did hold on for the win in emphatic fashion, in 1.31.26. Kiriago, last year’s winner, took second in 1.33.59, and Machoka held on for third in 1.34.38. Kiprotich was very close behind (1.34.54) and Cesare Maestri (NIKE) came through to take a brilliant fifth in 1.37.37.

WOMEN’S RACE

After an exciting women’s Vertical Nasego yesterday, the long race looked wide open. Last year’s winner of both races and yesterday’s women’s champion, Andrea Mayr (SV Schwechat/Hoolirun), was on the start. Could she do the double double?

Leading the charge through the streets of Casto for the women was Philaries Jeruto Kisang (Run2gether), who was beaten in the duel with Mayr in the vertical race yesterday. She was no doubt looking to go one better here. Behind her were Gloria Chebet (also Run2gether) and Joyce Muthoni Njeru (Atletica Saluzzo), with Mayr and yesterday’s third placed woman, Susanna Saapunki (New Balance), just behind them.

But after the long climb it was Mayr who reached Rifugio Nasego first. Next to arrive was Muthoni Njeru and she was followed by Saapunki. It was all going to come down to the descent. It wasn’t long before Muthoni Njeru made her move, overtaking Mayr at around 17km and quickly opening a gap of 45 seconds. On the descent Naomi Lang (Scottish Athletics) was in sixth, but such was the skill and speed of her descending that she overtook Jeruto Kisang and Vivien Bonzi (La Recastello Radici Group).

Muthoni Njeru could not be caught and she took the win in 1.51.33. Mayr maintained second in 1.53.02 and Saapunki was third in 1.54.00. Lang finished strongly for fourth, almost challenging for third in the end, in 1.54.23, with Bonzi in fifth in 1.54.44.