THE WOMEN’S RACE
The women set off first, with the men’s race starting 45 minutes later. Last year we saw Andrea Mayr (SV Schwechat/Hoolirun) take her fourth win at Vertical Nasego. Today she faced stiff competition from a stacked women’s field that included current women‘s World Cup leader Scout Adkin (HOKA EU), the always strong Philaries Jeruto Kisang (Run2gether), Joyce Muthoni Njeru (Atletica Saluzzo) and Susanna Saapunki (New Balance), among many others capable of making the podium.
It was Kisang who decided to lead it out, as the women got off to a very fast start through the streets of Casto. As the climbing began she maintained her lead, but was very closely chased by Saapunki, Mayr and Adkin. We know how strong Kisang is on these uphill only courses, but you can never bet against Mayr on this particular one! Would we see a repeat of that unforgettable duel between Mayr and Kisang in the uphill race at the World Championships last year? Or would Saapunki or Adkin come through in the later stages?
Mayr kept Kisang in her sights and with 350m of climbing remaining, she made her move. This steeper terrain is very much Mayr’s territory, and although Kisang kept her in her sights, she wasn’t able to catch her. Mayr took her fifth win in 40.51, with Kisang in second in 41.34 and Saapunki in third in 41.44.
THE MEN’S RACE
Defending champion, Patrick Kipngeno (Run2gether), made his intentions clear at the pre-race press conference, saying that he was going for the record. This would also make it three in a row for him. Standing in his way were a trio of his team mates from team Run2gether – Philemon Ombogo Kiriago, coming off his second place at Sierre-Zinal, Josphat Kiprotich and Michael Selelo Saoli. In addition Henri Aymonod (The North Face) and Paul Machoka (Atletica Saluzzo) were toeing the start line.
It was Kiprotich who set the pace initially, with Kipngeno leading the chase, closely followed by Kiriago and Machoka. But as we saw in the women’s race, a lot can happen in this race, especially when the gradient changes and sections become more technical.
Kipngeno decided it was time to strike and as the men emerged onto a steeper part of open mountainside he had taken the lead from Kiprotich. We expected to see either Kiriago or Machoka in third but it was in fact the young US athlete Meikael Beaudoin-Rousseau (The Trail Team), who was third at this year’s Broken Arrow 22k race, who had worked his way up to third. What would happen in this final stretch?
Kipngeno couldn’t be caught and he took the men’s win in 34.28. But the battle behind him got even more interesting when Aymonod began his charge to the top. Kiprotich took second place in 35.03 and Aymonod came through for third place in 35.20, which was remarkable given that he spent yesterday helping Kilian Jornet on his Alpine Connections project, scaling Italy’s highest peak.
