Kenya’s Philemon Kiriago emerged as the comfortable winner in the men’s race at the Valsir Mountain Running World Cup race held in Casto, Italy, on Sunday.

The race featured a competitive field of athletes who had also participated in the Vertical Nasego event just a day earlier.

Philemon Kiriago’s route

Covering a 21km course, the race began with a gradual climb for the first 6km, followed by a flatter 6km section before a challenging ascent to Rifugio Nasego at an altitude of 1311m. The race concluded with a steep descent and a slight climb to the finish line in Famea.

In the men’s race, USA’s Christian Allen took the early lead, closely pursued by Kiriago, who had finished as the runner-up in the same event the previous year.

Kiriago managed to establish a five-second lead over Allen by the 4km mark. Patrick Kipngeno, who had won the men’s race at the Vertical Nasego the day before, trailed by 18 seconds, followed by a group of runners, including Italian athletes Xavier Chevrier and Cesare Maestri, as well as Spain’s Alejandro Garcia Carrillo. Kiriago maintained his lead until reaching the 11km mark, just before the challenging ascent.

During the final stages of the race, Kipngeno briefly caught up to Kiriago, but the Kenyan athlete ultimately reclaimed the lead and secured a significant advantage during the descent.

Philemon Kiriago timings

Kiriago crossed the finish line in 1:31:00, securing a comfortable win. Kipngeno finished in second place with a time of 1:31:45, and Christian Allen took third place, completing the race in 1:32:33.

In the women’s race, Madalina Florea of Romania and Kenya’s Joyce Muthoni took control early on. By the 4km mark, Florea had built a 15-second lead over the chase pack, led by Kenya’s Philaries Kisang. Andrea Mayr was 30 seconds behind, while Joyce Muthoni and Britain’s Scout Adkin were also in close pursuit.

As the race progressed to the 11km mark, just before the challenging climb to Rifugio Nasego, Florea maintained her lead with a one-minute advantage over Muthoni. Kisang and Mayr followed closely behind. Mayr demonstrated a strong climb, closing the gap on Florea before eventually overtaking her. Florea led as they reached the bottom of the descent, with a 15-second gap over Mayr. However, Andrea Mayr made a comeback in the final two kilometers, ultimately winning the women’s race with a time of 1:46:06. Florea secured second place in 1:46:52, and Joyce Muthoni completed the podium with a time of 1:48:33.

After this weekend’s races, Kiriago leads the men’s World Cup standings with 250 points, followed by compatriot Patrick Kipngeno with 230 points. In the women’s standings, Joyce Muthoni holds a comfortable lead with 248 points.