Joyline Chepngeno Takes Shock Win Whereas Kilian Jornet Seals tenth Victory – iRunFar

The 2024 Sierre-Zinal mountain race was thrilling correct until the athletes crossed the tip line. Joyline Chepngeno (Kenya) gained the women’s race in a breakout effectivity, whereas Kilian Jornet (Spain, lives in Norway) took his tenth win of the boys’s race, and set a course report by the narrowest of margins.

The race started at 11 a.m. native time on Saturday, August 10, inside the village of Sierre, Switzerland, inside the coronary coronary heart of the Valais Alps, and featured spherical 2,200 meters (7,200 ft) of elevation obtain over 31 kilometers (19 miles). The event finishes inside the village of Zinal.

Sierre-Zinal is an iconic European mountain race and is commonly often known as the ‘race of 5 4,000s,’ as a result of the course sits in view of 5 elementary Swiss peaks: Weisshorn (4,404 meters), Zinal Ironthorn (4,221 meters), Obergabelhorn (4,063 meters), Matterhorn (4,478 meters), and Dent Blanche (4,357 meters).

Not too way back, we used information in this textual content to dive deep into the historic previous and opponents of Sierre-Zinal.

The race was concurrently part of the World Mountain Working Affiliation (WMRA) World Cup and the Golden Path World Assortment.

It was a scorching start to the day, with temperatures reaching 26 ranges Celsius (79 ranges Fahrenheit) initially line. There have been clear blue skies all via and dry conditions, with temperatures solely getting hotter all via the race.

There was a shock win for Kenyan athlete Joyline Chepngeno, who had an unlimited lead all via, no matter it being her first ever path race. Whereas Kilian Jornet gained the race for the tenth time, he was pushed to his limits by Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (Kenya), closing yr’s champion who attacked near the shut of the race. Be taught on for the entire race story.

2024 Sierre-Zinal Ladies’s Race

This yr’s Sierre-Zinal’s largest story surrounded the women’s winner Joyline Chepngeno of Kenya, an actual underdog inside the race. This was Chepngeno’s first ever path race, the reality is, it was her first recorded race since working at college. After the beginning of her two kids, Chepngeno misplaced 30 kilograms and decided to run as soon as extra, and this was her spectacular debut to the world of path working.

Not solely did Chepngeno win one of many important aggressive path races on the earth, nevertheless she gained by an unlimited margin. Correct from the beginning, she took pole place inside the women’s race, and extended her lead all via.

There was some speculation as as as to whether Chepngeno was going to have the flexibility to protect the lead, doubtlessly going too onerous initially and unable to fend off additional expert athletes. Nonetheless, she buried any of the doubts and dominated the women’s race to the tip, ending higher than eight minutes away from her closest competitor.

Whereas Chepngeno took the lead, one different ascendant athlete took second place. Scout Adkin (U.Okay.) was collaborating in her longest path race to date, however she’s been quickly rising by the use of the WMRA World Cup ranks this summer season season, with prior prime performances. She handed by the use of the checkpoint at Ponchette (7.5 kilometers) in 59:29, one minute ahead of one among many race favorites, Joyce Muthoni Njeru (Kenya).

Working with Muthoni Njeru was Monica Mădălina Florea (Romania), who recently took second on the 2024 Marathon du Mont Blanc.

As a result of the runners entered the next checkpoint at Chandolin, Muthoni Njeru overtook Adkin for second place, nevertheless this lead was seemingly transient lived. On the descent to Tignousa at 16k, it appeared as if Muthoni Njeru had overcooked it, and Adkin made a sturdy assault, retaining her second-place place.

Adkin handed the checkpoint 29 seconds ahead of Muthoni Njeru. Florea continued to handle her place in fourth a minute once more, whereas Philaries Jeruto Kisang (Kenya) bought right here by the use of in fifth a couple of minutes later.

Sadly for Muthoni Njeru, she continued to fade, and this labored to Florea’s profit. She overtook to take over third place throughout the 20k mark, now decrease than two minutes behind Adkin in second. As a sturdy downhill runner, this was a possibility for Florea to make up ground, nevertheless Adkin maintained her place all one of the best ways to the tip line.

Joyline Chepngeno crossed the tip line in 2:54:06, taking an unlimited win. She was adopted by Scout Adkin, who accomplished in 3:02:21, and Monica Mădălina Florea in third in 3:04:29. Philaries Jeruto Kisang moved as a lot as fourth and accomplished in 3:05:52, and Cristina Simion (Romania) accomplished fifth in 3:07:51.

Joyce Muthoni Njeru dropped out of the very best 10 and accomplished in twelfth in 3:13:30.

2024 Sierre-Zinal Ladies’s Outcomes

1.  Joyline Chepngeno (Kenya) – 2:54:06
2.  Scout Adkin (U.Okay.) – 3:02:21
3.  Monica Mădălina Florea (Romania) – 3:04:29
4.  Philaries Jeruto Kisang (Kenya) – 3:05:52
5.  Cristina Simion (Romania) – 3:07:51
6. Anna Gibson (U.S.) – 3:08:39
7. Sophia Laukli  (U.S.) – 3:09:36
8. Oria Liaci (Switzerland) – 3:10:46
9. Julie Lelong (France) – 3:12:11
10. Caitlin Fielder (New Zealand) – 3:12:54

Full outcomes.

2024 Sierre-Zinal Males’s Race

It was a daring nevertheless anticipated start to the race from favorite Kilian Jornet (Spain, lives in Norway), who already had 9 wins to his establish on the revered route. He started on the doorway of the race and appeared to have a giant gap on the rest of the sector.

Nonetheless, on the Ponchette checkpoint, 7.5k in, Josphat Kiprotich (Kenya) had closed the outlet and bought right here by the use of scorching on Jornet’s heels. Switzerland’s Rémi Bonnet, the 2022 and 2023 Golden Path World Assortment normal winner, bought right here by the use of subsequent, adopted by Patrick Kipngeno and Paul Machoka of Kenya.

The first twist of the boys’s race bought right here shortly thereafter, when Kiprotich overtook Jornet. That’s the place the first battle on the doorway of the boys’s race commenced and it was a cat-and-mouse chase between the two athletes, with Kiprotich working inside 15 seconds actually report tempo on the 12k mark.

By halfway, Kiprotich nonetheless had a modest lead, coming by the use of the checkpoint in 1:23:15, adopted by Jornet in 1:24:01.

Whereas the battle ensued for first, Kipngeno and Bonnet labored collectively to hold onto third and fourth positions, as they handed by the use of the 16k mark collectively in 1:25:26. Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (Kenya), the 2023 Sierre-Zinal champion, had by now managed to overtake Machoka to maneuver into fifth place.

After the 20k mark, the place lots of the climbing had been completed, the race really grew to grow to be unpredictable. Jornet caught up with Kiprotich and they also handed the 20k checkpoint in 1:43:17, nevertheless that’s the place Jornet made his assault. He created a 30-second lead on second place, and rolled alongside the paths whereas others battled it out behind.

Although Kipngeno and Bonnet hit Resort Weisshorn on the equivalent time (1:45:03), it was Kipngeno who went for the assault and overtook Kiprotich for second place. Nevertheless that wasn’t the tip. Kipngeno’s teaching confederate Ombogo Kiriago steamed ahead, and with a properly mannered faucet on the once more, powered earlier Kipngeno and had his sights set on Jornet.

On the technical descent in the direction of the tip line, it appeared like Jornet had a comfortable lead when Ombogo Kiriago bought right here out of nowhere to overtake the nine-time winner and even gained on him.

This was by far a very powerful shock of the race, and it wasn’t prolonged sooner than Jornet drove down the descent onerous to reclaim first place, nevertheless he wanted to work for all of it one of the best ways to the tip line. Ombogo Kiriago was chasing onerous, and the sprint finish by the use of the streets of Zinal led Kilian Jornet to win and likewise take a model new course report, ending in 2:25:34, beating his earlier 2019 course report by a single second.

Philemon Ombogo Kiriago accomplished merely behind in 2:25:36 and the two athletes collapsed as they crossed the highway. Patrick Kipngeno held third place and crossed the highway in 2:26:59, adopted by Josphat Kiprotich in 2:31:35 in fourth, and Roberto Delorenzi (Switzerland) in 2:32:26 for fifth place.

Paul Mochoka lastly took sixth in 2:32:35, and Rémi Bonnet pale all through the latter end of the race and dropped once more to ninth place, crossing in 2:33:57.

2024 Sierre-Zinal Males’s Race Outcomes

1.  Kilian Jornet (Spain, lives in Norway) – 2:25:34
2.  Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (Kenya) – 2:25:36
3.  Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya) – 2:26:59
4.  Josphat Kiprotich (Kenya) – 2:31:35
5.  Roberto Delorenzi (Switzerland) – 2:32:26
6. Paul Machoka (Kenya) – 2:32:35
7. Sylvain Cachard (France) – 2:32:45
8. Jonathan Castillo Sáenz (Columbia) – 2:32:45
9. Rémi Bonnet (Switzerland) – 2:33:57
10. Ezekiel Rutto (Kenya) – 2:35:21

Full outcomes.