Austria’s Andrea Mayr and Kenya’s Patrick Kipngeno made a triumphant start at the 2023 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Innsbruck-Stubai on Wednesday (7), winning the respective gold medals in the vertical uphill events on the first day of competition. The vertical uphill is the shortest of the elite races in Innsbruck-Stubai, but it had a climb of 1,020 meters over its 7.1km course.
In the women’s contest, Mayr, a silver medalist in the mountain running 2022, brought success for the host nation this time, but she did so with a well-measured performance. – Read more: How to watch the 2023 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships?
The 43-year-old, who represented Austria in the 2012 Olympics in London –moved up from 13th place through the first 900m of the trail to better her rivals at the end en route to claiming her seventh individual world mountain running crown with a time of 48:14.
Today’s title, however, was the first for Austrian athletes since 2017.
Philaries Jeruto Kisang, who ran steadily for most of the race in the top five, went on to win the silver medal for Kenya in a time of 48:51. The bronze medal went to American Grayson Murphy, who posted 49:22.
In the team result, Kenya won with 17 points, followed by second-place Germany with 33pts, and Great Britain and Northern Ireland, each with 51.
Meanwhile, Kenya’s Patrick Kipngeno, the 2022 champion in November, 40:18, with Levi Kiprotich of Uganda finishing second with a time of 41:51, with Kenya’s Josphat Kiprotich taking third with 42:04.
Kenya also won the men’s team title with 11 points, with Uganda finishing second with 21pts, and Switzerland (45).
Women – vertical uphill event Result
1 Andrea MAYR AUT 48:14:00
2 Philaries Jeruto KISANG KEN 48:51:00
3 Grayson MURPHY USA 49:22:00
4 Laura HOTTENROTT GER 49:56:00
5 Valentine Jepkoech RUTTO KEN 49:59:00
6 Christel DEWALLE FRA 50:04:00
7 Domenika MAYER GER 51:21:00
8 Scout ADKIN GBR 51:39:00
9 Karoline Holsen KYTE NOR 51:51:00
10 Joyce MUTHONI KEN 52:09:00
11 Emma POOLEY SUI 52:11:00
12 Annet Chemengich CHELANGAT UGA 52:23:00
13 Allie MCLAUGHLIN USA 52:27:00
14 Giselle SLOTBOOM NED 52:29:00
15 Anne-Marie COMEAU CAN 52:29:00
16 Elisa SORTINI ITA 52:43:00
17 Tereza HROCHOVÁ CZE 52:52:00
18 Francesca GHELFI ITA 52:52:00
19 Valentina BELOTTI ITA 52:58:00
20 Sara WILLHOIT GBR 52:58:00
21 Sarah MCCORMACK IRL 53:12:00
22 Hanna GRÖBER GER 53:14:00
23 Phillipa WILLIAMS GBR 53:19:00
24 Kate AVERY GBR 53:39:00
25 Silvia SCHWAIGER SVK 53:43:00
Men’s Team Scores
| 1 | Kenya | 17 pts |
| 2 | Germany | 33 pts |
| 3 | United Kingdom | 51 pts |
| 4 | Italy | 53 pts |
| 5 | United States of America | 54 pts |
| 6 | Switzerland | 78 pts |
| 7 | Czech Republic | 81 pts |
| 8 | Canada | 96 pts |
| 9 | Austria | 100 pts |
| 10 | Spain | 102 pts |
Men Vertical Uphill Event Result
1 Patrick KIPNGENO KEN 40:18:00
2 Levi KIPROTICH UGA 41:51:00
3 Josphat KIPROTICH KEN 42:04:00
4 Eliud CHEROP UGA 42:16:00
5 Joseph GRAY USA 42:32:00
6 Daniel OSANZ ESP 42:41:00
7 Ombogo KIRIAGO PHILEMON KEN 42:54:00
8 Joe STEWARD GBR 43:02:00
9 Filimon ABRAHAM GER 43:08:00
10 Roberto DELORENZI SUI 43:31:00
11 Dominik ROLLI SUI 43:38:00
12 Hillary KIMAIYO KEN 43:44:00
13 Julius OTT GER 43:50:00
14 Andrea ROSTAN ITA 43:53:00
15 Dismas YEKO UGA 43:54:00
16 Emmanuel MEYSSAT FRA 44:04:00
17 Alexandre RICARD CAN 44:08:00
18 Quentin MEYLEU FRA 44:11:00
19 Andrea ELIA ITA 44:18:00
20 Theodore KLEIN FRA 44:21:00
21 Johan BUGGE NOR 44:25:00
22 Jacob ADKIN GBR 44:35:00
23 Cesare MAESTRI ITA 44:40:00
24 Jonas SOLDINI SUI 44:43:00
25 Remi LEROUX CAN 44:47:00
Women’s Team Scores
| 1 | Kenya | 11 pts |
| 2 | Uganda | 21 pts |
| 3 | Switzerland | 45 pts |
| 4 | Germany | 53 pts |
| 5 | France | 54 pts |
| 6 | Italy | 56 pts |
| 7 | United Kingdom | 62 pts |
| 8 | Spain | 76 pts |
| 9 | United States of America | 98 pts |
| 10 | Norway | 106 pts |
