Philaries of Kenya Jeruto Kisang and Richard Atuya enjoy victories in the iconic mountain racing race in Italy
The beautiful Italian Alps were hosts of the first race up the World Cup 2025 on Saturday (May 24). We saw an exciting and close careers, including a record of the course and a case of ‘Third Time’s The Charm’ for one of the winners.
This is a double heading weekend for the World Cup, with Nasego Trophy on Sunday (May 25), so Casto’s historical city in the province of Brescia in the Lombardy region is completely immersed in sport during the weekend. This year celebrates the ninth year for vertical nase and the year 23 for Tropheo Nasego, and both are races that always attract strong fields. This year is no exception.
Vertical nase rises 1000 meters in the course of 4.2 km, with a rapid start on roads and good paths and runners. As the race develops, the route becomes more steep and more technical as Rifugio Nasego passes (at 1270 m) before finishing in Corna Di Savallo at 1436m.
Women
The women’s race began first and with the five -time winner, Andrea Mayr (Hoolirun), the runner -up of 2023 and 2024, Philaries Jeruto Kisang (Run2Gether) and defense of the Women’s World Cup champion, Scout Adkin (Hoka Bierce). The route really increases in terms of gradient as it enters the second half, with executable sections giving way to more pronounced pieces as the runners approach the summit, so we knew that we would see a quick start, then A.
In the middle of the way it was Kisang who led, and was closely followed by Adkin. A little more, Behaind Mayr, the queen of this event, looked sinisterly. Now 45 years, and after having achieved a lot in this sport, including the incredible seven victories of the World Championship between 2006 and 2023, it is still the formidable competitor that always has the leg. Just Beind Mayr at this point was Francesca Ghelfi (ASD Podistica Valle Varaita), who has some history with this event, after having ended on the podium in Nasego trophy.
So we had an interesting battle for gold between Kisang and Adkin, then an equally interesting battle for the bronze between Mayr and Ghelfi. When the runners emerged in the final part of the cruelly steep ascent, it was Kisang who appeared first. She took the victory at 38:55.
Kisang has finished secondly in the World Cup races, including two seconds places here, with his style of taking him out of the front, so he must have an extremely gratifying leg to end on the upper step of the podium.
Adkin took a strong second place in 39:23 and it was Ghelfi who won the contest with Mayr for bronze a little more than a minute at 40:37. Mayr was fourth, with Sara Willhoit Solo Beind for the fifth.
Men
The next was the male race, starting 45 minutes after the woman. Last year’s winner, Patrick Kipngen, was not defending his title, but the list of people queuing to get him out of him was formidable. The alignment included the two -time winner Henri Aymonod (The North Face), Andrea Elia (RADICI RELAFULITY GROUP), three times Italian VK champion during the last three years, as well as Andrea Rostan (Athletics Saluzzo), Kiriago and Ricette Philemon)
Halfway, it was Atuya who led, but only a few were a package of four athletes trying to hunt him. This group consisted of Kiriago, Elia, Rostan and Luciano Rota (Grupo La Rem Radici). At this point, it was really anyone’s career once the most steep terrain turned.
Atuya managed to stop this group of printing challengers and took the victory in 33:23, a record of the course. Only 14 seconds separated in second and fourth, with Kiriago, which made him a 1-2 for the Run2Gether team with Elia only two seconds behind him in third. Rostan Tok Fourth and Aymonod came to take the fifth place.
Obviously, they are the first days for the 2025 World Cup competition, but Saturday’s race takes Scout later in the female competition and takes Henri Aymonod to the lead in men, just one point ahead of Andrea Rostan.
On Sunday, most today’s runners, in addition to a large number of other big names, will face Tropheo Nasego. The race begins at 9.30 am local time and you can follow the social media channels of Trophy Nasego and WMRA to obtain updated information and images.
