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GIIR DI MONT 2022: WMRA WORLD CUP. VICTORIES FOR PETRO MAMU & ELISA DESCO
GIIR DI MONT 2022: WMRA WORLD CUP. VICTORIES FOR PETRO MAMU & ELISA DESCO. Our WMRA section bring us today the results of this Giir di Mont 2022 edition.
Two vibranbt competition took place during this weekend in Premana, Italy. On Saturday, the uphill was the fourth round of the WMRA Wolrd Cup while the 32k classic was the fifth stage of the twelve that make up the WMRA circuit this 2022.
Giir di Mont 2022 Mountain Running World Cup WMRA- Elisa Desco. Photo Marco Gulberti
GIIR DI MONT (32K/2.400M+)
WMRA WORLD CUP.
VICTORIES FOR PETRO MAMU & ELISA DESCO.
On Saturday the golds went f on the Uphill distance went to Kipngeno and Njeru who were unstoppable, adding four golds in the four races of this world cup. While on Sunday in the classic distance, the Italian Elisa Desco and the Eritrean Petro Mamu were the winners.
For the first time in 3 years athletes from 14 countries stood in the streets of Premana, Italy this morning. Before them lay the 32km of Giir di Mont, the 5th Gold Label race of the 2022 Valsir Mountain Running World Cup.
In the race’s 28th edition, runners would be looking to write their names alongside those of legends like Ricardo Mejía, Kasie Enman and Kilian Jornet on the honour roll of this classic long distance test.
From the start in Premana’s main square, the route takes runners on a circuit through the twelve meadows in the mountains above, alternating hard climbs and even harder descents. With 2,400m+, the most elevation of any race on the World Cup circuit this year, the race is a real bruiser!
The day before saw the first edition of Giir di Mont Uphill, also a Gold Label race in the World Cup. Joyce Njeru and Patrick Kipngeno continued their domination of the series, the Kenyan pair each taking their 5th win from 5 starts. But with neither of them on the startline of Giir di Mont the stage was set for different athletes to compete for the top step of the podium.
GIIR DI MONT 2022: CLASSIC DISTANCE 32KM VICTORIES FOR ELISA DESCO & PETRO MAMU
Early on in the women’s race it was the American Hillary Gerardi, champion at Trofeo Kima in 2018, who led the way. The ultra athlete, racing at the short end of her range, was persued by an athlete racing at the long end of hers; two time World Champion Lucy Murigi was never more than a minute back, while further down many-time Italian champion and Worlds medallist Elisa Desco was running a patient race, more than 2 minutes behind the lead after 5km.
As the race moved into its middle third the gaps began to narrow. Murigi closed on Gerardi, passing her somewhere around half way and coming into Alpe Rasga at 19km ahead. Meanwhile Desco closed on them both. Her timing was perfect; only 19 seconds behind Murigi at the final checkpoint at Alpe Deleguaggio, Desco made the definitive move on the descent to Premana, arriving at the finish line in 4:00:57 to take the win. Murigi followed just 44 seconds later, 4:01:41, all the more impressive after finishing 7th in the uphill race the day before.
Gerardi held on to take 3rd in 4:06:06, comfortably ahead of Chiara Giovando in 4th and Guilia Campagnoni in 5th.
Giir di Mont 2022 Mountain Running World Cup WMRA- Photo Marco Gulberti
The men’s race saw a fantastic duel between 2015 winner Petro Mamu and Cristian Minoggio, 2nd here in 2018. Clear of the rest of the field from early in the race, the two traded the lead a number of times, never seperated by more than a few seconds. At Alpe Deleguaggio, by now more than 7 minutes ahead of everyone else, Minoggio held an advantage of just 10 seconds over Mamu; the race would be decided on the final frantic descent towards town.
In the end the speed of the Eritrean was too much; Mamu returned to the streets of Premana to take the win in 3:11:29 to Minoggio’s 3:11:42. Mattia Gianola completed the podium in 3:20:20, ahead of Lorenzo Beltrami and Andrea Rota.
In the 18km race, Madalina Florea and Camilla Magliano put in impressive performances for 1st and 2nd after 3rd and 9th place finishes in Saturday’s uphill race. Abraham Ekwam took the win for the men.
Next weekend the Valsir World Cup heads to the Czech Republic for Krkonošský Half-Marathon, a Silver Label race, before returning to the Alps the weekend after for the one and only Sierre-Zinal!
Giir di Mont 2022 Mountain Running World Cup WMRA- Petru Mamu. Photo Marco Gulberti
GIIR DI MONT UPHILL (9K |1.050M+)
GOLDS FOR KIPNGENO & NJERU
Kenyan pair continue their winning streaks in a new addition to an old classic on the Valsir Mountain Running World Cup.
There were wonderful conditions for the first edition of Giir di Mont Uphill as the 4th Gold Label race of the 2022 Valsir World Cup took place under clear blue skies in the mountains above Premana, Italy. The brand new race saw athletes compete over 9km from the town centre to the spectacular setting of Alpe Solino,1,050m up above.
Against international fields containing World Cup winners and World and European champions, and with the race’s place in the Italian Championship bringing in the best domestic talent, the Team Run2gether duo of Joyce Njeru and Patrick Kipngeno continued their phenomenal 2022 seasons, each taking their 4th straight Gold Label win in the Valsir Mountain Running World Cup.
Photo: Marco Gulberti
WOMEN’S RACE
The women’s race was the first to get underway. After a cautious start, Njeru made her move with 2 kilometres run, looking to capitalise on the race’s fast first 5km. Nobody followed and the defending World Cup champion carried an advantage over the rest of the field as the course steepened in the second half.
In her first World Cup appearance of the year, the great Andrea Mayr battled hard to close this gap, coming agonisingly close, but there just wasn’t enough race left for the 6 time World Champion to make the catch and Njeru held on to take the win by 20 seconds.
Madalina Florea of Romania, silver medallist in the Up and Down race at the European Championhips, stayed within touching distance of the front pair, finishing just 25 seconds further back to claim the third spot on the podium. Scout Adkin was 4th and Francesca Ghelfi was first Italian in 5th, taking the national title in the process.
Camilla Magliano and Lucy Murigi, 2nd and 3rd in the World Cup standings going into the race, finished 9th and 7th, adding valuable points to their tallies. Murigi is one of the athletes who will attempt the double this weekend, coming back in the morning to race the full 32km and 2,400m+ of Giir di Mont.
Photo Marco Gulberti
MEN’S RACE
Unlike Njeru, Kipngeno pushed the pace right from the start, shadowed by his compatriots Lengen Lolkurraru and Philemon Kiriago. Lolkurraru faded but once again the Run2gether athletes stayed strong.
The margins were smaller than they were at La Montée du Nid d’Aigle 2 weeks go, but the result was the same; a 4th season win for Kipngeno in 46:09 with Kiriago second in 46:58. Were it not for his teammates’ superlative success, Kiriago would be the talk of the town; today marked the 3rd consecutive 2nd place finish on the Valsir World Cup for the 19 year old and cemented his place in second on the overall standings.
The pair were pushed all the way by French and European champion Sylvain Cachard, who finished 3rd just 24 seconds behind Kiriago. Andrea Rostan, the first Italian, and Zak Hanna both had excellent races finishing 4th and 5th respectively, narrowing the gap between them as they vie for the 3rd spot in the overall standings. Hanna hangs on to it for now.
Cesare Maestri’s 6th place was enough for him to seal the Italian championship and defending World Cup Champion Henri Aymonod made a welcome return to racing after time out due to injury, finishing 8th.
In the U20 races Axelle Vicari and Elia Mattio once again proved too strong for the competition, adding uphill victories to the wins that they took last month’s up and down Italian Championship race in Gazzaniga.
Photo Marco Gulberti
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