KIRIAGO WINS HIS THIRD SIERRE-ZINAL, FLOREA TAKES HER FIRST
Philemon Kiriago pulled clear of his Run2gether teammate Patrick Kipngeno on the descent into Zinal on Saturday, winning in 2:26:24 for his third title in four years. The victory at the 53rd Sierre-Zinal came 50 seconds outside the course record and anchored an all-Kenyan podium.
Madalina Florea of Romania won the women's race in 2:55:44, her first victory at the event after finishing third in 2024. The defending champion Caroline Kimutai of Kenya took second in 2:56:30, with Morven Goodrum of Great Britain third on her debut.
The race covers 31 kilometers from Sierre to Zinal beneath the 4,000-meter peaks of the Valais, climbing from 560 meters in the Rhone valley to 2,424 meters at Nava before a seven-kilometer drop to the finish. It counted as the fifth stage of the Golden Trail World Series and the 11th stage of the WMRA Mountain Running World Cup, and the start lists reflected it, as covered in our 2026 Sierre-Zinal preview.
The Men's Race
Jacob Adkin of Great Britain set the pace on the long climb, leading through the Ponchette and Chandolin aid stations with Patrick Kipngeno and Philemon Kiriago a few seconds back. The two Kenyans attacked before Hotel Weisshorn at 20 kilometers and reached the high point together.
The pair traded the lead repeatedly on the descent before Kiriago broke free in the closing kilometers to win by 32 seconds. Kipngeno crossed in 2:26:56, and their teammate Michael Selelo Saoli moved through late to take third in 2:29:36, giving the Run2gether team the entire podium. Adkin held on for fourth in 2:30:49.
Kiriago's time fell 50 seconds short of the 2:25:34 course record Kilian Jornet set in 2024. Jornet, a 10-time winner of the race, did not compete this year.
The Women's Race
Morven Goodrum of Great Britain and Kirsty Skye Dickson pushed the early pace, with Madalina Florea, Nienke Brinkman, and Caroline Kimutai in close contact through the first climb. The lead rotated among Goodrum, Florea, and Brinkman on the way up, with rarely more than 20 seconds separating them.
Florea made her move once the course tipped downhill and carried a gap of 30 to 40 seconds over Goodrum into the final descent. Kimutai closed hard over the last section, passing Oria Liaci and Brinkman before overtaking Goodrum for second. Goodrum finished third in her first appearance, Liaci was fourth for the second straight year, and Brinkman took fifth.
Maude Mathys, whose 2:49:20 course record has stood since 2019, finished 12th.
Series Stakes
The result continues Florea's strong 2026 Golden Trail World Series campaign and gives Kiriago his first series win of the season. Both circuits continue in September, with the WMRA World Cup moving to Italy and Poland before its finals in Canada in October.
A total of 1,639 runners finished, 269 women and 1,370 men.