Germany’s Nina Engelhard won her second gold medal at the World Mountain Running Championships, and Kenya’s Philemon Kiriago earned his first individual gold in the Up and Down race. The race was the last contest of the 2025 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships.
The Up and Down race, also sometimes called the Classic, was fast. It went 14.3 kilometers (8.9 miles) and had 767 meters (2,516 feet) of elevation gain on a two-loop course. After two days of challenging, technical terrain in the Short Trail and Long Trail championships, this course was significantly less aggressive and included longer sections on paved and gravel roads. As with the other three championships, there was a 24,000 Euro prize purse between the women’s and men’s races, with 5,000 Euro to the winners and cash payouts through fifth place.
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The start of the 2025 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down women’s race. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Within the race’s first 10 minutes, Engelhard took the lead and gradually pulled away from the women’s field. She won in 71:00, almost two minutes faster than any other woman. Three days earlier, Engelhard won the Uphill race too. As dominating as Engelhard was individually, Kenya was the same in the team race. Kenya placed three women inside the top eight to win team gold.
Men’s winner Philemon Kiriago battled Uganda’s Martin Kiprotich throughout the race and finally broke Kiprotich on the race’s final downhill. Kiriago won in 62:30, and Kiprotich, who led most of the race, was second in 63:14. Kenya won team gold, and it was Kiriago’s third gold medal of the event. He was 17th individually as part of Kenya’s winning Uphill team at the start of the event, too.
You can also check out our race coverage from earlier in the week:
- 2025 World Mountain Running Championships Uphill Results: Rémi Bonnet, Nina Engelhard Dominate
- 2025 Trail World Championships Short Trail Results: Tove Alexandersson, Frédéric Tranchand Triumph
- 2025 Trail World Championships Long Trail Results: Katie Schide, Jim Walmsley Prevail
The next World Mountain and Trail Running Championships will be in October 2027 in Cape Town, South Africa.
The start of the 2025 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down men’s race. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
2025 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down Women’s Race
The women’s race went first at 10:30 a.m. CEST with 50 different countries racing, and it was a very hot start for Gloria Chebet (Kenya). After a sprint out of town, she was at first surrounded by the three-woman Ugandan team as the race turned to forest paths four minutes into the race, and then the three Ugandans — Saibi Chebet, Rispa Cherop, and Kerine Cherop — dropped Chebet for the early lead.
That team pack was short lived and Uphill race winner, Nina Engelhard (Germany), surged to the lead after nine minutes of racing. Three minutes later, everyone had already fallen off Engelhard’s pace.
Nina Engelhard, the 2025 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down women’s champion. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Engelhard reached the 3.8k timing split in 21:17 with a big 21-second lead. Rispa Cherop was in second here, Ruth Gitonga (Kenya), Oria Liaci (Switzerland), and Saibi Chebet were running in third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.
Each lap had one uphill and one downhill, and when the course turned down, Engelhard showed that she had fast downhill legs too. Regarded as a stronger uphill runner, Engelhard briefly grimaced with leg cramps on the downhill, but after gaining the lead nine minutes into the race, no one would come close to her the rest of the way.
Ruth Gitonga finished second at the 2025 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down race. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
At halfway, the ultimate podium spots had started to form. Rispa Cherop had fallen back to seventh, and Kenya’s Gitonga was now second, 30 seconds behind Engelhard. Liaci, Joyce Njeru (Kenya), and Saibi Chebet were now third, fourth, and fifth in the dynamic front group.
Nina Engelhard won the 2025 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down race in 71:00, completing the Uphill and Up and Down double, and no one was close to her.
Liaci got close to second-place Gitonga on the race’s second lap, but never fully closed the gap. Ruth Gitonga was second in 72:54, and Oria Liaci was third in 73:15. Liaci was 17th in the Uphill race three days earlier.
Liaci Oria descends to third place at the 2025 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down race. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Joyce Njeru just held off a sprinting Lauren Gregory (U.S.) for fourth. Joyce Njeru finished one spot back of her 2023 championships finish in fourth at 73:37. Just eighth at halfway, Lauren Gregory closed well to finish fifth in 73:38.
Uphill bronze medalist Anna Gibson (U.S.) was 13th in 76:23.
Kenya won team gold with the U.S. and Switzerland second and third.
Nina Engelhard, 2025 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down race champion. Photo: World Mountain and Trail Running Championships
2025 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down Women’s Results
- Nina Engelhard (Germany) – 71:00
- Ruth Gitonga (Kenya) – 72:54
- Oria Liaci (Switzerland) – 73:15
- Joyce Njeru (Kenya) – 73:37
- Lauren Gregory (U.S.) – 73:38
- Rispa Cherop (Uganda) – 73:42
- Nélie Clément (France) – 74:09
- Gloria Chebet (Kenya) – 74:39
- Saibi Chebet (Uganda) – 75:03
- Elisa Morin (Canada) – 75:16
The 2025 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down race men’s podium (left to right): 2. Ruth Gitonga, 1. Nina Engelhard, 3. Oria Liaci. Photo: World Mountain and Trail Running Championships
2025 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down Men’s Race
Fifty-six countries and 150 men were on the start line, and it was no surprise to see Uganda again sprint to the opening lead. Philemon Kiriago (Kenya) quickly tracked Uganda’s Isaac Masai and Abel Chebet down, careful not to let anyone get away. Martin Kiprotich (Uganda) joined the group, and it was Kiriago and three Ugandans at the front. Kiprotich was just 22 years old, but ran the 10,000-meter race at the 2024 Olympics. Kiriago was doubling back from a surprise start in the Uphill race. He was a late substitute in that race and finished 17th to help Kenya to team gold.
Philemon Kiriago, the 2025 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down men’s champion. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Kiprotich is a relative trail rookie, at least compared to Kiriago, but he pushed the pace and opened a 14-second gap on Kiriago at the 3.8k timing split. It was all Kenyan and Ugandan runners in the top five. Ken Koros (Kenya), Aziz Chebet (Uganda), and Paul Machoka (Kenya) were third, fourth, and fifth to set up a very competitive team race. Dominik Rolli (Switzerland) was next in sixth.
Everything changed after the downhill to reach halfway in 7k. Kiriago had regained Kiprotich and was only two seconds behind. Machoka was now third and Koros fourth, and all four were within eight seconds of Kiprotich. Kiprotich was stranded out front, and his countrymen were no longer in the top five. Instead, Rolli was now fifth, and the U.S. had two runners inside the top 10 with Mason Coppi and Taylor Stack positioned seventh and 10th.
Kiriago finally pulled even with Kiprotich after 35 minutes, and Koros and Machoka were back and forth for third and fourth.
Martin Kiprotich (Uganda), running to second place in the 2025 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down race. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Kiprotich responded to Kiriago’s threat and regained separation on the second uphill. Kiprotich was 20 seconds ahead of Kiriago at the 10.4k timing split.
And then the lead was gone. Kiriago was still full of run, and with Kiprotich running gingerly while grabbing at a side stitch, Kiriago made a winning move. Kiriago flew into the lead after 50 minutes of race time, and there was no response from Kiprotich.
Paul Machoka (Kenya) was third at the 2025 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down race. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Philemon Kiriago won the 2025 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down race in 62:30.
Martin Kiprotich held on for second in 63:14, and Paul Machoka was third in 63:25.
Dominik Rolli made a late pass for fourth in 63.56, and Ken Koros was fifth in 64:08.
Kenya won the team race. Uganda and Italy were second and third.
Philemon Kirago, 2025 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down race champion. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
2025 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down Men’s Results
- Philemon Kiriago (Kenya) – 62:30
- Martin Kiprotich (Uganda) – 63:14
- Paul Machoka (Kenya) – 63:25
- Dominik Rolli (Switzerland) – 63:56
- Ken Koros (Kenya) – 64:08
- Michael Selelo Saoli (Kenya) – 64:24
- Aziz Chebet (Uganda) – 64:30
- Brayan Rodriguez (Mexico) – 64:36
- Jonathan Castillo (Colombia) – 64:38
- Isaac Costa (Italy) – 65:01
The 2025 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down race men’s podium (left to right): 2. Martin Kiprotich, 1. Philemon Kirago, 3. Paul Machoka. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
