Caution: Coming in hot! We’re breaking down Sierre-Zinal and bombing through the Bigfoot 200 Mile and Bridger Ridge Run.
You can also check out our earlier race coverage from the weekend:
Sierre-Zinal – Zinal, Switzerland
The iconic race was again part of the Golden Trail World Series (GTWS) and the Mountain Running World Cup. It’s held on the famed 31-kilometer course with 2,200 meters of climbing. That’s 7,200 feet of climbing in 19 miles. All of the top 10 earned prize money, with 2,000 CHF ($2,474) to the winners, and time bonuses made the potential payout even more lucrative.
Philemon Kiriago wins the 2025 Sierre-Zinal. Photo: WMRA/Marco Gulberti
Men
Who dis? In a race with most of the world’s top sub-ultra trail stars in it, Adrien Briffod (Switzerland) outclimbed everyone on the first climb and opened a big early lead.
Briffod, an Olympic triathlete who ran 14:27 for 5,000 meters and 29:38 for 10,000 meters on roads earlier this year, was in front for the first 20 kilometers of the 31k race. At Hôtel Weisshorn, nearly the course’s high point and at that 20k mark, Briffod was still a minute ahead of the Kenyan duo of 2023 race winner Philemon Kiriago and two-time uphill World Mountain Running Champion Patrick Kipngeno.
Despite Kipngeno’s climbing prowess, Kiriago was leading Kipgneno for much of the uphill chase, and both quickly overtook Briffod after the terrain partially leveled and shot downhill for the final 7k to the finish.
Kiriago went on blast to win in 2:28:45. He ran 2:25:36 last year when finishing second to Kilian Jornet, and Kiriago ran 2:27:27 when winning in 2023. We missed it last week but Kiriago just won the Thyon-Dixence tune-up race in Switzerland, too.
Kipngeno was second in 2:29:08, and Michael Selelo Saoli (Kenya) ran a great downhill to finish a very close third in 2:29:14.
Early leader Briffod’s flame nearly burned out, but he held on for fourth. Kenyan runners took four of the first five spots, and 2022 race winner Andreu Blanes (Spain) was eighth in 2:35:19.
The race is among the most competitive trail races in the world each year, but the course really bedevils some runners. Elhousine Elazzaoui (Morocco) has been nearly unbeatable the last two years but was only ninth here, though that’s a big step up from his earlier Sierre-Zinal finishes. Christian Allen (U.S.) challenged Kiriago, Kipngeno, and Elazzoui at the Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k earlier this year was back in 21st here. Last week’s GTWS race winner, Timothy Kibett (Kenya), was even further away, way down in 49th in 2:51:05. Runner-up a week ago in the GTWS, Samuel Kiprotich (Kenya) didn’t finish, and neither did Leonard Chemutai (Uganda), winner of the 2023 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down race.
The 2025 Sierre-Zinal men’s podium (left to right): 5. Paul Machoka, 3. Michael Selelo Saoli, 1. Philemon Kiriago, 2. Patrick Kipngeno, and 4. Adrien Briffod. Photo: WMRA/Marco Gulberti
The men’s top 25 was:
- Philemon Kiriago (Kenya) – 2:28:45
- Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya) – 2:29:08
- Michael Selelo Saoli (Kenya) – 2:29:14
- Adrien Briffod (Switzerland) – 2:32:06
- Paul Machoka (Kenya) – 2:33:00
- Martin Nilsson (Sweden) – 2:33:52
- Dominik Rolli (Switzerland) – 2:34:07
- Andreu Blanes (Spain) – 2:35:19
- Elhousine Elazzaoui (Morocco) – 2:35:58
- Francesco Puppi (Italy) – 2:37:49
- Nashon Kiplimo (Kenya) – 2:38:29
- Taylor Stack (U.S.) – 2:38:37
- Olle Kalered (Sweden) – 2:38:54
- Alex Garcia (Spain) – 2:38:59
- Juho Ylinen (Finland) – 2:39:09
- Thomas Roach (U.K.) – 2:39:35
- Maximilien Drion (Belgium) – 2:39:45
- Miguel Benítez (Spain) – 2:39:54
- Vitaliy Shafar (Ukraine) – 2:40:52
- Jonathan Schmid (Switzerland) – 2:40:58
- Christian Allen (U.S.) – 2:42:05
- Anthony Felber (France) – 2:43:14
- Remi Leroux (Canada) – 2:44:00
- Killian Allaire (France) – 2:44:06
- Alberto Vender (Italy) – 2:44:28
[Thomas Roach served a three-month World Athletics doping ban from October 2021 to January 2022 after testing positive for Carboxy-THC at the 2021 World Masters Mountain Running Championships in Stubai, Austria.]
Women
A year ago, Joyline Chepngeno (Kenya) was the race’s shock winner in her debut. This year, Caroline Kimutai (Kenya) tried to take that position.
Kimutai and Chepngeno finished first and second at the GTWS Great Wall 24k race in China earlier this year, and they were at the front of all of Sierre-Zinal. Kimutai got out like a rocket and gapped Chepngeno and everyone else early on. She was nearly two minutes ahead of her rival just 7.5k into the race.
It didn’t stick, but she didn’t give up much ground either.
Joyline Chepngeno winning the 2025 Sierre-Zinal for the second consecutive year. Photo: WMRA/Marco Gulberti
Chepngeno, the race’s defending champion, gained the lead before the climbing was done and stayed in front the rest of the way. Chepngeno won in 2:54:49, barely behind her winning time from 2024 of 2:54:06.
Race rookie Kimutai was second in 2:55:31.
Less than a month ago, Katie Schide (U.S.) won the Hardrock 100, and she was even more electric here. Schide was only sixth at the 20k mark and freight-trained downhill to get on the podium in third in 2:58:30.
Schide’s run is incredibly impressive. She beat many of this year’s GTWS frontrunners, and America’s best short-trail stars, by a lot. Where Schide’s Hardrock 100 win, and perhaps even course record, was expected, this one really caused my jaw to drop in amazement.
Anna Gibson, the 2025 U.S. Mountain Running Champion, was ninth. Last week’s Thyon-Dixence winner, Joyce Njeru (Kenya), was 10th, and last week’s GTWS winner, Naomi Lang (U.K.), was 11th. GTWS star Mădălina Florea (Romania) was outside the top 10 in 13th.
The 2025 Sierre-Zinal women’s podium (left to right): 5. Oria Liaci, 3. Katie Schide, 1. Joyline Chepngeno, 2. Caroline Kimutai, and 4. Maude Mathys. Photo: WMRA/Marco Gulberti
The women’s top 25 was:
- Joyline Chepngeno (Kenya) – 2:54:49
- Caroline Kimutai (Kenya) – 2:55:31
- Katie Schide (U.S.) – 2:58:30
- Maude Mathys (Switzerland) – 2:58:56
- Oria Liaci (Switzerland) – 3:00:20
- Laura Hottenrott (Germany) – 3:00:30
- Miao Yao (China) – 3:01:35
- Susanna Saapunki (Finland) – 3:02:29
- Anna Gibson (U.S.) – 3:05:25
- Joyce Njeru (Kenya) – 3:06:03
- Naomi Lang (U.K.) – 3:07:16
- Valentine Rutto (Kenya) – 3:09:08
- Mădălina Florea (Romania) – 3:13:13
- Julia Font (Spain) – 3:13:14
- Philaries Kisang (Kenya) – 3:13:31
- Lauren Gregory (U.S.) – 3:15:22
- Cristina Simion (Romania) – 3:15:58
- Alice Bausseron (France) – 3:16:52
- Alice Gaggi (Italy) – 3:16:55
- Maëlle Minnig (Switzerland) – 3:17:24
- Sarah Carter (U.S.) – 3:18:11
- Emilie Menuet (France) – 3:19:19
- Julie Lelong (France) – 3:20:06
- Faith Kiplagat (Kenya) – 3:20:46
- Rachel Tomajczyk (U.S.) – 3:20:57
[In 2015, Maude Mathys received a warning without suspension from the Disciplinary Chamber for Doping Cases of Swiss Olympic for two positive tests for clomifene (previously clomiphene) after it was determined that she was mistakenly taking the drug without first obtaining a World Anti-Doping Agency Therapeutic Use Exemption.]
The Golden Trail World Series moves on to its October 2025 finale in Italy, and the Mountain Running World Cup has its finals in two weeks in Slovenia.
Additional Races and Runs
Swiss Alps 100 Mile – Fiesch, Switzerland
The 100-mile race went for 10,150 meters of up while going across three suspension bridges and around the largest glacier in the Alps. Yurick Aregger (Switzerland) won the men’s race in 23:38, almost exactly 10 minutes better than second-place Aron Verhaeghe (Belgium). Barbara Drews (Switzerland) won the women’s race in 31:18 ahead of Serena Eley (U.S.) who finished in 32:54. Full results.
Fat Dog 120 Mile – Manning Park, British Columbia, Canada
The roughly 124-mile race went point-to-point through remote southwestern British Columbia. Scott Maguire (Canada) and Jenny Quilty (Canada) won in 29:45 and 31:59. Full results.
Scott Maguire (right) winning the 2025 Fat Dog 120 Mile. Photo courtesy of the race.
The women’s 2025 Fat Dog 120 Mile podium (left to right), 2. Jessica Ward, 1. Jenny Quilty, and and 3. Heather Dougherty. Photo courtesy of the race.
Kesugi Ridge Traverse – Denali State Park, Alaska
It was the event’s 13th year with a 31-mile full traverse and a 15-mile half traverse. Allan Spangler and Yvonne Jeschke won the long race in 5:03 and 5:15 and Jeschke set a new course record. James Carlberg and Hillary Allen were best in the half traverse in 2:20 and 2:38. Full results.
Bigfoot 200 Mile – Mount St. Helens, Washington
The race was the second contest in the Triple Crown of 200 Milers. Winner of the 2025 Tahoe 200 Mile, Kilian Korth, came away with another win at this event after placing second in 2023. He finished in 45:04. Ashley Paulson leads in the women’s race at the time of this writing. [Ashley Paulson served a six-month doping sanction in 2015 and 2016 due to a doping violation in triathlon for a positive test for ostarine, a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM).] Tracking.
Larrabee Lakes 50k – Bellingham, Washington
The Larrabee State Park race had Korey Konga and Pippa Norman winning in 5:02 and 5:36. Full results.
Korey Konga wins the 2025 Larabee Lakes 50k. Photo courtesy of the race.
Pippa Norman wins the 2025 Larabee Lakes 50k. Photo courtesy of the race.
Haulin’ Aspen – Bend, Oregon
Casey Campbell and Amanda McGarry won the trail marathon in 2:55 and 4:35, and Nathan Pfaff and Jessie Rubin led the half marathon in 1:27 and 1:39. Full results.
Wy’east Trailfest – Government Camp, Oregon
The event had a first-year 50-mile event alongside its older distances. Case Vander Ploeg and Madison Hart led the 50 miler in 8:58 and 9:58, and Jackson Cole and Heather Jackson won the 50k in 4:24 and 5:20. Full results.
Bridger Ridge Run – Bozeman, Montana
Nate Marshall and Erika Flowers won the 20-mile race in 3:13 and 3:59. Full results.
Wyoming Range 100 Mile – Hoback, Wyoming
The 105-mile run went point-to-point through remote country with 24,000 feet of climbing. Jack Tinucci and Wendy Wheeler-Jacobs did it in 31:41 and 38:55. Full results.
Lake Placid Trail Challenge 50k – Mt. Van Hoevenberg, New York
The Spartan Trail event crowned Simon Thivierge (Canada) and Amanda Gibbs as its winners in 4:53 and 6:11. Full results.
Nifty Fifty 50k – Juneau, Alaska
Running in rain the entire time, Clem Taylor-Roth won the men’s race in 4:27 and Caitlyn Fleischman won the women’s race in 5:49. Full results.
Clem Taylor-Roth gets water on his way to winning the 2025 Nifty Fifty 50k. Photo courtesy of the race.
Caitlyn Fleischman (right), on her way to winning the 2025 Nifty Fifty 50k. Photo courtesy of the race.
Pines to Vines 55k – Pinckney, Michigan
Neil Nicholson won the men’s race in 5:26 but Andrea Pomaranski was the women’s and overall winner in 4:31. Full results.
High Five 100 Mile – Lake City, Colorado
Benjamin Wiederkehr won the event that climbs five 14,000-foot peaks and six 13,000-foot peaks with more than 40,000 feet of elevation gain in 37 hours and 51 minutes. There were no women finishers this year.
Benjamin Wiederkehr takes a break on his way to winning the High Five 100 Mile. Photo courtesy of the race.
Call for Comments
- What are your Sierre-Zinal reflections? Do you share in surprise at Briffod’s ability to outclimb everyone, and Schide outrunning almost all of the world’s best shorter-distance trail runners?
- What else have you got from this summer weekend of racing?
