Kiriago and Gitonga win the Mountain Running World Cup as Kenya sweep the men's overall podium
Kiriago won the final race in Quebec to keep his title, and Gitonga took the women's crown on countback from Joyce Muthoni Njeru.
In short: Kenya's Philemon Kiriago won the 2026 WMRA Mountain Running World Cup with 396 points after winning the final race at Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec, on Sunday 11 October in 1:11:24. Ruth Gitonga won the women's title on countback after finishing level with Joyce Muthoni Njeru on 384 points.
Philemon Kiriago won the up-and-down race at the Défi des Couleurs, the World Cup final at Mont-Sainte-Anne in Quebec, on Sunday 11 October in 1:11:24. Mason Coppi of the USA was second in 1:11:43 and Canada's Remi Leroux third in 1:13:21. The win gave Kiriago the overall men's title with 396 points, his second in a row, ahead of Richard Atuya (290) and Michael Saoli (223).
Germany's Nina Engelhard won the women's race in 1:20:34 to complete a double after winning Saturday's uphill race. Joyce Muthoni Njeru was second in 1:23:45 and France's Nelie Clement third in 1:23:51. Njeru's result put her level with Ruth Gitonga on 384 points. Gitonga, who could not travel to Canada because of visa problems, takes the title because she won more races during the season, World Athletics reports.
Gitonga also won the classic (up-and-down) standings with 150 points, and Saoli won the men's classic standings with 100. Atuya won the men's uphill standings with 142 points and Njeru the women's with 134. WMRA says this was the first World Cup final held outside Europe.