The mountains of Canfranc-Pirineos, Spain, have been alive with competitors this September as greater than 1,700 athletes from 70 nations took on the 2025 World Mountain and Path Working Championships. Runners battled altitude, warmth and the steep Pyrenean terrain throughout 4 gruelling disciplines: uphill-only, traditional up-and-down, quick path and lengthy path.
Canada despatched one in every of its deepest groups but, and so they delivered a breakthrough efficiency, highlighted by the ladies’s uphill squad incomes the nation’s first-ever group medal at these championships.
Uphill (Vertical Climb)
The uphill race was all about pure climbing energy. Switzerland’s Rémi Bonnet as soon as once more proved untouchable, taking gold in 37:50, forward of Kenya’s Richard Omaya Atuya in 39:04 and Patrick Kipngeno in 39:20. Alexandre Ricard was Canada’s high male finisher, crossing the road in 41:27 for sixteenth place.
On the ladies’s facet, Germany’s Nina Engelhard claimed the title in 45:33, adopted by Finland’s Susanna Saapunki in 45:59 and American Anna Gibson in 46:07. The Canadian girls made historical past with a bronze group end behind Italy and France. Emma Prepare dinner-Clarke led the squad in tenth place (48:07), adopted by Jade Belzberg in thirteenth (48:31), Anne-Marie Comeau in 18th (49:24) and Élisa Morin in twenty fifth (50:48).
“These races have been intensely aggressive with very difficult programs,” Belzberg advised Canadian Working. “I gave each occasions my all, and specifically, the uphill race. I’m proud to have been on the group with such sturdy girls and it was an honour to be the primary Canadian group to win a medal on the mountain and path operating championships.”
Brief Path (22 km)
Quick and technical, the Brief Path occasion featured sharp climbs and descents by way of rocky alpine terrain. Sweden’s Tove Alexandersson, a dominant drive in each orienteering and path operating, ran away with gold in 5:04. Spain’s Sara Alonso took silver and Naomi Lang of Nice Britain earned bronze. Kalie McCrystal was the highest Canadian within the Brief Path occasion, ending in 5:57:23 for twelfth.
On the boys’s facet, France’s Frédéric Tranchand captured gold in 4:42, with Spain’s Manuel Merillas and Andreu Blanes rounding out the rostrum. Joshua Potvin was the highest Canadian within the males’s race, crossing the road in 5:34:04 for forty ninth place.
Lengthy Path (80 km)
The Lengthy Path occasion examined endurance to the acute, masking greater than 80 kilometres and 1000’s of metres of elevation acquire. Jim Walmsley of the U.S. took gold within the males’s race in 8:35:11, with France’s Benjamin Roubiol (8:46:05) and Louison Coiffet (8:46:05) rounding out the rostrum.
Katie Schide of the U.S. gained the ladies’s race in 9:57:59, adopted by Nepal’s Sunmaya Budha (10:23:03) and Italy’s Fabiola Conti (10:35:51). Canada’s Jazmine Lowther delivered a standout efficiency, ending fourth in 10:45:18. “Fourth on the earth immediately, give me one other 20k subsequent time,” Lowther shared on social media post-race.
Traditional Up and Down
The Traditional Up and Down race covers 15 km, with 800 metres of elevation acquire. Within the males’s race, Kenya’s Philemon Kirago emerged victorious in 1:02:30, adopted by Uganda’s Martin Kiprotich in 1:03:14 and Kenya’s Paul Machoka in 1:03:25. Rémi Leroux was Canada’s high finisher within the traditional occasion in 1:06:54.
The ladies’s race noticed a dominant efficiency by Germany’s Nina Engelhard, who completed in 1:11:00. Kenya’s Ruth Gitonga Mwihaki was second in 1:12:54, adopted by Switzerland’s Oria Liaci in 1:13:15. Élisa Morin was Canada’s high lady, crossing the road in 1:15:16 for tenth place.
For full outcomes of the World Mountain and Path Working Champs, head right here.
