Kiriago finished second in 56:22 behind Uganda’s Isaac Kibet who clocked 56:14 to win the race.
Philemon Kiriago has expressed contentment towards his performance in the mountain classic event at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Innsbruck-Stubai.
Kiriago finished second in 56:22 behind Uganda’s Isaac Kibet who clocked 56:14 to win the race. Germany’s Filimon Abraham sealed the podium after clocking 56:27.
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Patrick Kipngeno, who routed the field in the vertical uphill earlier in the week, was fourth in 57:27, with Kenya claiming gold in the team event ahead of Italy and Spain.
“The race was fantastic, true to my training in Kenya. I’m so happy to bring silver to Kenya. I’m hoping in 2025 to bring all the gold to Kenya,” he said.
The men’s race saw Kibet shoot to the front at the start, followed by Kiriago. As they climbed to Gramartboden, Kiriago assumed control, chased by Abraham, who took over the lead as they raced downhill to complete the first lap.
But Kiriago and the Ugandan duo, Leonard Chemutai and Dismas Yeko were just behind. Kiriago kept the pressure on as they climbed back up the hill, hitting Gramartstrasse after 9.3km with a four-second lead over Chemutai, who had Abraham right with him.
Chemutai swept to the front on the downhill run back to Innsbruck, exiting the trail with a seven-second lead and back onto the tarmac.
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Kipng’eno was a class apart and built a considerable advantage, which had grown to 29 seconds at the 3.9km checkpoint.
Through the narrow, twisty course in the city center, he continued to keep the pace high, hitting the line in 56:14, eight seconds clear of Kiriago, who in turn was five seconds clear of Abraham.