Ephantus Mwangi Njeri (KEN) claimed his first WMRA Mountain Running World Cup victory of his career after overturning Richard Omaya Atuya’s lead on a decisive descent, while Ruth Mwihaki Gitonga (KEN) took the women’s race win and moved to the top of the overall World Cup standings at the Vauban Mountain Trail Classic Up & Down in Briançon, France.

Richard Omaya Atuya (KEN) and Francesca Ghelfi (ITA) claimed impressive victories as the seventh edition of the Vauban Mountain Trail hosted the WMRA Mountain Running World Cup for the second consecutive year in Briançon, France.

Stage 9 of the 2026 World Cup took athletes from the snow front at the base of the Prorel gondola, in the Briançon sector of Serre Chevalier, all the way to its upper station. Over just 6 km, the Montée Verticale gained 1,150 metres without a single metre of descent.

From the opening metres, the race demanded full commitment. Athletes left Briançon below as the course climbed into open Alpine terrain, surrounded by wide, 360-degree views across the French Alps and towards the peaks of the Briançonnais, the Queyras and the Écrins. It was mountain running in its purest uphill form: one continuous ascent, no opportunity to recover and the summit always above.

Following an impressive double header in Beijing Changping, the 2026 WMRA Mountain Running World Cup now turns its attention to Europe, with the competition's next chapter set to unfold on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands. The venue is Transvulcania - set against a backdrop of volcanic ridgelines and ancient lava fields. Making its World Cup debut this year, the event will host two races: an uphill race and the first long distance contest of the 2026 season. La Palma is said to be the steepest island in the world, making it a perfect host for mountain running events.

The 2026 WMRA Mountain Running World Cup produced another memorable day of racing in Beijing Changping, where the season’s third event took athletes to the historic Silver Pagoda Forest for the Classic Up & Down, World Cup category powered by Turismo Centro de Portugal

Surrounded by ancient Buddhist pagodas, forest trails and steep mountain slopes, the venue offered a completely different challenge from the previous day’s race on the Great Wall. The Silver Pagoda Forest, also known as Yinshan Pagoda Forest, is one of northern China’s most important Buddhist heritage sites. Its pagodas were built across several dynasties, with many dating from the Jin Dynasty (1115–1234) and later additions from the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, making parts of the site more than 800 years old.

Supported by the Beijing Changping District Government, the event once again welcomed runners from across the world to compete in a place where sport, history and nature met in rare fashion.

CLASSIC UP & DOWN DISCIPLINE

The WMRA Mountain Running World Cup 2026 brings together a truly global calendar, spanning 10 events in 10 countries across four continents, and comprising 16 races across the three recognised mountain running disciplines: Uphill, Classic Up & Down, and Long Distance.

With 27 years of history, the World Cup has evolved from its origins as a European Grand Prix into today’s fully international competitive circuit, operating with the endorsement and support of World Athletics. Over nearly three decades, it has mirrored the evolution of mountain running itself — from its early European roots to a modern global series connecting cultures, landscapes and racing traditions.