Kenyan star Patrick Kipngeno started the 2024 Golden Trail World Series as he means to go on with an impressive victory in the season-opening Kobe Trail.
Last year’s overall runner-up produced another outstanding display to show why he was the pre-race favourite as the GTWS made its first-ever visit to Asia for an elevation-packed 21km race.
He asserted on the fourth and final loop to get the better of Switzerland’s Joey Hadorn.
Kiriago crashes out
The race featured four distinct loops and on the first – and shortest – of them there were six men at the head of affairs.
They were led by Hadorn (19:28), fresh from his first Swiss cross-country title, with Elhousine Elazzaoui (19:34), the brilliant winner of the GTWS Grand Final in Italy last October, in second place at that point. Then came Kenyan duo Philemon Kiriago (19:45) and Kipngeno (19:50), followed by Poland’s Bart Przedwojewski (also 19:50) and Switzerland’s Roberto Delorenzi (19:51).
On loop two six became five as Delorenzi dropped back and then it was down to four as Kiriago exited the race on the third loop after twisting his ankle and falling on what was a seriously technical course.
But his compatriot Kipngeno wasn’t fazed and had moved to the head of affairs at the end of the third loop, just nine seconds ahead of Hadorn, with Elazzaoui now nearly a minute back and no one else within five minutes.
Kipngeno kicks clear
And on the fourth and final loop it was Kipngeno who proved strongest as he crossed the line in 2:22:17, just over a minute ahead of Hadorn, with Elazzaoui rounding out the podium in third.
Afterwards he said: “The competition was high-level today, and the race was very tough, but I’m really happy to have won.
“It wasn’t until kilometre 16 that I realised that victory was possible because the downhills were very tough, and they were running very fast in the front. But I stuck to my strategy, and it worked!”
2024 GTWS race one – Kobe Trail, Saturday April 20, 21km
MEN
- Patrick Kipngeno (KEN) – 2:22:17
- Joey Hadorn (SUI) – 2:23:26
- Elhousine Elazzaoui (MAR) – 2:28:43
- Bart Przedwojewski (POL) – 2:28:49
- Daniel Pattis (ITA) – 2:30:45
