Unknown trail running rookie loses 30kg to take on elite stars in top race – and WINS

Joyline Chepngeno burst onto the trail running scene in the most incredible way imaginable with a remarkable win at the 51st edition of the iconic Sierre-Zinal in Switzerland.

The Kenyan was running in her first ever trail race in Europe.

A talented runner on the track as a youngster, the exploits of some of the women she used to run against had inspired her to return to the sport after having two children.

To get back into race shape, the 25-year-old lost around 30 kilos in the space of 18 months – and the result was astounding.

Sierre-Zinal is one of trail running’s most famous races, with a past winners list a who’s who of the sport’s best. It covers 31km and features over 2,200 metres of climbing.

In the men’s race this year the GOAT Kilian Jornet was notching a record tenth victory in thrilling style – but arguably something more sensational was happening just behind in the women’s event.

For Chepngeno led from the outset and while many were expecting her to come back to the more fancied runners, the opposite happened.

She went further and further clear and when the line came she was over eight minutes ahead of Britain’s Scout Adkin, with Madalina Florea of Romania – the winner of the Golden Trail World Series Grand Final last year – in third.

Read on for the full story of an incredible day…

Wire-to-wire win

The latest stop on both the Golden Trail World Series and the WMRA World Cup meant an incredibly deep women’s start list.

But the day ended up being about just one woman.

It was 26°C at the start and Chepngeno put down a marker straight away as she powered up the brutal first climb.

By the first checkpoint after 7km she was 49 seconds ahead of Adkin in second, with Kenyan legend Joyce Njeru and Florea in a battle for third at +1:43.

While Chepngeno was in splendid isolation up front, there was plenty of chopping and changing in behind.

Njeru cruised past Adkin at the 10km mark to take second but by the next checkpoint she was just over two minutes behind Chepngeno, with Adkin at +2:24, Florea at +2:51 and five minutes and upwards to the rest.

By now Judith Wyder – the Mont-Blanc Marathon winner recently – had dropped out, with her build-up to the race hampered by COVID.

A class apart

Chepngeno extended her lead again by third checkpoint and it was Adkin who was now back in second at +2:33, Njeru at +3:02 and Florea at +3:44.

And the gaps continued to go out and out as Chepngeno wrote one of the most memorable chapters in trail running history.

She stopped the clock at the finish in two hours, 54 minutes and six seconds, less than 10 minutes outside the record time despite the searing temperatures.

Adkin notched a hugely impressive second place, eight minutes and 15 seconds later, with Florea rounding out the podium in third.

Last year’s winner Sophia Laukli (USA) was seventh as she continues her comeback from injury.

Sierre-Zinal Results – Elite Women

Saturday 10 August 2024, 31km

1. Joyline Chepngeno (KEN) – 2:54:06
2. Scout Adkin (GBR) – 3:02:21
3. Madalina Florea (ROM) – 3:04:29
4. Philaries Kisang (KEN) – 3:05:52
5. Christina Simion (ROM) – 3:07:51