{"id":1703,"date":"2025-09-15T16:02:40","date_gmt":"2025-09-15T16:02:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canfrancpirineos2025wmtrc.com\/news\/?p=1703"},"modified":"2025-09-17T07:09:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T07:09:00","slug":"eight-world-champions-chase-gold-at-canfrancpirineos-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canfrancpirineos2025wmtrc.com\/news\/index.php\/2025\/09\/15\/eight-world-champions-chase-gold-at-canfrancpirineos-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Eight World Champions Chase Gold at CanfrancPirineos 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Aragonese Pyrenees dress up in September to host the Mountain and Trail World Championships CanfrancPirineos 2025. An event that brings together the best runners on the planet, many of whom already have medals from the previous two editions of this unified format: Chiang Mai (Thailand) 2021 and Innsbruck (Austria) 2023.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This will be the third installment of a story that is just beginning but has already shown the power to bring together the elite of mountain athletics and trail running in a single championship. Canfranc, famed as \u201cthe most beautiful and mountainous international station in Europe,\u201d will host 73 national teams from five continents with around 1,600 athletes registered to compete on spectacular terrain\u2014beautiful yet ruthless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In 2025, elite senior runners who excelled in previous editions return to decide who the new world champions and medalists will be in each of the four senior disciplines, seeking to cement their own legacies. Of the 48 medals awarded in the prior two editions, no fewer than 24 medalists will be at CanfrancPirineos to test themselves again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ENTRY LIST<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Undoubtedly, a true \u201cStar Wars\u201d full of stars, led by double world champions Patrick Kipngeno (Uphill) and Stian Angermund (Short Trail), as well as Romanian champion Denisa Dragomir (Short Trail 2021), ultra champions Adam Peterman (2021) and Benjamin Roubiol (2023). Let\u2019s not forget the legendary former Short Trail champions Francisco Puppi (2017) and Jim Walmsley (2019), and the double Classic champion 2019-2023 Grayson Murphy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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UPHILL: KIPNGENO AIMS FOR THE HAT-TRICK<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Course: Just 7 km, but with 1,000 meters of positive elevation. A relentless climb starting from the green and gentle valley of Canfranc Station (starting 3 kilometers above the town) that mercilessly ascends to the alpine domains of La Moleta. Pure vertical: from river to clouds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In this vertical discipline, Kenyan Patrick Kipngeno returns, master of the Uphill. Gold in Thailand 2021, gold in Innsbruck 2023… now aiming for a hat-trick in 2025. All eyes will be on his elastic stride, turning impossible slopes into highways. Alongside him, compatriot Philaries Kesang, silver medalist in Innsbruck 2023, returns hungry for more. The Kenyan was the revelation in Austria and now faces Canfranc with the confidence of knowing she\u2019s among the best on the planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Also returning is Swiss Maude Mathys, bronze in Thailand 2021, an alpine finesse runner and one of the living legends of the world circuit. Watch out for Spanish \u00c1lex Garc\u00eda Carrillo, bronze that same year: running at home, on familiar terrain, and with the extra motivation of the Pyrenean crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Despite the absence of the current World Champion, Austrian Andrea Mayr (silver 2021, gold 2023), the list of gold contenders is impressive. American Grayson Murphy, bronze in 2023, will also be present\u2014but in the Short Trail, which opens new questions about the women\u2019s Uphill podium. In short, an event that will be almost a Pyrenean opera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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CLASSIC: KENYA SEEKS DOUBLE WITH KIRIAGO AND NJERU<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Course: 14 km and +750m, a leg-breaker through the forests of Canfranc, with short, brutal climbs, technical descents, and no chance to rest. Here, you don\u2019t win\u2014you survive faster than the rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Classic discipline has always been where speed and mountain collide head-on. In 2025, it will be even more open, especially in the women\u2019s category. Why? Because the two queens of Innsbruck 2023, Grayson Murphy and Tove Alexandersson, have decided to jump to the Short Trail. A strategic move that leaves the Classic without its champion and runner-up, opening a world of possibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Among the returning runners stands Kenyan Joyce Njeru, bronze in Innsbruck 2023. Fast as lightning on short climbs, strong on descents, Njeru now aims to bring Kenya a female gold in this discipline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On the men\u2019s side, the generational shift is also evident. Kenyan Philemon Kiriago, silver in Innsbruck, returns with his sights set on what\u2019s missing: gold. His aggressive style promises a spectacular duel against Europeans, who hold the advantage of knowing the technical Pyrenean trails better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It will also be an opportunity to see if other emerging names break into the battle. The Classic is fertile ground for surprises, and Canfranc, with its dizzying descents and treacherous climbs, promises high-paced excitement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SHORT TRAIL: STIAN SEEKS THE HAT-TRICK<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Course: 45 km with +3,600m. A massive race, closer to a short Ultra than a classic alpine marathon. Airy ridges, endless descents, and high mountain technical sections make this course a beast of beauty and pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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While Kipngeno pursues three golds in the Uphill, the star of the Short Trail is Stian Angermund. The Norwegian crowned himself in Thailand 2021 and Innsbruck 2023, and arrives in Canfranc with the ambition to become a three-time world champion. His blend of power and technique makes him the number one candidate, though the Pyrenean terrain will not give anything away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hot on his heels will be British runner Thomas Roach, silver in Innsbruck, and Italian Luca del Pero, bronze the same year. Both know what it is to reach the podium and are hungry for more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Among women, the battle promises to be thrilling. Romanian Denisa Dragomir, champion in 2021, wants to reclaim her throne. Facing her is a luxurious Swiss trio: Judith Wyder and Therese Leboeuf, silver and bronze in 2023, plus the legendary Maude Mathys, moving up in distance after her Classic bronze in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Adding to this the double unknown of Grayson Murphy and Tove Alexandersson, who arrive after their gold and silver in the 2023 Classic to try their luck at the longer distance. A bold gamble that might pay off or not. After the spectacle the Swedish runner put on in the last Canfranc Short Trail, where she nearly threatened the absolute male record, this discipline alone promises an unforgettable World Championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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LONG TRAIL: PETERMAN VS. ROUBIOL FOR SECOND GOLD<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Course: 80 km and +6,000m. Pure high mountain terrain, with endless passes, late snowfields, and descents that leave your nails black for weeks. Here, epicness replaces speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The CanfrancPirineos 2025 Long Trail will be a clash of titans. In the men\u2019s category, two previous world champions face off: American Adam Peterman (gold 2021) and Frenchman Benjamin Roubiol (gold 2023).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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They have very different styles. Peterman dominates with steady pace, long strides, and the ability to crush kilometers consistently. Roubiol is the strategist who knows how to suffer, manage each climb like a chess player, and finish strong when others falter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Joining them is Italian Andreas Reiterer, bronze in 2021 and silver in 2023. Two consecutive podiums\u2014could this be his year for gold? Also watch out for Slovak Peter Frano, bronze in Innsbruck. Another who knows how to move in agonizing ultras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Extra intrigue comes from debutants in the World Championship distance. Italian Francesco Puppi, short trail runner-up in 2021, tries his luck in the 80 km. And even more high-profile: Jim Walmsley, 2019 Short Trail world champion, jumps into the ultra. His reputation precedes him: unpredictable, explosive, capable of the best and worst.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On the women\u2019s side, two runner-ups stand out: Swedish Ida Nilsson (silver 2021) and German Katarina Hartmuth (silver 2023). Joining them is Spaniard Gemma Arenas, bronze in 2021, who arrives with experience, solidity, and above all, the warmth of the local crowd. Gemma is one of those who never gives up, and on terrain as brutal as CanfrancPirineos, that resilience could be worth gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SERGIO MAYAYO \/ PRESS OFFICE MANAGER. WMTRC 2025<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Aragonese Pyrenees dress up in September to host the Mountain and Trail World Championships CanfrancPirineos 2025. An event that.. Read more<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1704,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canfrancpirineos2025wmtrc.com\/news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1703","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canfrancpirineos2025wmtrc.com\/news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canfrancpirineos2025wmtrc.com\/news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canfrancpirineos2025wmtrc.com\/news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canfrancpirineos2025wmtrc.com\/news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1703"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/canfrancpirineos2025wmtrc.com\/news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1703\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1710,"href":"https:\/\/canfrancpirineos2025wmtrc.com\/news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1703\/revisions\/1710"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canfrancpirineos2025wmtrc.com\/news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canfrancpirineos2025wmtrc.com\/news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canfrancpirineos2025wmtrc.com\/news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canfrancpirineos2025wmtrc.com\/news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}