Despite being absent due to injury, Scout Adkin wins overall mountain running women’s title in 2025
It’s hard to imagine a more fitting race to conclude the World Cup than Smarna Gora in Slovenia on Sunday (Aug 24). The final stage, a classic up and downhill race, of this year’s competition took place on a course with a deep history of mountain running where we’ve seen many epic duels in the World Cup over the years. And with everything to play for in the World Cup competition, we knew we were going to see some intense racing!
From its finish by a church dating back to the early 1700s to the views of the Kamnik and Julian Alps and a local community who really embrace this race and its runners, it’s a unique race experience from the top elite to the back of the mass field. Starting in Rocen and then ascending 705m and descending 350m over the course of 10km, this is a course with some fast terrain but also with some deceptively technical parts.
With his third place in Saturday’s Velika Planina Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (Run2gether) pulled ahead of Paul Machoka (Run2gether) to take the lead in the men’s World Cup by just 10 points, setting up an enticing men’s competition on Sunday. With a DNF on Saturday, Valentine Jepkoech Rutto (Atletica Saluzzo) could no longer catch Scout Adkin, who wasn’t able to run here due to injury after falling in the recent British mountain running world trials in Keswick, but will win the women’s World Cup. But there was still a huge amount of potential for shaking up the rest of the women’s competition.
Women’s race
While the 2025 women’s World Cup winner was already decided, there was no let-up in the racing. Important points were up for grabs and we had a fascinating field, ranging from Andrea Mayr, record holder here, who has recorded six of the eight fastest women’s times, to exciting younger athletes like Nelie Clement (Gap Hautes Alpes Athletisme) and Courtney Coppinger (Brooks), racing here for the first time.
After yesterday’s DNF it was uncertain how Rutto would do here at Smarna Gora, but normal service was resumed as she and Glora Chebet (Run2gether) led it out for the women. Along with them were Coppinger and, a few seconds back, Mayr, continually pushing each other. Elle Twentyman, another breakout star of this year’s World Cup, and Clement were 30 seconds back and not letting them get away.
After 6km Chebet was still leading, but Rutto was still holding on to her and the gap remained at around 20 seconds. By this point Coppinger and Rutto were running neck-and-neck and they had opened more of a gap on Mayr. But you can never discount Mayr, whose consistency over the last 20 years has been nothing short of astounding.
Eventually Chebet could not be caught and she stretched out her lead in the final kilometres, taking the win in 49:55. Rutto held off Coppinger, taking second in 51:02, with Coppinger seven seconds behind. Mayr never stopped pushing and took fourth.
Women’s top 5
- Gloria Chebet (Kenya) – 49:55
- Valentine Rutto (Kenya) – 51:02
- Courtney Coppinger (USA) – 51:09
- Andrea Mayr (Austria) – 51:49
- Elle Twentyman (Great Britain) – 52:00
Men’s race
It was no surprise to see a trio of Run2gether athletes taking it out from the start. Josphat Kiprotich initially took command, with Kiriago and Richard Omaya Atuya, yesterday’s men’s winner, right on his heels. They opened a gap of 30 seconds to Machoka, who was desperate to secure those all-important points he needed to take the men’s World Cup. 10 seconds further back Michael Selelo Saoli (Run2gether) and Mwangi Ephantus Njeri (Run2gether) were also in the mix, with Lorenzo Cagnati (La Sportive) also keeping pace.
Kiprotich kept the lead but never succeeded in shaking Kiriago, who looked ominously comfortable despite the relentless pace. Atuya also looked focussed and was holding off Machoka, though never really extending the gap and now Saoli was starting to challenge. And the splits were indicating that the course record may well go!
Kiriago finally made his move, overtaking teammate Kiprotich, and attempting to put some daylight between them. He could not be caught and he took the win, knocking a big chunk off the course record, lowering it to 40:47 (from 41:30, set by Atuya just last year). Kiprotich held on to take second in 40:55 and Atuya took third in 41:07. All three were under the course record, showing what a fierce competition it was.
Men’s top 5
- Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (Kenya) – 40:47
- Josphat Kiprotich (Kenya) – 40:55
- Richard Omaya Atuya (Kenya) – 41:07
- Paul Machoka (Kenya) – 41:59
- Michael Selelo Saoli (Kenya) – 42:12
World Cup standings overall
In the women’s World Cup Scout Adkin executed a pretty perfect season, taking part in nine events, winning three, coming second in five and fifth in one. Adkin takes the women’s World Cup for the second year in a row. Valentine Jepkoech Rutto takes second place overall and Gloria Chebet’s win today means that she overtakes Joyce Muthoni Njeru to take third overall.
The men’s World Cup was all change on finals weekend. Coming into the weekend Paul Machoka led, with Kiriago trailing by 25 points. But that flipped following Velika Planina and Kiriago took the lead by just ten points. Kiriago’s win today secured the men’s World Cup title, with Machoka having to settle for the runner-up position. Saoli finished in third place in the men’s competition, holding off Atuya by just three points.
Find the full results of this year’s World Cup competition see here.
