Kenya stamped its authority on the opening stop of the 2026 WMRA Mountain Running World Cup, as Ruth Gitonga Mwihaki and Michael Selelo Saoli delivered commanding victories at the São Brás Cross in Castro Daire, Portugal.
Their performances not only secured a clean sweep for the East African nation but also sent a strong early signal to the rest of the field.
Making its debut on the World Cup calendar, the São Brás Cross proved anything but a gentle introduction. The 10.9km course, featuring 628 metres of climbing, tested both endurance and technical ability, with steep ascents and fast descents shaping the outcomes of both races.
The women’s contest initially appeared to be heading in favour of Great Britain’s Scout Adkin, the defending World Cup champion, who pushed the early pace alongside France’s Nélie Clément and Mwihaki.
The leading group stayed compact through the opening climb, with little separating the frontrunners.In the men’s race, Saoli wasted no time asserting himself.
The Kenyan quickly moved to the front, shadowed by a strong chasing pack that included Britain’s Andrew Douglas and France’s Théodore Klein.
However, the early cohesion did not last long as the relentless uphill began to stretch the field. As the race unfolded, both contests followed a similar pattern.
The early leaders were tested severely on the climbs, but it was the technical downhill sections that ultimately decided the winners.
Decisive Moves Define the Race
Mwihaki made her decisive move midway through the race, using the downhill stretch to surge past Adkin and open a gap that steadily widened.
By the latter stages, she had built a comfortable lead, showing both strength and composure to control the race to the finish line. “I knew the downhill would be my chance to make a difference,” Mwihaki said after her victory. “Once I took the lead, I focused on maintaining my rhythm and not making mistakes on the technical sections,” she added.
Behind her, Adkin fought hard to limit the damage but could not close the gap, settling for second place, while Clément secured third after maintaining a consistent pace throughout.
Saoli’s race followed a similar script. After breaking away on the climb, he extended his advantage on the descent and never looked back.
His ability to maintain speed over varied terrain proved too much for the chasing group. “The plan was to push early and see who could stay with me,” Saoli explained.
Douglas held on for second place, while Oscar Subuh-Symons produced a late surge to claim third, overtaking Klein in the closing stages.
The opening event in Portugal has already set up an intriguing battle for the rest of the season. With the World Cup now heading to Beijing for a double-header featuring both uphill and classic formats, the early advantage lies firmly with the Kenyan duo but the chasing pack has little time to respond.
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