Kenya's Valentine Jepkoech Rutto ran a race record while Davide Magnini, Scout Adkin and Richard Omaya Atuya were also among the winners during the Giir di Mont Mountain Running World Cup weekend in Premana, Italy.

The women’s uphill race set off first and while the drizzly rain cooled the temperatures, it did make the conditions underfoot slightly more challenging.

The line-up for the women included World Cup leader Adkin and seven-time world champion Andrea Mayr, plus Rutto and Joyce Muthoni Njeru, currently second and third in the World Cup standings. In addition, the presence of Gloria Chebet, Susanna Saapunki and Philaries Jeruto Kisang made the start line feel almost like a World Championship.

It was very close, with the lead changing hands many times, but eventually Great Britain's Adkin got away and took the win in 47:52. It was Francesca Ghelfi who chased her to the end and took second place in 47:58, with Mayr completing the podium in 48:31.

Rutto’s relentless pace didn’t let up and by Deleguaggio she had stretched the gap out to 10 minutes. She went on to take an impressive win in a course record of 3:58.28, while Jacquin’s descending speed proved decisive and she overtook Cumerlato to take second in 4:07.56.

The men’s race was equally stacked and it also got off to a very fast start through the cobbled streets. With the top three in the men’s World Cup competition – Paul Machoka, Philemon Ombogo Kiriago and Michael Selelo Saoli – in addition to Atuya and Josphat Kiprotich, it was one of the strongest Kenyan line-ups of the series so far this year.

The race was also the Italian Uphill only Mountain Running Championship, so there was an incredibly strong cohort of Italian athletes.

It was an all-Kenyan podium, with Atuya eventually breaking free to win in 39:49. Kiriago was close behind in 40:07, with another narrow gap to Machoka in third in 40:17. The top five all finished within one minute of each other.

Leading results

Women

1 Scout Adkin (GBR) 47:52

2 Francesca Ghelfi (ITA) 47:58

3 Andrea Mayr (AUT) 48:31

4 Valentine Jepkoech Rutto (KEN) 48:46

5 Gloria Chebet (KEN) 49:24

Men

1 Richard Omaya Atuya (KEN) 39:49

2 Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (KEN) 40:07

3 Paul Machoka (KEN) 40:17

4 Josphat Kiprotich (KEN) 40:32

5 Michael Selelo Saoli (KEN) 40:45