This 12 months’s a lot anticipated Path World Championships, now a part of the mixed World Mountain and Path Operating Championships, was very totally different from the standard European programs the occasion tends to go to. The course noticed a number of the world’s greatest battling it out over 78 kilometers of Thailand jungle, on a three-looped course taking in 4,807 meters (15,771 toes) of climbing and descending within the Doi Suthep-Pui Nationwide Park on the outskirts of Chiang Mai on Saturday, November 5.
The favorites for the person win had been France’s Blandine L’Hirondel (pre-race interview), reigning Path World Champion and this 12 months’s CCC winner, for the ladies’s race; and the U.S.’s Adam Peterman (pre-race interview), making his worldwide debut and coming off a win at Western States 100, on the lads’s aspect.
There have been additionally a group race in retailer, with robust contingents from France, Italy, Poland, and the U.S. to call however a couple of.
Whereas the wins within the particular person races went alongside predicted traces, there have been some surprises alongside the way in which, together with an off-the-charts comeback efficiency from Sweden’s Ida Nilsson in second place within the ladies’s race, who made L’Hirondel work very onerous for the win. On the lads’s aspect, France’s Nicolas Martin’s second place was particularly spectacular, his sixth time representing his nation at this occasion shining by by way of his regular efficiency in a pressure-filled day.
The beginning of the 2022 Path World Championships 80k on Saturday, November 5, 2022, in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
2022 Path World Championships 80k Ladies’s Race
Eight kilometers into the ladies’s race, the early pacemakers had been Emma Pooley of Switzerland, reigning world champion Blandine L’Hirondel (pre-race interview), and Sweden’s Ida Nilsson — all working inside seconds of each other. It was Nilsson who made the primary transfer, and by 30k in she had established a lead. L’Hirondel pulled away from the others in second, only a minute again from Nilsson, leaving a sizeable hole to the remainder of the sector.
A protracted recreation of cat and mouse ensued between the 2 leaders, with L’Hirondel closing the hole to only 45 seconds on the 50k mark, however Nilsson pulling away once more — coming by 60k greater than three minutes forward of the favourite, L’Hirondel, and searching the stronger of the 2. The 2 nonetheless maintained a spot of greater than 13 minutes to Spain’s Gemma Arenas, who had moved into third at level.
Gemma Arenas of Spain on her method to ending third on the 2022 Path World Championships 80k. Picture: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
L’Hirondel had spoken in regards to the course in her pre-race interview and its difficult final part, and stated that she deliberate to run prudently to carry one thing for the top. She was pretty much as good as her phrase, as on the final main climb — some 1,000 meters of ascent in 6k, from Huay Tung Tao as much as the village of Ban Khun Chiang Khian — she not solely handed however pulled seven minutes forward of her rival.
Nilsson, now in second at 66k, was visibly working however nonetheless transferring at an excellent tempo and undeterred. Much more, she was 14 minutes away from Arenas in third as she powered towards the end.
L’Hirondel continued to drag away on the final stretch to the end, a 12k descent, and romped residence in a time of 8:22, to proceed her reign as 80k Path World Champion. L’Hirondel is extra recognized for the marathon to 50k distance. She holds the course file for the 55k OCC, which she set final 12 months, and her earlier Path World Championships win in 2019 was over the shorter, 44k distance. This 12 months she stepped as much as the 100k distance with a win at CCC, and as we speak she has as soon as once more demonstrated her versatility with a win on this sizzling and humid 80k jungle race.
Blandine L’Hirondel of France celebrates changing into the 2022 Path World Championships 80k Champion, her second time successful the Path World Championships. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Nilsson, who had set an unbelievable tempo all day, displaying that she nonetheless has it after 20 years of representing her nation, got here residence in 8:34 — properly away from the remainder of the sector. Her lengthy profession has included wins at The North Face 50 Mile in 2016 and 2017, the Zegama Marathon in 2018, and the Marathon du Mont Blanc in 2016. She has demonstrated as we speak that there’s nonetheless much more to return.
Ida Nilsson is actually, actually proud of second place on the 2022 Path World Championships 80k. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Gemma Arenas in third was rock strong all day. She got here by 30k in fourth, a few minute and a half again from Emma Pooley. She moved into podium place shortly thereafter and maintained all of it day — by no means fairly closing the hole on the leaders, however not falling again both — and completed in a time of 8:46.
Hungary’s Eszter Csillag did what she does greatest, beginning calmy and expertly transferring up by the sector all day. She completed fourth, simply three minutes again from Arenas in 8:49, in the same method to her fifth-place end at this 12 months’s UTMB.
Germany’s Rosanna Buchauer was a minute and a half again in fifth, and France’s Audrey Tanguy and Marion Delespierre completed collectively in sixth and seventh to seal the ladies’s group gold for France.
The Spanish group took second with Maite Maiora (eighth) and Marta Molist (fifteenth) behind third-place Arenas. Staff Italy got here in third, and ninth-place Giuditta Turini was adopted by Camilla Spagnol (twenty third) and Alessandra Boifava (twenty fifth).
Staff France celebrates successful ladies’s group gold on the 2022 Path World Championships 80k, with the first-place end of Blandine L’Hirondel and the tie for sixth place between Marion Delespierre and Audrey Tanguy. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
2022 Path World Championships 80k Ladies’s Outcomes
- 1. Blandine L’Hirondel (France) – 8:22:14 (pre-race interview)
- 2. Ida Nilsson (Sweden) – 8:34:59
- 3. Gemma Arenas (Spain) –8:46:27
- 4. Eszter Csillag (Hungary) – 8:49:24
- 5. Rosanna Buchauer (Germany) – 8:50:45
- 6. Audrey Tanguy (France) – 8:51:57
- 6. Marion Delespierre (France) – 8:51:57
- 8. Maite Maiora (Spain) – 8:56:40
- 9. Giuditta Turini (Italy) – 9:00:05
- 10. Sunmaya Budha (Nepal) – 9:00:28
Ladies’s Groups
- France – Blandine L’Hirondel, Audrey Tanguy, Marion Delespierre
- Spain – Gemma Arenas, Maite Maiora, Marta Molist
- Italy – Giuditta Turini, Camilla Spagnol, Alessandra Boifava
The 2022 Path World Championships 80k ladies’ s podium (l-to-r): 2. Ida Nilsson, 1. Blandine L’Hirondel, and three. Gemma Arenas. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
2022 Path World Championships 80k Males’s Race
Adam Peterman (pre-race interview) went into this race as odds-on favourite, and he didn’t disappoint. By 8k into the race, alongside Italy’s Andreas Reiterer (pre-race interview), he was already up entrance and setting the tempo. By the 30k mark, Peterman was discernibly in entrance however nonetheless appeared very calm and managed — holding only a few seconds away from France’s Nicolas Martin, who had moved into second place. Only a minute again from the leaders, Reiterer and Spain’s Aritz Egea ran collectively in third.
Nicolas Martin on his method to taking second on the 2022 Path World Championships whereas representing Staff France. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
When the race reached the 50k mark in Ban Khun Chiang Khian village, after the second of three main climbs on this three-looped course that every topped out on this village, Peterman had began to drag away, extending the lead on Martin to three-and-a-half minutes.
By 60k, Reiterer had pulled away from Egea and was placing the strain on Martin to carry on to second.
Andreas Reiterer ran an aggressive however good race to take third on the 2022 Path World Championships 80k. Picture: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
When Peterman reached the highest of the third ascent, at 66k, he was 10 minutes forward of Martin in second however visibly working onerous towards the warmth. His downhill legs clearly had some muscle reminiscence from the Western States 100 this summer time, as he put one other three minutes on the chaser within the final crushing descent to the end, crossing the road as 80k Path World Champion in a time of seven:15.
He provides this newest achievement to an already astonishing early profession in ultrarunning. He has to date received all 5 of his 5 ultramarathon begins — together with final 12 months’s Speedgoat by UTMB 50k and JFK 50 Mile and this 12 months’s Canyons by UTMB 100k and Western States 100.
Adam Peterman hoists the American flag and turns into the 2022 Path World Championships 80k Champion. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Nicolas Martin, who at occasions had appeared beneath strain to carry on to second, had an excellent final loop and completed eight minutes away from Andreas Reiterer in 7:28. This was Martin’s sixth Path World Championships, and he matched his earlier greatest consequence, a second-place end in 2016.
Reiterer, who’s a relative newcomer to worldwide path racing, crossed the road in third in 7:36.
Spains’s José Fernandez and Aritz Egea got here in fourth and fifth, serving to to seal Spain’s third-place group consequence. France took silver within the group competitors, with Thibaut Garrivier (sixth) and Paul Mathou (tenth) becoming a member of teammate Nicolas Martin within the high 10.
In what must be the most important upset of the weekend of racing to date, Staff USA took males’s group gold, beating out perpetual group stars France and Spain, together with a number of different nice groups on the day. This was because of Peterman’s win, a seventh-place end from Eric LiPuma, and a 14th-place end for Jeff Colt.
2022 Path World Championships 80k Males’s Outcomes
- Adam Peterman (U.S.) – 7:15:53 (pre-race interview)
- Nicolas Martin (France) – 8:28:44
- Andreas Reiterer (Italy) – 7:36:50 (pre-race interview)
- José Fernandez (Spain) – 7:39:19
- Aritz Egea (Spain) – 7:48:42
- Thibaut Garrivier (France) – 7:50:12
- Eric LiPuma (U.S.) – 7:52:13
- Peter Fraño (Slovakia) – 7:53:06
- Didrik Hermansen (Norway) – 7:53:42
- Paul Mathou (France) – 7:53:47
Males’s Groups
- U.S. – Adam Peterman, Eric LiPuma, Jeff Colt
- France – Nicolas Martin, Thibaut Garrivier, Paul Mathou
- Spain – José Fernandez, Aritz Egea, Marcos Ramos
Eric LiPuma (proper) and Jeff Colt rejoice their respective seventh and 14th locations on the 2022 Path World Championships 80k, which helped Staff USA take males’s group gold. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
