Nasego Trophy 2023

Nasego 2023: September 2 and 3 top Italian athletes and world champions compete in the Valsir World Cup 2023.

For the Valsir Mountain Running World Cup, the crucial moment is approaching: on September 2 and 3, in the Vertical and the Nasego Trophy 2023, the aspiring winners will meet on the elevations of Savallese. Here, they will prove themselves worthy of the decisive points among the spectacular locations, including the Forges, Alone Plains, Panels and Nasego Shelter. With world mountain champions and track stars participating, the event in Casto Valle Sabbia is set to become the true conclusion of the Valsir Mountain Running World Cup 2023. These two days promise intense excitement for true fans, with head-to-head clashes and outstanding performances by world-class athletes.

At Nasego, we will see the presence of 6 of the top 10 men and 6 of the top 10 women in the world rankings, with both the number one and number two seeds among both men and women. In addition, there will be a number of medals won in Innsbruck: two golds (men’s and women’s) in the Vertical, one silver (women’s) and one silver (men’s) in the Nasego Trophy, along with a large representation of the top 20 athletes in the world rankings at the Tyrolean event. And about the Cup, in the current overall rankings, we will see 10 of the top 11 female and 9 of the top 15 male athletes in action in both the Vertical and the Nasego Trophy. The competition is getting more and more intense.

Vertical Nasego: two impossible records

On the 4.2-kilometer course with a positive elevation gain of 1,000 meters, the times to beat belong to Andrea Mayr, with an impressive 38’39”, and Patrick Kipngeno, who recorded an incredible 33’47”. Both are the reigning World Champions in the uphill specialty, triumphants of the competitions in Innsbruck and, in the case of Kipngeno, holders of the “encore” thanks to the world title also won in 2022 in Thailand. In addition, both were the winners of Vertical Nasego 2022.

Men’s Race

Patrick Kipngeno continues to rack up impressive victories in uphill races, sweeping away the competition with records such as the PizTri just thirty days ago and the triumph in the Montée du Nid d’Aigle. Only physical conditions can be a variable in this equation. Another contender to keep an eye on is Philemon Kiriago, current leader of the 2023 World Cup, fresh off victories at FlettaTrail and Sierre Zinal, as well as being the world silver holder. In Casto for the Trophy, he showed that he can also compete in vertical races. Kipngeno and Kiriago’s opponents include Italy’s top specialists, ready to give their all: Andrea Rostan, Henri Aymonod, Tiziano Moia, Andrea Elia, Luciano Rota, Micheal Galassi, renowned ski mountaineer Matteo Eydallin, returning Luca Cagnati and Isacco Costa. But the surprises don’t end there: Britain’s Joe Steward, one of this season’s revelations, with an excellent top ten finish in Innsbruck and a podium at PizTri. Joining him are Jacob Adkin, European uphill champion in Zermatt in 2019, Ireland’s Zak Hanna, second at Vertical Nasego last year, talented Slovenian Timotej Beçan, Canada’s Remi Leroux, Britain’s Chris Richards, Spain’s Alejandro Garcia Carrillo, 2022 World bronze medalist in the Chiang Mai uphill, and promising young Frenchman Alric Petit.

Women’s Race

An epic confrontation looms on the horizon, with the goal of sharing a podium that will be carved in history. Andrea Mayr, a true extraterrestrial, comes to this competition after having triumphed consecutively at Vertical Nasego in 2021 and 2022, also setting the race record in 2019. In addition, he can boast as many as seven world titles behind him. Competition is fierce on the women’s side. From Italy, there are Valentina Belotti, also a three-time queen of Vertical Nasego, Camilla Magliano, Dimitra Teocharis and Elisa Compagnoni. But the competition is truly stellar, with Romanian Madalina Florea, who placed second here last year, and Kenyan Philaries Kisang, a silver medalist in Innsbruck and also second at PizTri. She is the only one who can keep up with Mayr on the climb. Among the most eagerly awaited athletes are Spain’s Julia Font, star of the Dolomyths in Canazei, Scotland’s Scout Adkin, who made the podium in the World Cup at PizTri and won in Montemuro, and America’s Anne Gibson, author of an incredible time of 4’09″58” in the 1,500 meters at the U.S. national championships in Eugene. We also look forward to seeing Alice Goodall, European U23 champion in the 10,000 meters last July, who will also participate in the VK, in action. To watch carefully, Joyce Muthoni and Lucy Murigi. These two talented Kenyan athletes are the undisputed stars of Sunday’s race, but they will also prove they have the motor for a top-ten finish in the vertical test.

Nasego Trophy: the queen

With its 22nd edition, the ‘Savallese Classic’ is confirmed as one of the main events in mountain running, offering a 21-kilometer course with a positive elevation gain of 1,300 meters.

Men’s Race

Fletta, Zinal, World Silver: Phil Kiriago is having a very successful time and is rapidly approaching the Cup. However, only Kipngeno, Nasego’s distance record holder, seems to have what it takes to compete with him. Xavier Chevrier and Cesare Maestri, the two spearheads of Italian mountain athletics, are dreaming and working hard to win the title. Both achieved outstanding results, placing in the top 10 at the world championship in Innsbruck and the Sierre Zinal race. For more than 10 years, they have dominated the Italian championship. Other interesting challenges include Henri Aymonod and Andrea Rostan, who are fighting for prominent positions in the Valsir World Cup. The world competition gets even more intense with the presence of Alex Garcia Carrillo, who took a surprising 6th place in Innsbruck. Other contenders include Andrew Douglas, winner of the 2019 edition, the talented Jacob Adkin, the Masai Lengen Lolkurraru, who recently triumphed at the 3rifugi in Collina, the experienced Joe Steward, the formidable Slovenian Timotej Becan, Czech Ondrej Fejfar, Canadian Scott Maguire, Italian Luciano Rota, Briton Chris Richards and newcomer Chris Allen, a U.S. athlete capable of winning the SpeedGoat 2023 by UTMB over a distance of 50 km and running the 10.000 meters in 28’26”.

Women’s Race

Joyce Muthoni is again ready to face Nasego, for the third time. After two consecutive World Cup victories, a world bronze medal and a recent second place in Zinal, the Fletta Trail won with authority, all she needs is a triumph in this race that has eluded her so far (4th in 2021 and 2nd last year). Andrea Mayr defeated her in the 2022 edition, and the challenge between the two is renewed. Monica Madalina Florea returns to Val Sabbia with the goal of accomplishing a feat. Last year she finished fourth (and second in VK), and this year she also made the top 10 at the world up&down championship in Innsbruck. Also among the uncontested favorites are Philaries Kisang, Lucy Murigi and Scout Adkin, with the latter currently ranked third in the World Cup. A great performance will also be needed from Camilla Magliano, the best Italian in the Cup, Susanna Saapunki and Anna Gibson to compete for the top spots. But the show doesn’t end there: Vivien Bonzi, one of Italy’s fastest rising talents, along with Beatrice Bianchi and the more experienced Alice Gaggi and Sara Bottarelli. Also, Sarah Willhoit, Holly Page, Kirsty Dickson, Naomi Lang, Julia Font and especially Philipa Williams, a world silver medalist in 2019. From the British Isle, the highly anticipated Alice Goodall will also participate in the Trophy.