Murphy Leads American Team To Fifth On Day One In Austria

By Keenan Gray of DyeStat

Photo by World Mountain and Trail Running Championships

Grayson Murphy earned a bronze medal in the Vertical Uphill race, highlighting the United States team efforts on day one of the 2023 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Innsbruck-Stubai, Austria.

The 2019 world champion in mountain running and former five-time All-American at the University of Utah ran 49 minutes, 22 seconds over the 7.1-kilometer course, featuring a total climb of 3,346 feet (1,020m) to earn bronze, while leading the Americans to finish fifth as a team with 54 points. 

Allie McLauglin, World champion at the 2014 World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships, finished 13th in 52:27 and Rachel Tomajcyzk, 2010 NXN champion, finished 38th in 55:47 to round out the top three Americans. 

Andrea Mayr of Austria took home the gold medal, running a time of 48:14, with Kenya’s Philaries Jeruto Kisang finishing second in 48:51. 

Kenya earned 17 points to finish first in the team standings. Germany (33 points) and the United Kingdom (51) finished second and third, respectively.  

Joseph Gray, World champion at the 2016 World Mountain Running Championships, was the top American in the men’s vertical race, placing fifth overall in 42:32. Dan Curts (47:06, 41st) and Liam Meirow (48:03, 52nd) contributed to the United States' 98 points, placing them ninth in the team standings. 

Kenya’s Patrick Kipngeno and Joshphat Kiprotich earned gold and bronze, with Kipngeno finishing first in 40:18 and Kiprotich finishing third in 42:04. Uganda’s Levi Kiprotich took home silver, running 41:51. 

Kenya leads the team standings with 11 points, with Uganda in second at 21 and Switzerland in third at 45.