Murphy Wins Another World Title By Winning 15-Kilometer Trail Race 

By Keenan Gray of DyeStat 

Photo courtesy of World Mountain and Trail Running Championship Instagram

Grayson Murphy has again ascended the highest of heights at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships - both figuratively and literally. 

Just three days after earning bronze in the women’s Vertical Uphill race, the United States' Murphy capped off the 2023 championships with another world title, winning the women’s Mountain Classic Senior race in Innsbruck-Stubai, Austria.

The 2019 world champion in mountain running completed the 15-kilometer course in a time of 1 hour, 4 minutes and 29 seconds to capture her second world title in four years, defeating Sweden’s Tove Alexandersson in 1:05:26.

Murphy opened up with an early lead on the two-lap course, coming through the 3.7-kilometer checkpoint at 19:14. At 5 kilometers, she fell to second behind Alexandersson over the next 1.5 km.

Going into lap two, Murphy regained the lead and continued to extend it over the final 7.5 kilometers, finding herself well out front of the competition as she stormed down the streets of Innsbruck into the finishing chute after climbing a total elevation gain of 2,463 feet.

Behind her gold effort, the U.S. finished fourth in the team standings with 61 points. Allie McLaughlin and Rachel Tomajczyk finished 25th and 35th, respectively, adding to the American’s top three finishers, with McLaughlin running 1:12:36 and Tomajaczyk in 1:13:58.

Kenya claimed gold with 14 points thanks to three top-eight finishes from Joyce Muthoni (1:06:40, third), Valentine Jepkoech Rutto (1:06:56, fourth) and Philaries Jeruto Kisang (1:08:31, seventh). 

The United Kingdom scored 43 points for silver, edging out France with 46 points for bronze. Alice Goodall was the top finisher for the U.K., placing 10th in 1:09:22, and Cecile Jarousseau led the French, finishing ninth in 1:08:40. 

The U.S. men finished 10th in their respective team race with 104 points. Liam Meirow was the top American, placing 13th in 1:00:26, with teammates Casey Campbell following in 26th in 1:01:38 and Morgan Elliott in 65th in 1:06:31.

Kenya scored 15 points to claim gold with three more top-eight performances led by Ombogo Kiriago Philemon earning silver in a time of 56:22. Patrick Kipngeno finished fifth in 57:27 and Josphat Kiprotich placed eighth in 59:34 for the Kenyans. 

Italy captured silver behind three top-15 finishes resulting in 30 points. Cesare Maestri crossed the finish line first for the Italians, finishing seventh in 59:28.

Alejandro Garcia finished sixth in a time of 59:25 to guide Spain to bronze.

Uganda’s Leonard Chemutai ran 56:14 to win gold. Germany’s Filimon Abrahim took bronze in 56:27.

France scored 3,247 points to win the Overall Federation Team Award. Italy finished second with 3,210 points and the US earned third with 3,176 points. 

** The Overall Federation Team Award is the combination of points between the men’s and women’s races. 

Mountain Classic Junior

Both of the United States junior teams finished fifth in their respective team competitions as the men scored 66 points and the women scored 62 points.  

On the men’s side, South Medford OR alum and current Gonzaga athlete Michael Maiorano finished 15th individually to finish as the top American, running 30:07 for the 7.5-kilometer race.  

Yale’s Kenan Pala (Francis Parker CA) placed 22nd, running 30:34 and Gonzaga’s Caleb Richardson (Gonzaga Prep WA) finished 29th, running 31:16 to complete the scoring for the U.S.  

Central Catholic OR’s Wes Shipsey ran 32:28 to finish 41st for the U.S. 

Uganda completed a 1-2 sweep for individuals, with James Kirwa claiming gold in 27:37 and Hosea Chemutai claiming silver in 27:43. 

Switzerland’s Matthieu Buhrer took home bronze as an individual in a time of 27:52, leading the Swiss to gold in the team standings with 18 points. 

France claimed silver, scoring 28 points; Spain earned bronze with 32 points. 

In the women’s race, Post Fall ID native and Boise State’s Samantha Wood led the Americans with a 16th place run in a time of 36:16. Lindsey Whitton and Milaina Almonte of Battle Mountain CO placed 18th and 28th, respectively, in 36:45 and 38:04 and Wellesley MA’s Lily Jin finished 48th in 53:53 for the U.S. 

Rebecca Flaherty of Great Britain outkicked Spain’s Ines Herault to win gold by a margin of 33:20 to 33:27. Italy’s Lucia Arnoldo claimed bronze with a time of 33:42. 

The United Kingdom scored 10 points to earn gold in the team standings. France and Spain each scored 27 points, with the French claiming silver based on head-to-head competition.