Michael Saoli and Joyce Moutoni Njeru enjoy victory at the WMRA World Cup Mountain Running event in China on Sunday.
The 2026 WMRA Mountain Running World Cup produced another memorable race day in Beijing Changping, where the third event of the season took athletes to the historic Silver Pagoda Forest for a classic up-and-down World Cup classification powered by Turismo Centro de Portugal.
Surrounded by ancient Buddhist pagodas, forest trails and steep mountain slopes, the venue presented a completely different challenge than the previous day’s race on the Great Wall. Silver Pagoda Forest, also known as Yinshan Pagoda Forest, is one of the most important Buddhist heritage sites in northern China. Its pagodas were built over several dynasties, most dating back to the Jin Dynasty (1115–1234) and later additions from the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, making parts of the site over 800 years old.
Supported by the Beijing Changping County Government, the event once again welcomed runners from around the world to compete in a place where sport, history and nature met in a rare way.
CLASSIC UP AND DOWN.
The run was approximately 18 km with about 1200 meters of ascent. It required much more than raw speed. Athletes needed power on the climbs, control on the descents and good judgment on a course that constantly changed rhythm.
After the opening climb through the pagoda area, the runners descended the first technical descent of the day before entering the nearly four kilometer rolling middle section. At CP2 (km 9) the race reached its pivotal moment when the biggest exit on the track shaped the final result before the descent to the finish.
Men’s race. SAOLI LOADS EARLY
Kenya’s Michael Selelo Saoli moved to the front from the start and never gave the field much room to react. He reached Silver Pagoda Forest and the first major climb in the lead, followed by Italy’s Issaco Costa and Kenya’s Paul Machoka, with Britain’s Andrew Douglas close behind.
Saoli stayed strong through the technical descent and faster middle section, reaching CP2 still in control. He maintained his lead on the longest climb of the day, then nailed the final descent to secure victory in 1:25:49.
Costa continued his great weekend with a second place time of 1:28:00, while Machoka finished third in 1:28:58. Douglas ran a time of 1:29:31 for fourth straight, while Italy’s Luca Merli finished fifth in 1:30:43.
A TRIBE OF WOMEN. KEEP CALM INSIDE AND DELIVERY
The women’s race opened at a fast pace as Kenya’s Joyce Moutoni Njeru arrived at the Silver Pagoda Forest in first place along with Chinese runner Liu Junhui.
As the race progressed, USA’s Courtney Barnes Coppinger and Switzerland’s Maude Mathis moved into the main positions of the chase. According to CP2, Njeru remained in the lead while the fight for the podium remained behind him.
On the decisive climb, Njeru kept his rhythm and never came under any real pressure. Courtney finished second, Mathis held on for third, and on the final descent, Italy’s Camilla Magliano used her landing skills to get past Liu Junhu.
Njeru crossed the victory line with 1:40:33. Courtney Barnes Coppinger was next in 1:42:27 and Mathis was third in 1:43:17.
