Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
Ruth Gitonga Mwihaki and Michael Selelo Saoli achieved a Kenyan double at the São Brás Cross, the opening event of the WMRA Mountain Running World Cup held in Castro Daire, Portugal. The race featured a classic up-and-down course covering 10.9 km with 628 metres of ascent.
In the women's event, Gitonga Mwihaki advanced during the crucial downhill segment to overtake the early leader, Great Britain's Scout Adkin. She held her lead to win in 49:12. Adkin finished second in 50:13, followed by France's Nélie Clément in third at 51:20.
In the men's race, Michael Selelo Saoli broke away on the uphill section, creating a decisive gap from the chasing group. He secured first place with a time of 42:22. Andrew Douglas of Great Britain came second in 43:27, and Oscar Subuh-Symons finished third after overtaking a competitor in the closing kilometers.
The race was shaped by the long uphill climb, the steep downhill between kilometres four and six, and the final uphill sprint through the town to the finish line. Both winners managed to pull away during these segments to secure their victories.
The São Brás Cross made a strong impression in its World Cup debut, illustrating the competitiveness and challenges of mountain running.