Banchory man settles for fifth place in classic Swiss mountain race

Robbie Simpson’s prediction that Kilian Jornet was keen to claim a course record in the 46th Sierre-Zinal mountain race proved to be spot on.

The 32-year-old Spaniard swept to victory for the seventh time with a remarkable performance in the classic Swiss run.

New Zealand’s former world champion Jonathan Wyatt had set the standard 16 years ago when completing the 31km course – which includes 2,200m of climbing and 800m of descent – in 2hr 29min 12secs.

Jornet’s best time from his previous six victories was 2:31:39 but he went about his business in ruthless fashion on this occasion and ripped the record apart by stopping the clock at 2:25:35.

Second-placed Petro Mamu, a reinstated drugs offender from Eritrea, was also well inside the old mark when recording 2:26:31 while Jim Walmsley (USA) was third in 2:31:2. Banchory-based Simpson, who had been runner-up for each of the previous three years – twice behind Jornet and once behind Mamu – had to settle for fifth position in 2:33:55, 44secs outside his best time for the course.

Andy Douglas, a member of North Highland Harriers, was sixth in 2:34:56.

Simpson said: “It was an unbelievable performance from Kilian. I never thought a time like that was possible. Mamu seems to have come back well from his ban.

“My own race was fairly average. I didn’t feel especially great on the climb, then struggled to get going on the faster sections as well. I caught quite a few people in the second half, so that aspect wasn’t too bad.

“Andy had a good run too and we were together in the middle section of the race for a while.”

Correct: Robbie Simpson