JMN🇰🇪

Joyce Muthoni Njeru

WikipediaUTMB IndexITRAWMRA
Born 1997-04-16
UTMB 806ITRA 797Wins 12Podiums 14

Kenyan mountain runner who races for the Italian club Atletica Saluzzo and is one of the dominant short-trail specialists of her generation. After a track and road background (5,000m PB of 15:41 and 1:14:41 half-marathon), Joyce Muthoni Njeru moved into mountain running and won three consecutive WMRA Mountain Running World Cup titles (2021-2023). In 2024 she became the first African woman to win the overall Golden Trail World Series, and in 2026 she added the Transvulcania Vertical Kilometer course record to a palmares already full of VK and uphill victories.

Race Results

2026
2 races2 wins
1stCR
Transvulcania/Vertical Kilometer
May 7
7km
1,203m+
0:55:02
Women's course record; came from third at midway to win by 35 seconds over Kirsty Skye Dickson
1st
Changping Beijing Classic/Up and Down
Apr 26
18km
1,200m+
1:45:00
WMRA Mountain Running World Cup; won by almost two minutes
2025
4 races1 win
4th
World Mountain and Trail Running Championships/Mountain Classic
Sep 28
14.3km
775m+
1:13:37
9th
Sierre-Zinal
Aug 9
31km
2,200m+
3:06:03
Originally 10th; promoted after Joyline Chepngeno's doping disqualification
1stCR
Broken Arrow Skyrace/23K
Jun 22
23km
2:01:16
Women's course record; repeat win
2nd
Broken Arrow Skyrace/Ascent
Jun 20
0:29:06
Shortened course due to weather
2024
9 races8 wins
3rd
Golden Trail World Series Grand Final/Ascona-Locarno Stage Race
Oct 20
60km
Twisted ankle in final stage but held on to clinch GTWS overall title
1st
Golden Trail World Series Grand Final/Prologue
Oct 18
0:31:37
Won by 30s over Lauren Gregory
1st
Val Bregaglia Trail
Oct 13
WMRA Mountain Running World Cup Finals
1st
Å marna Gora Race/Å marna Gora
Oct 5
0:49:43
WMRA World Cup; held off Scout Adkin
1st
Mammoth 26K
Sep 21
26km
2:11:56
Golden Trail World Series
1st
Headlands 27K
Sep 14
27km
1,280m+
2:17:34
Golden Trail World Series; caught Madalina Florea at 20km
1st
Trofeo Nasego
Sep 1
WMRA Mountain Running World Cup
1st
Broken Arrow Skyrace/23K
Jun 23
23km
Won both Broken Arrow races on the same weekend
1st
Broken Arrow Skyrace/Vertical Kilometer
Jun 21
0:45:39
WMRA World Cup season-opener
View All 16 Results

Career Highlights

2026: Sets Transvulcania Vertical Kilometer women's course record (0:55:02) and wins season-opening Changping Beijing Classic Up and Down
2025: Defends Broken Arrow 23K title with a course record (2:01:16) and finishes 4th at the World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down in Canfranc
2024: First African woman to win the Golden Trail World Series overall title, twisting her ankle in the Grand Final but holding on for 3rd
2024: Wins WMRA World Cup races at Broken Arrow VK, Broken Arrow Ascent, Trofeo Nasego, Å marna Gora and Val Bregaglia Trail; runner-up in the World Cup overall to Scout Adkin
2023: Bronze medal in the Classic race at the World Mountain Running Championships in Innsbruck
2021-2023: Three consecutive WMRA Mountain Running World Cup overall titles

Key Achievements

Golden Trail World Series Champion (2024) - first African woman to win the overall title
WMRA Mountain Running World Cup Champion (2021, 2022, 2023)
World Mountain Running Championships - Bronze medal (Innsbruck 2023, Classic)
Transvulcania Vertical Kilometer Winner and Women's Course Record (0:55:02 in 2026)
Broken Arrow Skyrace 23K Winner (2024, 2025) - Women's Course Record (2:01:16 in 2025)
Broken Arrow Vertical Kilometer Winner (2024)
Kolitza Balmatrail Women's Record (1:00:24 in 2024, broken by Madalina Florea in 2025)
Headlands 27K GTWS Winner (2024)
Mammoth 26K GTWS Winner (2024)

Notable Traits

Three-time WMRA Mountain Running World Cup champion (2021, 2022, 2023)
First African woman to win the Golden Trail World Series overall title (2024)
Races internationally for the Italian club Atletica Saluzzo
Track background (5,000m in 15:41; half-marathon in 1:14:41) translated into elite mountain speed
Fast on short climbs and strong on technical descents, with a signature finishing kick
Holds or has held women's course records at Broken Arrow 23K, Transvulcania VK and Kolitza Balmatrail