Author: Tomo Sarf

Annecy, 27^th May  – the 16^th edition of the International U18 Mountain Running Cup in stunning Annecy showcased the best young mountain runners from around the world.  

The MaXi-Race in Annecy provided a breathtaking venue for the 16^th International U18 Mountain Running Cup. With the area’s rich heritage for mountain sport and the event’s reputation for organising world class races, it was a perfect arena for the under 18s to compete in.

The women and men followed a circular 4.7km route, which started at 1,477m and then climbed steadily for 2.1km to top out at 1,699m at the summit of Semnoz, before beginning a fast and furious 2.6k descent, looping back round to the finish. The course promised some exciting racing, and it didn’t disappoint.

Photo copyright: MaXi-Race/David Gonthier

The women’s race

The women set off at 11am CET and it was close at the front on the long climb up to Semnoz.  Keeghan Edwards of the USA got to the summit first, but Ines Herault Sicilia of Spain was hot on her heels. Amelie Lane of England was just behind them. This was all going to be decided on the long downhill to the finish.

In the end Herault Sicilia overtook Edwards in the last 1.5k and managed to open a small gap to take the gold medal in 20.19. Edwards took the silver in 20.46 but it was extremely close with Lane just behind her in 20.51 to take the bronze. Nadia Soto Perez of Spain was fourth (21.09), and Lauren Russell of England in fifth (21.13).

In the women’s team competition, which is decided by the positions of the three counters for each country, Spain came out on top with a total of 15. The USA took team silver in a very close contest with 16, and England placed third with 23.

Photo copyright: MaXi-Race/David Gonthier

The men’s race

The men set off at 11.45am CET and, just like the women’s race, it was expected to be very close. With strong teams from several countries, it was going to be a fast and competitive race.

It was certainly close at the front and although Oscar Gaitan Mordillo of Spain led throughout, he was certainly challenged along the way. Matthew Edwards of the USA constantly tried to vie for the lead but eventually it was Gaitan Mordillo who took the gold in a blistering 17.45, with Edwards just 8 seconds behind in 17.53.

The battle for the bronze was an exciting one. Randy De Jesus Garcia of Mexico, for whom it was touch and go to even get to the race due to a volcano erupting in Mexico and affecting flights, made the summit in fifth place. But the descent in the men’s race shook up the places considerably and Garcia fought his way to third place in a really impressive run, to finish in 18.10. Ewan Busfield of England was fourth in 18.27 and Benjamin Anderson of the USA fifth in 18.33.

The men’s team competition wasn’t quite as close as the women’s with the USA taking gold (18), Spain silver (35) and England took their second team bronze of the day (39). France were fourth (42) and Hungary fifth (48).

Photo copyright: MaXi-Race/David Gonthier

It was a hugely exciting competition, showcasing younger runners who we hope will go on to senior success in the coming years.

Women’s top 5	Women’s team competition
Ines Herault Sicilia (Spain) 20.19 Keeghan Edwards (USA) 20.46 Amelie Lane (Eng) 20.51 Nadia Soto Perez (Spain) 21.09 Lauren Russell (Eng) 21.13	Spain (15 points) USA (16 points) England (23 points) France (32 points) Slovenia (58 points)
Men’s top 5	Men’s team competition
Oscar Gaitan Mordillo (Spain) 17.45 Matthew Edwards (USA) 17.53 Randy De Jesus Garcia (Mex) 18.10 Ewan Busfield (Eng) 18.27 Benjamin Anderson (USA) 18.33	USA (18 points) Spain (35 points) England (39 points) France (42 points) Hungary (48 points)

 Photo: MaXi-Race/David Gonthier

Final Results: click here

On Saturday 27^th May the MaXi-Race in Annecy will play host to the 16^th edition of the International U18 Mountain Running Cup. As a well-established international race which traditionally attracts some of the best runners in the world, it’s a fitting race to showcase the best young mountain runners internationally.

It’s a stunning location for the race, with a finish line next to the beautiful Lake Annecy and a 4.6k undulating course starting from the ski resort, Le Semnoz, taking in 230m of ascent along the way. Semnoz stands at 1700m and offers a breath-taking panorama of this mountain region.

The International U18 Mountain Running Cup is an annual event bringing together the best under 18 runners from a broad range of countries, and as such it is an important stepping stone for many in the sport. This year’s event will host athletes from 15 countries: Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Poland, Switzerland, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, England, USA, and Sierra Leone. Each country can field four women and four men and the first three finishers for each country will count towards the team competition. So there are individual and team podiums up for grabs and over 100 athletes will contest them.

Last year’s event took place in Saluzzo, Italy, and the individual categories were won by Alyssa Sauro of the USA and Maciej Lachowski of Poland, with the team competitions going to England for the women and Italy for the men. Since the first competition in 2006 Italy has been the most successful country, with a total of eight individual victories (five for women and three for men) and ten victories (five for women and five for men) in the country ranking. This year’s home country, France, accounts for a total of four victories over the years, with two in the individual and two in the team rankings.

There is also an open race on the same course as the national competition. This will take place at 9.30am and it is open to athletes under the age of 18.

Stéphane Agnoli, the MaXi Event’s race director, states: “The MaXi-Race strives to bring together all the various trail running race formats. Since its beginnings in 2011, we have brought together athletes and amateurs of all ages and various backgrounds. The organisation of the Trail World Championships in 2015 and the Mountain Running World Cup in 2019 took place in this context. Hosting the International U18 Mountain Running Cup is an additional challenge that’s completely in line with the values we’ve promoted from the start: sharing of experiences, authenticity and discovery. We will have the pleasure and honour of hosting future champions at the top of Le Semnoz. This event will also enable us to look ahead and plan future projects.”

Who will emerge victorious in the 2023 International U18 Mountain Running Cup?
We will find out on Saturday.
The women start at 11am and the men at 11.45am local time.
Follow the action via WMRA and MaXi-Race social media channels.

It’s less than 100 days to go until the World Champs in Tyrol from June 6 to 10.

The course looks like it will be amazing: testing, challenging and sure to provide some incredible competition.

The title races will be held on four routes – VERTICAL, TRAIL SHORT, TRAIL LONG and MOUNTAIN CLASSIC – all of which lead through some of the most stunning places in the Alps.

VERTICAL (7.3 km and 1,020 meters in altitude): This challenging route, which, after two initial rounds through Neustift im Stubai, leads along narrow and steep trails almost vertically to the finishing line at the Elferhu?tte.

TRAIL SHORT (44.6 km and 3,132 metres in altitude): After a mass start outside the state theatre in Innsbruck, the Trail Short follows a varied and challenging course along the steep and demanding trails of the Nordkette before reaching more alpine terrain on the otherside of the Inntal valley. The athletes will pass the Mutterer Alm on their way to the Kalkko?gel region and then start their steep descent to the finishing line in Neustift.

TRAIL LONG (85.6 km and 5,554 metres altitude): After a mass start in Neustift, the Trail Long leads up into the high-alpine terrain of the Kalkko?gel mountains before passing the Adolf-Pichler-Hu?tte, the Hoadl and the Salfeiner See lake. The route then crosses the Inntal valley to climb the final 1,000 meters to the Nordkette before leading back down again in a technically challenging descent. The run ends at the finishing line outside the state theater in Innsbruck

MOUNTAIN CLASSIC (6.7 km and 374 metres in altitude): The course for the Mountain Classic has been laid out along the route that was used for the road cycling WMTRC.

Check out the course here:

https://vimeo.com/748782716

Pic: WMTRC 2023 / Roastmedia

Mountain runners are using the testing terrain to get ready for the summer season.

Later this year, Madeira will host the World Master Mountain Running Champs, but this week it’s the turn of the Craft Elite Run Team on their first Training Camp together to experience the incredible climbs and descents the island offers.

The team is using Madeira as a base to get ready for the spring and summer and everything that will offer!

The Team

• Tommy Rivs – ultrarunner based in Flagstaff, USA, who has been part of the Craft family since 2020.
• Jacob Puzey – American ultrarunner who boasts numerous ultrarunning wins, course records, and FKTs but is probably best known for his 50-mile treadmill world record of 4:57.
• Tessa Chesser – American long-distance trail runner who in 2019 placed 2nd at the Penyagolosa 110K and 3rd at Run Rabbit Run 100 mile.
• EmKay Sullivan – American distance runner, coach and Olympic Trials qualifier who aim to make her move into the ultra-distances.
• Manuela Vilaseca – Brazilian ultrarunner who has twice finished top 10 at UTMB, finished 5th at the 2019 TDS and who has won several TNF Challenges.
• David Laney – American distance runner with a 3rd and 4th place finish at Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, 2019 winner of Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile and 2:17 marathoner.
• Alexander Holmblad – Swedish runner with a background in track who has transitioned to longer distances on the road and in more challenging terrain.

The Championships

This year’s World Masters Mountain Running champs takes place 15-17^th September and features an uphill only World Championships on the Friday and a long-distance race on the Sunday, the first time a longer race has been included in these championships.

Details on how to enter will appear here early next month.

@visitmadeira @craftsportswear #crafteliterunteam
Photo: @miguelrua

The excitement is building for the World Cup for U18s, which take place May 26-28th in Annecy, France.

This year’s event will host athletes from 15 countries: Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Poland, Switzerland, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, England, USA, and Sierra Leone.
Overall, more than 100 young athletes, both women and men, will race each other on the 4.6 km route which climbs through  the pastures and forests of Le Semnoz, to an altitude of 1704m.

The races form part of the hugely popular MaXi-Race weekend which itself has long been associated with major events such as the IAAF the Trail-running World Championships and the WMRA’s very own Mountain Running World Cup, both of which also took place around the Annecy lake.

the races

• The Annecy lake loop will host
  In one day: The MaXi-Race 87km and 4900m elevation gain
  In two days: The XL-Race 93km and 4900m elevation gain
  The team race: The R-Race 87km and 4900m elevation gain
• The half-loop: The Marathon-Expe?rience 45km and 2400m elevation gain
• The secret race: The Marathon-Race 40km and 3300m elevation gain
• The quarter of a loop: 16km and 1000m elevation gain – 100% women: The Fe?mina-Race
  – For all: The Short-Race
• The orienteering race organised by ASO: MaXi et Semi Orientation
• The kids’ races: Between 50 and 800m: The Mini-Race
• The U18 WMRA World Cup (for those selected by their country) and the Open Race, which is open to all trail runners under age 18.

Registration is open here: https://www.maxi- race.org/fr/inscription/

Entries open Monday 10th April for the 22nd WMA/WMRA World Masters Mountain Running Championships in Madeira.

This year’s event, which takes place 15-17^th September features an uphill only World Championships on the Friday and a long-distance race on the Sunday, the first time a longer race has been included in these championships.

The races

Categories

The races will feature Masters categories, from 35-79 years of age on the date of competition in five year bands: 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74 and 75-79, both men and women. Each race will feature an individual and team competition. Masters will wear national colours and represent their countries (to do so, you must register with the appropriate federation for your country).

There is also an open race on Saturday using the Uphill course where any age competitor can take part.

Entries will be opened by Monday 10th April and close 20th August – full details on how to do so will appear here and on the organiser’s website from April.

The venue and course

The host city is Calheta, Madeira, Portugal and races will start from Ponta do Pargo. Nélio Parreira, of the organisers, AARAM – Associação de Atletismo da Região Autónoma da Madeira (Madeira Athletic Association) says: “We are very happy to receive this event on our island, where other international Mountain Running events have already taken place, and this time in the municipality of Calheta, on the southwestern shore of the island, known for its nature and great weather, being the sunnier part of the island.

“On the uphill race the athletes will be challenged over a 9.25km and 800m+ course that starts in Ponta do Pargo, the most rural area of the municipality of Calheta, and comprises many types of paths, going from dirt roads, to single tracks along the forest (that provide shade for the athletes), with short passes by meadows, and even a pass by one of the world famous Madeiran Levadas (small water channels, famous for its hikes), and will finish in the scenic location of Fonte do Bispo, with its picturesque altitude forest and quietness.

“And in the long-distance race, athletes will run through the locations of Ponta do Pargo and Fajã da Ovelha, on a 32.4km course with an uphill gain of 1160m+, having changing views at each corner, and also different types of terrain all along the course, needing different levels of technical skills.”

An Amazing history

The first ever Masters Mountain Running Championships took place in Kitzbuehel, Austria in 1988 and since then it has grown and grown to become the premier event that is today. Over the years some of the greatest mountain runners ever have taken part, but as last year’s event in Clonmel, Ireland so superbly demonstrated it is also a friendly, welcoming race that features runners from all over the world regardless of speed. As you’ll undoubtedly discover in Madeira, this is very much about the taking part and enjoying the mountains and the friendly community.

Last year’s report from Ireland can be found  here.

Masters, make your next stop Adelboden and enjoy an amazing weekend in the Alps.

Enjoy waterfalls, panoramic trails, spectator vantage points plus an incredible weekend of racing from Friday 7 July to Sunday 9 July.

The Bernese Oberland is the perfect setting for this championships, challenging but truly breathtaking. Transport links, fabulous local facilties and of course, a well-organised, traditional event that makes this weekend so special. It really is something your whole family will enjoy.

Highlights include: 

• Friday, 7 July 2023: Opening Ceremony.
• Saturday, 8 July 2023: Trail Run, 34.9 km / 1,800m altitude
• Sunday, 9 July 2023: Mountain Run, 8.8 km / 700m altitude

Are you ready for a big mountain running weekend? Then take advantage of the early-bird reduced entry fees until the beginning of April. And if you want to find out more about the race, you will find all the information you’ll need in the Race Manual.

Plus, the races is open to non European Athletes too, so expect a great weekend!

Everything you need to know is here : https://adelboden.ch/

Paul Larkins brings decades of experience to the World Mountain Running Association.

From the prime of his own running career in the late 1980s to his current work as a journalist, Paul has been involved in almost every aspect of running.

As an athlete he excelled in middle distance, breaking 4 minutes for the mile and representing both England and Great Britain at World and European level on the track and the road. He has remained heavily involved in the sport since his competitive career, managing and coaching athletes for England Athletics alongside his work in the media.

In recent years the mountains and the trails have played a greater part in Paul’s personal running, participating in many races including the World Masters Mountain Running Championships last year in Clonmel, Ireland.

As a journalist Paul has a wealth of experience. He has been both writer and editor at numerous print and online running titles, including Athletics Weekly and Trail Running Magazine, and has reported from everything from Olympic and Commonwealth Games to the 2022 European Off-Road Running Championships in El Paso. 

Photo: MCC/UTMB

Interested media representatives can sign up to cover the year’s biggest running event in Austria with immediate effect. 

Media representatives are called on to register for accreditation online at www.innsbruck-stubai2023.com/en/media. All accreditations will be handled by the OC team.

Please also check out the elaborate WMTRC 2023 media platform. You can find news, images, videos, athlete statements and more for editorial use here, where you can already find the latest news, images, videos, athlete statements, etc. for use in your coverage of the event.

Approximately 30 days before the WC, media representatives will get access to the media hub and newsroom – currently password-protected – for press releases, images and videos.

Further information regarding accommodation for media representatives can be found at: www.innsbruck-stubai2023.com.

Regarding media accommodation we will contact you nearer the time.

Kind regards,

Egon Theiner
Head of Media and Communications

Photo – unsplashed