Author: Tomo Sarf

Highlights From the 2019 Mountain Running Season

Written by Tomo Sarf on 10/12/2019. Posted in Latest News.

As 2019 draws to a close we wanted to reminisce about some of the amazing racing we’ve seen in the mountain running season. From a sensational World Cup series, to the 40^th Smarna Gora race, to the World Championships in Argentina, what a year it’s been.

It was a difficult job narrowing them down but we’ve collected together the highlights of the year from the WMRA Council.

Sergio Mayayo goes for this year’s historic race at Sierre Zinal in August.

Two long-standing records fell in one of the most exciting races of the year. While Maude Mathys absolutely dominated the women’s race and smashed the record by an incredible five minutes, Jornet had to fight to keep ahead of Mamu and, in a nail-biting finale, broke Jonathan Wyatt’s record by just 20 seconds.

For Sarah Rowell her highlight of the year was the European Mountain Running Championships in Zermatt in July. With a finish line featuring the iconic Matterhorn in the background and some fantastic individual and team performances, races don’t come much better than this one.

Tomo Sarf picked out a couple of particular highlights. Firstly, the World Championships in Argentina. This was the first time the championships took place in South America and even the first time a Spanish speaking country hosted a major WMRA event. This was a historic moment for World Mountain Running.

Secondly Tomo picked a race close to his heart – the Smarna Gora Race. This year marked its 40^th edition and this was the race that led Tomo to become heavily involved in mountain running, initially as part of the Slovenian Mountain Running Association and then as its president from 1992 – 2017. It also led him to sit on the Slovenian Athletic Federation Council and, of course, the WMRA. A new team will take on the organisation of the Smarna Gora Race from 2020.

For Nancy Hobbs the highlights of 2019 have been more general. She’s really enjoyed seeing the growth of the sport and participation from youth to masters level. She’s also proud to have witnessed the opportunities for athletes of all nations to compete at events at the world level.

Lastly, Jonathan Wyatt found it impossible to pick a single highlight so we allowed him a few! Here’s what he said: “Others have already given some good highlights and I agree with them all. It is always exciting to see the U18 runners race so hard and make friends with all the other teams, with most running for their country for the first time. We walked together on the Sunday morning to attend the memorial service on top of the mountain, remembering the fallen youth fighting in the war. That was a poignant and special ceremony for all the young athletes.

“I enjoyed seeing the opening ceremony in Argentina with the combined Long and Short race teams all marching together and seeing the hundreds of athletes ready to race – very impressive. Bringing the event to South America was tremendous for the visibility of Mountain Running in the region and being able to network there and keep these contacts is a great opportunity for us.

“The Masters was amazing with the huge number of participants we had in a place that doesn’t even have big mountains! but was still a testing mountainous trail.

“I would like to add the World Cup coming together with 7 mountain races that were really all of a high level and coming to America with the Cup and they were all races that are iconic in one way or another showing the diversity and beauty of mountain running.”

World Mountain Running Championships 2020 officially announced

Written by Tomo Sarf on 26/11/2019. Posted in Latest News.

WMRA World Championships will celebrate its 36th edition, for the first time in Spain, at Haría Extreme Lanzarote on the 14-15 November 2020.

The countdown has started for Spain to host its first World Mountain Running Championships. Lanzarote will be the headquarters of the most important race throughout the year, and after the recent Championship held in Patagonia (Argentina), the WMRA Council has settled the dates for the event. The 14-15th of November the volcanic island of Lanzarote will welcome the different Federations who will compete for the World title, with the Real Federacion Española de Atletismo (RFEA) as their host.

As in 2019 in Argentina, Lanzarote will host both the World Mountain Running Championships and the World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships. The existing Haria Extreme 42k race will act as the Long Distance Championships and a special route for the Classic Mountain Race will be added. The junior competition will also be held the same weekend, again on a special course, in order to encourage the youngest runners to discover Lanzarote’s magical environment.

Ten days ago, the Spanish delegation who travelled to Villa La Angostura received the WMRA flag from the Association’s president, Jonathan Wyatt, a symbolic relay which starts the next World Championships organization. Lanzarote faces twelve intense months to prepare for an event which will be a milestone in Spanish Mountain Running.

Haría Extreme Lanzarote will not modify its date of celebration and will be held at mid-November as usual. In 2020, the World Championships will be a special gift to honour the tenth edition of the race, an event which has become a reference for the mountain running lovers.

#WMRALanzarote will also showcase the true passion shown by the Canaries mountain runners and insitutions for the sport, with has developed major international mountain running events now held at each of its seven islands all through the year, due to its unique combination of sea, volcanic mountains and perpetual spring weather.

For more information www.hariaextreme.com

Walmsley and Simion Crowned World Champions at the Long Distance

Written by Tomo Sarf on 16/11/2019. Posted in Latest News.

The World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships enjoyed better weather than the classic distance the day before. The sun shone, but a nice cool Patagonian breeze stopped it from being too hot.

The men’s and women’s fields started together from the centre of Villa La Angostura, with a road section, before heading north along a dirt track and into the forest. The first 2.5k were quite flat, but then it started to climb up through the forest, becoming steep in places. The runners had to endure a fairly high river crossing twice, which proved tricky for some.

The second part of the course then took runners on a long but gradual climb up to the Cerro Bayo ski station, and then the really hard work began. The long, steep and arduous climb up to the summit of Cerro Bayo. A tough snow section at the top must have been energy sapping, then once they reached the summit they had a technical ridge section to deal with on tired legs. This then led onto a faster, very runnable path, taking them down to the street which headed to the finish line.

Both the men’s and women’s races were fast at the front. Jim Walmsley struck out into an early lead but he never really opened much of a gap on Francesco Puppi. The next few positions in the men’s race constantly changed, with Hayden Hawks, Oriol Cardona and Jonathan Albon, making it a thrilling race to follow. For the women Blandine L’Hirondel was the early leader, with Ayde Lozoya behind and Sara Willhoit of Great Britain up there, along with Adeline Roche and Cristina Simion. It was all to play for in both races.

Approaching the second half of the course Jim Walmsley still looked comfortable, though he wasn’t able to open a gap of more than a minute on Puppi. By the time they reached the summit of Cerro Bayo they were almost together. It would all come down to who was the better descender. Behind them the race for 3^rd place was still on. In the women’s race Cristina Simion had now taken the lead, with Adeline Roche in 2^nd place and Blandine L’Hirondel, but they were all close. Again, the descent was going to decide the race.

Jim Walmsley’s speed allowed him to maintain the lead once they hit the flat and he eventually won in 3.12.16, though Puppi never gave up chasing and he was close behind in 3.13.04. They had opened up a gap on the chasing bunch and Oriol Cardona completed the podium in 3.20.24.

Likewise, Cristina Simion couldn’t be caught in the women’s race, and she brought home the gold in 3.49.57. She looked completely overwhelmed with the victory and it clearly meant a lot to her. There was then a 2 minute gap back to Adeline Roche, who took the silver in 3.51.56. Blandine L’Hirondel completed the women’s podium in 3.52.07.

It was a hugely exciting and successful day for mountain running. Patagonia showed that it has a bit of everything for runners, which made for a stunning backdrop for these thrilling races.

Race Website Results: http://www.wmrch2019.com.ar

The USA Do the Double in the Classic Race at the World Mountain Running Championships

Written by Tomo Sarf on 15/11/2019. Posted in Latest News.

The first day of racing at Villa La Angostura saw the junior World Mountain Running Championships and the men’s and women’s senior World Championships over the classic distance. It also saw heavy rain and windy conditions, which had an impact on the races.

The courses were around 7k for the juniors, which had a slight change due to the bad weather, and 14k for the seniors. Both included river crossings, which were quite high due to the rain. Both were up and down courses, concluding with fast descents.

The junior men started first, a few km out of town and headed up into the forest. The rain was very heavy at this point and the dusty tracks were turning into mud. It was a fast and furious race, with Joe Dugdale of GB leading right from the start, being chased hard by Sebih Bahar of Turkey. In the end just 17 seconds separated the first 5 men, with Joe taking gold in 32.44, Bahar silver in 32.50 and Yael Paniagna Morales of Mexico bronze in 32.50. Matthew Mackay and Matthew Knowles, both of GB, completed the top 5, with an impressive display by GB, who took team gold. Turkey took team silver and Italy team bronze.

The junior women were next, and the rain still didn’t abate. The river was getting higher and conditions were very tough. The lead women weren’t as close together as the men had been, but it was still a very hard fought race. Angela Mattevi of Italy was the clear winner in 37.12, with Barbora Havlickova of the Czech Republic taking silver in 37.56 and Jade Rodriguez of France bronze in 38.48. In the team competition Italy took gold, with Turkey in silver and the Czech Republic in bronze position.

The senior classic races started in the centre of Villa La Angostura. The course had a real mix of everything – with dirt road, forest tracks, a very deep (waist-high and fast-moving) river crossing and a fast descent back down to the road. It seemed to favour the runners who are fast over the runnable terrain over those more adept at technical descents.

In the men’s race Joe Gray of the USA led from early on. But the gap was never very far back to Cesare Maestri. It was clear that this race meant a lot to Joe and he pushed hard. He and Cesare were pursued by a pair of Czech athletes, Marek Chrascina and Jan Janu, a pair of Brits, 2019 World Cup champion Andrew Douglas and Jacob Adkin, and several other runners. But in the end Joe held them all off to win in 1.05.13. Maestri was just behind in 1.05.21 and Marek Chrascina took third in 1.05.57. The river crossing took its toll on a few athletes and Andrew Douglas was one of them. He slipped and fell on the slippy log serving as a bridge and lost 25 seconds, finishing in 7^th place in the end, 25 seconds shy of the podium.

The Czech Republic took team men’s gold, with the USA taking silver and Italy bronze.

It was a similar case in the women’s race. Grayson Murphy, who won the US trials, struck out into an early lead. With a background in track running (steeplechase) and having recently turned her hand to mountain running, Grayson flew on the fast sections of the course. But Elise Poncet of France was chasing hard. Philippa Williams of GB was a little way behind, with several more runners bunched closely behind her, and it looked like it would all come down to that fast descent and the road at the end. Could the USA do the double in the senior competition? Grayson held on to win in 1.15.20, with Elise Poncet 21 seconds behind her. Phillipa Williams took the bronze in 1.16.45.

France took the gold in the women’s team event, with the Czech Republic taking silver and Great Britain bronze.

Tomorrow it’s the Long Distance men’s and women’s championships and more exciting performances (and less rain) are expected. Follow our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram feeds to keep up to date.

Race website results: http://www.wmrch2019.com.ar

World Mountain Running Championships Officially Opened in Argentina

Written by Tomo Sarf on 15/11/2019. Posted in Latest News.

The 35th edition of the World Mountain Running Championships and 16th edition of the Long Distance Championships were opened together in Villa La Angostura in Argentina today. The races take place on friday morning local time in Argentina in the beautiful Patagonia region. Follow the action live on WMRA social channels.
The opening ceremony took place with more than 400 runners representing 45 countries and the biggest roar from the crowd reserved for the entrance from host country Argentina set off the occaision perfectly See the photos below and follow the action live on WMRA social channels.

World Mountain Running Championships Preview

Written by Tomo Sarf on 09/11/2019. Posted in Latest News.

The World Mountain Running Championships and World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships are being held together at Villa La Angostura on 15^th and 16^th November. The best mountain runners in the world, juniors and seniors, will take on the stunning courses in Patagonia. 450 runners are expected from 42 countries.

On Friday 16^th the junior men will set off at 9.45am and the junior women at 10.15am. They will race over a route of 6.6k with 393 metres of ascent. Then at 11.45am the senior men’s race will start, and the women’s at 12.15pm. The seniors course is up and down this year, on a 14k course with 754 metres of ascent.

On Saturday 17^th it’s all about the long distance race. They set off at 8.40am on a 41.5k route, which has 2,184m of ascent.

Find out more about both race routes here http://www.wmra.info/news/latest-news-from-the-wmra/769-two-weeks-to-go-to-the-world-championships

All the events have incredible fields and we are certain to see some really exciting racing. We will mention just a few of the runners to watch (based on the start lists available at the moment).

Women’s senior race

The 2019 World Cup winner, Sarah McCormack, will be running for Ireland. After a very successful season, where she won the Snowdon Race and was second at the MaXi Race, Drei Zinnen and Smarna Gora, she must be one of the favourites. She will face strong competition from many women. Firstly, the World Cup winner from 2017 and 2018 (second this year), Lucy Murigi, proved that she will be a contender, winning Smarna Gora a few weeks ago in a thrilling race with McCormack.

Sarah Tunstall of GB will also be a favourite, having finished 3^rd in the world championships in 2017 and having won Grossglockner and Drei Zinnen this year. Her compatriot Emmie Collinge must also be one to watch. She was 2^nd in the world championships in 2015 and won the European Mountain Running Championships the following year.

Other women to watch include Italy’s Elisa Sortini and Alice Gaggi, France’s Elise Poncet and Grayson Murphy, who won the US trial.

Men’s senior race

The men’s World Cup winner, Andrew Douglas, will also be in Villa La Angostura, and will be among the favourites, having had an incredible 2019 season. Joe Gray won the US trials and as 2016 world champion and 17 time national champion, he must also be one to watch. Ireland’s Zak Hannah, who finished 6^th in the World Cup this year, will also be a strong competitor, as will Slovenia’s Timotej Becan, who finished 5^th.

The Italian team is strong as ever with Xavier Chevrier, Luca Cagnati and Casare Maestri among others who could well feature in the top 10. The French team is also very strong with Julien Rancon and Alexandre Fine. The Kenyan team contains Robert Panin Surum and Timothy Kimutai Kirui, who could feature.

Other runners to watch include Hans-Peter Innerhofer of Austria and GB’s Jacob Adkin, this year’s European Champion, is a favourite to be up there.

Women’s long distance race

Over the longer distance the women’s race should also be really exciting. One of the most interesting athletes to watch will be Laura Dahlmeier of Germany, who has famously swapped an incredibly successful career as a biathlete for mountain running. France’s Blandin L’hirondel won this year’s Trail World Championships, so it will be interesting to see how that translates to mountain running. Judith Wyder of Switzerland should also be a strong favourite, having had a hugely successful season in Skyrunning. Her compatriot Maude Mathys will also be a strong contender.

Spain are fielding a very strong team, with Sheila Aviles (who was 3^rd at this year’s Trail World Championships) and Azara Garcia de los Salmones (4^th at the Trail World Championships, 2^nd at this year’s OCC), among others expected to feature.

Other runners to watch include Italy’s Sylvia Rampazzo, Adeline Roche of France, Kellie Emmerson of Australia,

Men’s long distance race

The men’s long distance race has had a couple of big names pull out – Luis Alberto Hernando of Spain and GB’s Tom Evans – but it still has plenty of incredible athletes. The 2019 World Trail Champion Jonathan Albon from GB will be among the favourites, as will Italy’s Francesco Puppi. But it’s perhaps the US team which has aroused the most interest. Jim Walmsley, Hayden Hawks and Mario Mendoza are strongly expected to feature in the race.

Other runners to watch include Switzerland’s Stephan Wenk, GB’s Seb Batchelor and France’s Nicolas Martin.

Junior races

The junior races will be hotly contested and the future of mountain running is looking very bright. Among the runners are the British junior Joe Dugdale, who won this year’s European championships, and Joslin Blair of the US, who won the 2018 WMRA International U18 Mountain Running Championships.

Follow all the action from the championships on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

36TH WMRA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2020 and 16th Long Distance Championships AWARDED TO HARIA EXTREME LANZAROTE

Written by Tomo Sarf on 04/11/2019. Posted in Latest News.

Haría (Spain) on the island of Lanzarote will host the Senior Long Distance (42km), and World Mountain Running Championships for Senior and U20 Junior runners in 2020 with the exact date to be confirmed but likely to be end of October / mid November.

The World Mountain Running Association has been a global pioneer for off-road running all over the world, with the first global event held back in 1985 and it has run continuously ever since. This year the 35th World Champs are to be held in 2 weeks time at the iconic K42 event at Villa la Angostura in Patagonia, Argentina, bringing together 42 nations and 450 elite athletes striving for the individual and team titles in Long Distance (42k) Classic (12k) and Junior (6k) events.

The WMRA World Council has the goal to share with all fans and national teams the venue and calendar for the 2020 World Championship events in the upcoming race at Patagonia, in order to allow for the best possible long-term planning by any team plus local organising committee. After reviewing the different candidates, the Spanish race Haria Extreme on the volcanic island of Lanzarote came up as the most complete project, as it allowed for the Junior event, plus the Senior Classic and Long distance to be held together in the same way as in the 2019 Championships in Argentina.

Therefore, two members of the WMRA Global Council, President Jonathan Wyatt and Sergio Mayayo, visited Lanzarote over the past weekend, inspecting the courses and discussing details with the organizers. The final inspection reached a positive conclusión on the quality of the courses and expertise of the organizers to handle the 36th edition of this World Championships.

Some of the event highlights will include a spectacular ridge to be climbed during the Classic uphill 10k race at the iconic Risco de Famara, while the Long distance marathon race will enjoy a 42k/D+1900m journey from the charming Haría Village to the Malpais volcanic landscape, then on to the Famara ridge and finish at Haría, home to the mythical figure of Cesar Manrique, talented architect and enviromentalist who has been responsable for the preservation of the traditional beauty of local villages and traditions all through Lanzarote.

President Jonathan Wyatt said: “We are excited to include this unique volcanic terrain as a unique mountain running landscape, together with the magic atmosphere created by the tiny white villages and palm trees that dot out the island as it emerges from the Atlanctic Ocean. Following an iconic race such as K42 Villa La Angostura in 2019, we are really happy to be travelling to Spain for 2020, who will be the host country for the first time for a World Mountain Championships and I would like to thank the Real Federación Española de Atletismo (RFEA), Haría Town Hall, Cabildo Lanzarote and the Canaries Island trail running Community as a whole for their support and enthusiam during all the process.

“Last, but not least, we would like to thank all other candidates who worked hard and made it so challenging fo us to make a final decisión. Now, we move on to Patagonia with renewed enthusiasm to share the present and future of mountain running, always the sport Pioneer, from Patagonia to the Canaries and beyond…”

Two Weeks To Go To The World Championships!

Written by Tomo Sarf on 01/11/2019. Posted in Latest News.

The World Mountain Running Championships and World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships are fast approaching – they take place on the 15^th and 16^th November.

In just two weeks the world’s best mountain runners will be in Villa La Angostura in Argentina, contesting the World Mountain Running Championships and World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships.

There are three events taking place: the junior and senior World Championship races on Friday 15^th and the World Long Distance race on Saturday 16^th . The courses are based around the K42 Adventure Marathon course and take in some stunning highlights of the Province of Neuquen in Patagonia.

The juniors will race over a route of 6.6k with 393 metres of ascent. The course will initially take them north into the forest with a steep and technical climb. When it reaches the highest point of the race (1246 metres) the runners turn south and begin a steep descent. They will then have to contend with a stream crossing (with ropes), before a fast, runnable descent on a wide path all the way down to the finish.

The seniors World Mountain Running Championships will take place over a 14k course with 754 metres of ascent. They will start in the streets of Villa La Angostura and head north along a dirt track and into the forest. The first 2.5k are quite flat, but then it starts to climb up through the forest and becomes steep and technical. This is followed by a section of technical descent, before the runners head to the Inacayal Waterfall, then start to descend again on a faster path. This takes them down to the street which heads to the finish line.

The World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships takes place the next day and the course is 41.5k with 2,184m of ascent. Again, it starts in the streets of Villa La Angostura and then starts a climb on forest tracks. It climbs steadily until around 7k, then there’s a long, fast descent. The middle section is generally flatter, but with some technical sections and a creek crossing, then the big climb begins just after 20k. This long climb will take the runners up to the summit of Cerro Bayo at 1785 metres, where they will be in snow. They will then begin a long and fast descent, mainly on dirt tracks, back down to Villa La Angostura.

Countries who will take part include the USA, Kenya, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, France and Spain, who have all featured heavily in this year’s World Cup. So competition will be fierce.

The courses look fantastic and varied and should test any runner. The championships are going to be really exciting and we look forward to bringing you all the news as it happens live from Patagonia. Follow our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts for updates.

See what happened at last year’s ‘warm-up race’ at the K42.

Incredibly Close Races At Trofeo Vanoni But No Records Broken

Written by Tomo Sarf on 28/10/2019. Posted in Latest News.

It was billed as a star-studded race and Trofeo Vanoni 2019 didn’t disappoint!

The 36th women’s Vanoni race had 112 starters, including the 2019 World Cup winner, Sarah McCormack, and 2017 and 2018 World Cup champion, Lucy Murigi. After the gun went off the runners climbed up through the crowds to Priula. Murigi immediately went into the lead, with McCormack and Elise Poncet hot on her heels.

They reached the first summit almost together and then a very fast descent followed. As Murigi then approached the ‘jump’ she misjudged it slightly and slipped. Could that have been the mistake which cost her a chance at breaking Emmie Collinge’s record? It didn’t, however, cost her the win. She crossed the finish line in 21.16, an agonising 3 seconds off Emmie Collinge’s record. Just behind her, Sarah McCormack (Snowdon Race Team) took second place in 21.23, followed by Elise Poncet just 5 seconds later. Anais Sabrie (France/22.12) and Gaia Colli (Atl. Valle Brembana/22.17) completed the top 5. Last year’s winner Elisa Sortini (ATl. Alta Valtellina) was sixth in 22.30, followed by Pavla Schorna (22.53), the Scout Adkin (23.04), Alice Gaggi (La Recastello Radici Group/23.13) and Kelli Roberts (Snowdon Race Team/23.19).

The first 3 runners all being within 12 seconds,says a lot about the level of the race, as does the fact that there were 7 non-Italians in the top ten. A memorable Vanoni ladies race with a very high standard.

Afterwards Murigi said, “The jump took me a bit off guard, it’s a shame not to have set the record, but it was still a great race”.

TROFEO VANONI RELAY RACE: UNRIVALLED ATLETICA VALLE BREMBANA

There were 156 relay teams at this year’s Trofeo Vanoni relay race. Combined with the good weather and excellent organisation by CSI Morbegno it created a great spectacle. In the early stages the record holder Alex Baldaccini set off fast and was leading at the top of the first ascent, but by the time they hit the red carpet he was shoulder-to-shoulder with Alberto Vender. Baldaccini passed the baton to Luca Merri, while Atletica Valle Brembana launched Francesco Puppi. In the second leg the gap of the Valle Brembana Team increased to two minutes with Puppi who, despite a good race, hoped for a better time.

On the third leg Nadir Cavagna tasted triumph, slowing down in the finishing straight to drink in the applause of the spectators. But it was a fight for the remaining positions on the podium with Cesare Maestri, who gets the best time of the day (29.28) and takes Atletica Valli Bergamasche to second place, with the French team in third. The first three teams all finished within 16 seconds, demonstrating the competitiveness of the field. The top 5 was completed by the Tornado (with Bacchion and the Cassol brothers) and La Recastello Radici Group (with Ruga, Piana and Bertolini). Next was the Snowdon Race Team, the SA Valchiese, the Falchi, the inov-8 Team, Spain and the “red devils” of the CSI Morbegno (Giovanni Tacchini, Stefano Sansi, Marco Leoni).

Find out more about Trofeo Vanoni.

Images by Ganassa and Meneghello.

Will Records Fall At Trofeo Vanoni?

Written by Tomo Sarf on 25/10/2019. Posted in Latest News.

It’s been announced that Lucy Murigi will run at Vanoni for the first time in this year of the ‘super edition’. The organizers, CSI Morbegno, after already securing the Italian Mountain Running Team, the podium from the Italian Relay Championship and the female winner of the World Cup, have announced that Lucy Murigi will also be lining up.

Murigi was the 2017 and 2018 World Champion, winner of Sierre-Zinal in the same years, as well as this year’s winner at Smarna Gora. With a line-up including 2019 World Cup winner Sarah McCormack and Lucy Murigi the women’s record could well be under threat. The 36th Vanoni women’s race starts on Sunday 27 October 2019 at 11.00 a.m.

The line-ups for all the races are exceptional this year and you couldn’t bet against any of the records falling. Giovanni Ruffoni from the LOC says “You are all invited to Morbegno. This year we really made the bang. For the “normal” athletes the opportunity to compete side by side with the top runners, for fans the joy of supporting and see live the best specialists in the world.”

The starting list is currently being finalised and foreign teams are arriving in Morbegno. In the male relay race, there’s a face-off between the top three teams of the Italian Championship of mountain running relay 2019: Atletica Valle Brembana (headed up by the record holder Alex Baldaccini), Corrintime (led by Bernard Dematteis who won the Snowdon Race Memorial G.P. Bottà) and Atletica Valli Bergamasche Leffe (winners in 2017). Strong outsiders are Falchi Lecco (first Italian team in the last edition), Tornado (revelation team this year) and La Recastello Radici Group (second in 2016). They, along with the more aggressive foreign teams such as the French and the British one (first and second last year, will engage in a fight that could, for the first time in 12 years, bring them close to the team record, the monumental 1h28’55” signed by the GS Forestale with Rinaldi, Manzi and De Gasperi.

Fans of mountain running should be in Morbegno (North Italy, in the middle of the Alps) because it will be an edition that will go down in the record books. The LOC says “The value of the Vanoni Trophy lies in the fact that it is a race for everyone: the leading champions at international level, the local runners who compete every Sunday, young runners who can see their idols up close, dreaming of being able to emulate them one day, the crowd who turn the path into a natural stadium”.

The ‘relay’ factor adds further value because the emotion involved in running not only for yourself, but also for your teammates, the strategic choice of the starting order, make this race a unique and highly appreciated event at European level”.

See our full preview of this year’s race.

FOLLOW TROFEO VANONI IN REAL TIME!

Follow the live streaming on www.trofeovanoni.it and the breaking news on Facebook and Instagram.

THE FULL PROGRAM

Saturday 26th October 2019

17.00 Meeting point at St. Anthony square for all the runners and teams
17.30 Runners and teams parade through Vanoni street and deposition of wreath at war memorial
18.00 Mass at Saint John Church

Sunday, 27th October 2019
9.00  Junior races start
11.00  36th Vanoni ladies race start
11.05  42nd Minivanoni junior race prizes awarding
14.00  62nd Vanoni Trophy race start
17.30 36th Vanoni ladies race and 62nd Vanoni Trophy prizegiving ceremony at Sala Ipogea – St. Joseph Church

WORLD MOUNTAIN RUNNING ASSOCIATION

Author: Tomo Sarf