What ever part of the World you are living in the World Mountain Running Association wishes you a happy Mountain Running and we hope to see you fit and well in 2019. Thankyou for the support and enthusiasm for this sport we love.
The World Cup news is that regulations are online and available to all races that are interested to join us at the WMRA on our continuing journey to partner with amazing races at amazing races. Link here to the regulations and application form. These can be downloaded at the link below. You can send the signed application form from your race to Tomo Sarf (Secretary). All details below..
—-> Email: Tomo Sarf
A video review from 2018 is presented for you to enjoy. With five great race events in five different countries we are able to show for the very first time a summary of this years events where the WMRA took a video crew to 4 out of these 5 race events. Video here..
With thanks to our media partner : Publiteam, and the organisation from Grossglocknerberglauf, PizTriVertical, Sierre-Zinal and Smarna-Gora for their video partnership.
The warmup for the 2019 World Mountain Running Long Distance Championships took place during the past weekend. Get a feel for the event by reading the press review below and get inspired by seeing the photos:
Cristian Mohamed won his third title in the XVl Salomon K42 Adventure Marathon
Neuquén, november 17. The XVI edition of the Salomon K42 Adventure Marathon, the year before the 2019 World Championship on november 15 and 16, was a total success, with hundreds of runners enjoying the incredibles views of Villa La Angostura, in Neuquén, with a nice weather to run and a lot of people encouraging the runners.
The snowfalls from the days before the race gave a nice framework. White mountains, a little cold -the race started with 7°-, and moments of shining sun complete the journey. For this edition, the organisation made a few changes in the path that added some tecnical difficulties to the runners. At 9 o’ clock they started the climbs of Belvedere and Bayo hills.
Cristian Mohamed made an incredible race. He cross the finish line with his little son Karim, walking the last 150 metres to enjoy the cheer of the people around. The argentinian felt like a real champion last saturday when he won his third Salomon K42 Adventure Marathon.
He had won in 2009 y 2011, and in 2018 he brought back the title to Argentina. In the last six editions, all the winners were from foreign countries: Miguel Angel Heras from Spain, Marco de Gasperi from Italy and Francisco Pinon from Chile, winning the South American Championship last year.
“I run the first six kilometers with Bernard Dematteis,, but we were running too fast. I knew that the real race starts in the Raizal, when we start climbing the Bayo summit. I reserved my energy until that time”, said the man from San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina. He crossed the finish line six minutes before the italian.
Both athletes lived an incredible battle: Dematteis was winning the race at the beginning but he had to walk in several parts of the path, and that’s when Mohamed took the leadership until the end.
Dematteis said that he was “expecting to win” but he was happy of the experience in Patagonia. “It’s a very good race, with a very long and tecnical descent”. He now wants to come back next year for the World Championship of WMRA supported by IAAF.
Ragna Debats won the women’s race at it was expected. The dutch athlete, ultra trail world champion in Penyagolosa Trails, cross the finish line in 4h14m46, in her first experience in Argentina, finishing in 7th place overall. “Mountains to enjoy and a very demanding race. It will be interesting new year”, said Ragna thinking about World Championship.
Second and third place were for to argentinians runners, Yennifer Castro, third place last year in the South American Championship; and Verónica Ramírez, 2016 winner.
Men leadership
1. Cristian Mohamed (Mendoza) 3h39m42
2. Bernard Dematteis (Italia) 3h45m41
3. Esteban Las Peñas (San Juan) 3h54m12
Women leadership
1. Ragna Debats (Holanda) 4h14m46
2. Yennifer Castro (Neuquén) 4h27m25
3. Verónica Ramírez (Esquel) 4h34m31
K15: Italian Martin Dematteis won on Friday
Italian Martín Dematteis won the K15 distance of the Salomonl K42 Adventure Marathon. The race took place on Friday and began at 2 o’ clock with a cloudy sky and a little wind. “It was a technical race but with some running parts. I gave everything so it was very demanding”, said the member of the Italian team which won silver medal on the last World’s Championship in Canillo, Andorra.
“I’ve found a lot of people cheering me up when I was near the finish line. This race has incredible views, nice people and a very good organisation”, he said. He decided not to be a part of the 42 kilometers because of a pain in one of his knees.
Víctor Caballero took the second place, becoming the first Argentinian to cross the line. Luciano Pared arrived in third place.
Patricia Isabel Ponce was the first lady finishing the race, in 1h28m05. It was her first time in trail running but she was looking for the South American title in her age group.
María de los Ángeles Pereyra, from Bahía Blanca and a member of the argentinian team, was second and have good words about the new path of the race. “I loved it. It’s more difficult but I enjoyed it”. María Belén Sánchez Ruiz, de San Juan, was the third lady.
In 2018, both distances (15k and 42k) were South American Master Championship, supported ASUDAMA (South American Master Association) and CAVRA (Argentinian Master Confederation), with CONSUDATLE (South American Athletics Confederation) and CADA (Argentinian Athletics Confederation) backup.
Men leadership
1. Martín Dematteis (Italy) 1h09m57
2. Víctor Caballero (Pto Gral San Martín) 1h18m36
3. Luciano Pared (Gualeguay) 1h19m46
Women leadership
1. Patricia Isabel Ponce (Esperanza) 1h28m05
2. María de los Ángeles Pereyra (Bahía Blanca) 1h34m13
3. María Belén Sánchez Ruiz (San Juan) 1h36m01
Photos by: Patagonia Eventos
In close battles on both the mens and womens sides, Francesco Puppi and Lucy Wamburi Murigi are currently atop the leaderboards in the Mountain Running World Rankings.
Puppi, who finished 7th at the World Mountain Running Championships in Canillo, Andorra, leads fellow countryman Bernard Dematteis in the rankings by a mere 20 points. Dematteis finished second at the fifth and final 2018 World Cup race at Smarna Gora in Slovenia. Currently in third place in the ranking is Geoffrey Gikuni Ndungu of Kenya who won the overall WMRA World Cup over Puppi with his third place finish at Smarna Gora.
On the women’s side, the rankings are event tighter with Austria’s Andrea Mayr just 10 points behind Murigi. In their last head-to-head race at Smarna Gora, Murigi overtook the strong Austrian ascender on the downhill to finish eleven seconds ahead and take the win. Mayr won the overall Mountain Cup standings with Murigi just behind her.
The Athlete Rankings are a new initiative this year that were first introduced at the World Mountain Running Congress in Andorra in September. Compiled from the results of 57 international mountain races, they have produced a preliminary World ranking for all athletes involved in mountain running competitions.
“The goal behind these rankings is to provide true comparisons between athletes across the major mountain running competitions from around the world,” noted WMRA President, Jonathan Wyatt. “As the ranking system evolves, this will provide an easily reconisable system for fans of the sport to compare athletes.”
The rankings include results from the Classic and Long Distance World Championships, WMRA Cup races, the Salomon Golden Trail Series and other top mountain running competitions:
The current top ten rankings are as follows:
The Norwegian Johan Bugge today showed all how to perform strongly at the Smarna Gora. It was the final act of the mountain running World Cup and didn’t disappoint the high expectations. This morning on the hill of Saint Mary in the north of the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana over 160 athletes competed on 10 km of trails that had two challenging climbs interrupted by a short but steep and technical descent. This part once again made a big difference to the result.
The initial attack was carried out by Eritrean Filimon Abraham and Italian Bernard Dematteis, with a fast and powerful first climb. The two took the lead and were leading with a few seconds ahead of Johan Bugge and kenyan Geoffrey Gikuni Ndungu. In the downhill stretch Bernard Dematteis was able to put his opponents in trouble even if Gikuni Ndungu remained glued to the Italian. At the next checkpoint the positions saw Filimon in pursuit of the leading duo with 4″ to make up, the Czech Ian Janu with 12 “and Bugge with 20”. Everything was set for an exciting conclusion and it was Bugge who made an exciting comeback that brought him to triumph inside the medieval castle that crowns the hill. For the Norwegian champion it’s the second consecutive victory at Smarna Gora and the confirmation of an enviable state of form that in the last 40 days took him to the victory at the Stellina in Susa at the end of August, 5th place at the World Championships in Canillo (Andorra) and today to seize this prestigious success in the World Cup final. His final time was 42’33”
2nd place went to an excellent Bernard Dematteis the current European Champion, with 42’43” only 10″ back and he gave a good signal of his form today. The 3rd place of Geoffrey Gikuni Ndungu (42’47 “) was important for the result of the World Cup 2018. Fourth place went to Jan Janu, the Czech athlete replicated the good performance he had a week ago at Adelholzen Hochfelln Berglauf in Germany.
In the women’s race it was a surprise result. The Austrian Andrea Mayr started strongly, even taking one of the first absolute positions with the top men. Once again though it was the descent of Smarna Gora that made the difference. The Kenyan Lucy Wambui Murigi was able to return close to her and stay until the final rush where the African athlete was more explosive and managed to snatch the victory in 47’51”, taking 11 seconds of margin on what has been an exciting rivalry all season with Mayr who recorded 48’02”. Third place went to the Irish athlete Sarah McCormack, who closed in 51’48 “.
Victories in the 2018 Mountain Running World Cup are now confirmed for Andrea Mayr (AUT) for women and Geoffrey Gikuni Ndungu (KEN) for men. For the austrian it’s another World Cup among many others, and shows her enduring class. This year she was again the most consistent throughout the course of the whole season. For second placed Lucy Murigi (KEN), an experienced marathon runner from the team Run2Gether it’s her first runners up place in the mountain running World Cup. The absence of the Italian Puppi today was a great gift for Ndungu in the men’s and he was able to capitalize on it.
In summary, the final top positions of the Cup we find Mayr on top for Austria in the womens. The 2nd place goes to Lucy Murigi who with today’s win overcame by a handful of points Sarah McCormack (IRL). In the men’s ranking behind Ndungu we find Francesco Puppi (ITA) and the Scotsman Andrew Douglas, who today grabbed a 6th place that allows him to keep his place in the top 3 of the World Cup.
Smarna Gora 2018 Ranking: PDF Results
Smarna Gora 2018 Ranking: RESULTS
Photos: Damiano Benedetto
Story: Alex Scolari
for the WMRA
The WMRA Mountain Running World Cup Hall Of Fame
year – Women Champion / Men Champion
1999 – Angela Mudge / Jonathan Wyatt
2000 – Angela Mudge / Antonio Molinri
2001 – Izabela Zatorska / Marco De Gasperi
2002 – Angela Mudge / Jonathan Wyatt
2003 – Antonella Confortola / Jonathan wyatt
2004 – Izabela Zatorska / Jonathan Wyatt
2005 – Izabela Zatorka /Jonathan Wyatt
2006 – Anna Pichrtova / Jonathan Wyatt
2007 – Anna Pichrtova / Marco Gaiardo
2008 – Anna Frost / Jonathan Wyatt
2009 – Iva Milesova / Jonathan Wyatt
2010 – Andrea Mayr / Ahmet Arslan
2011 – Lucjia Krkoc / Ahmet Arslan
2012 – Valentina Belotti / Azerya Teklay
2013 – Mateja Kosovelj / Azerya Teklay
2014 – Andrea Mayr / Petro Mamu
2015 – Sarah Tunstall / Andrew Douglas
2016 – Andrea Mayr / Petro Mamu
2017 – Alice Gaggi / Alex Baldaccini
2018 – Andrea Mayr / Geoffrey Gikuni Ndungu
‘The 39th edition of the Smarna Gora signals the end to the World Cup season in 2018 with a great international line up. 19 countries represented.’
It’s become a tradition that with the falling leaves of autumn mountain runners descend on a small village on the outskirts of Ljubljana in Slovenia. It is the 5th and final race in the 2018 World Cup of Mountain Running with 19 countries represented so athletes still have a chance to improve their World Cup position as well as their World ranking.
Andrea Mayr (AUT) will no doubt start as favourite in the Women’s field. She was totally dominant last week at the Hochfellnberglauf (World Cup 4) in Germany and always finishes the season strongly. She has virtually an unassailable lead for the overall World Cup title but in Mountain Running anything can happen. However it would take a winning performance from closest rivals Sarah McCormack (IRL) or Lucy Murigi (KEN) and for Andrea not to finish for this to happen. It’s a technical course and the downhill can make a big difference, Andrea says “being very focused during the descent will be a strategy given I don’t want to fall as happened before!”
It is well worth talking about both Lucy Murigi and Sarah McCormack further. Sarah has had consistent results and raced the World Cup on a regular basis so I slying in 3rd position currently. Its been a long season but she has been racing strongly in the final races. Lucy coming off the World Championships win is very strong on both the climbs and descents. She’ll be hoping to take advantage of the fast flowing course to challenge Andrea for the win. She is currently in 4th position but is aiming for a podium at the World Cup.
(Andrea Mayr – Austria)
Another strong contender is Michelle Maier (GER) who hasn’t yet confirmed her start but she is in 5th place so far at the World Cup. If she wants to hold this she will have to start because 6th positioned Pavla Schorna (CZE) is racing and she loves this fast and technically challenging up and down course.
The course is 10km and racers experience a unique trail with fallen leaves adding an additional challenge as they can cover rocks and be slippery. There are two main climbing sections separated by a short but rapid descent. This gives the race a unique character and is a solid test of mountain running ability. The Smarna Gora (that gives the race its name) is a small mountain that sits in the middle of fields and the racers finish inside a medieval castle at the top as they have always done in the previous 38 editions of this race.
The Men’s competition will be an interesting affair. Azaira Teklay (ERI) is the course record holder and is coming back to race after a 5 year absence. We don’t know what shape he is in but another former winner in Johan Bugge (NOR) will be on the line and after his fine 5th placed showing in Andorra at the World Championships he will be prepared to go out hard with the leaders. Expect him to set the race alight with a strong first climb. A surprise is that World Cup leader Francesco Puppi (ITA) will not be on the start line so the door is open for Geoffrey Ndungu (KEN) to take the Cup title. With final race bonus points of 15 for every starting runner he can finish as low as 7th and still take it. Andrew Douglas (GBR) sits in 3rd at the moment on the World Cup ranking and this track is one he will enjoy. He is looking to bounce back after a difficult run at the World Championships where he collapsed at the finish. He is also another runner who has supported the World Cup and this consistency could be enough to hold on to a podium position.
(Johan Bugge – Norway)
However three athletes in the next Cup positions will all be on the start and so that third place could be in jeopardy. Timothy Kirui (KEN), Bernard Dematteis (ITA) and Jan Janu (CZE) are all capable of strong races. Bernard is also an excellent descender and will be trying to break the others on that section so it’s shaping up to be an exciting conclusion to the year.
A final World Cup prize ceremony will take place following the race where the winners will be presented with the World Cup crystal globes. Current Classification.
Former World Cup winners are:
The WMRA Mountain Running World Cup Hall Of Fame year – Women Champion / Men Champion
• 1999 – Angela Mudge / Jonathan Wyatt
• 2000 – Angela Mudge / Antonio Molinri
• 2001 – Izabela Zatorska / Marco De Gasperi
• 2002 – Angela Mudge / Jonathan Wyatt
• 2003 – Antonella Confortola / Jonathan Wyatt
• 2004 – Izabela Zatorska / Jonathan Wyatt
• 2005 – Izabela Zatorka / Jonathan Wyatt
• 2006 – Anna Pichrtova / Jonathan Wyatt
• 2007 – Anna Pichrtova / Marco Gaiardo
• 2008 – Anna Frost / Jonathan Wyatt
• 2009 – Iva Milesova / Jonathan Wyatt
• 2010 – Andrea Mayr / Ahmet Arslan
• 2011 – Lucjia Krkoc / Ahmet Arslan
• 2012 – Valentina Belotti / Azerya Teklay
• 2013 – Mateja Kosovelj / Azerya Teklay
• 2014 – Andrea Mayr / Petro Mamu
• 2015 – Sarah Tunstall / Andrew Douglas
• 2016 – Andrea Mayr / Petro Mamu
• 2017 – Alice Gaggi / Alex Baldaccini
• 2018 – ??
The WMRA Web Site : http://wmra.info
The World Cup Page : http://wmra.info/world-cup
Current World Cup Classification : Current Classification.
Current World Rankings: (Current ranking link showing top 10 M/F).
Smarna Gora race profile
Smarna Gora race map
Images credit : Smarna Gora Race
After 45 years the Adelholzen Hochfelln Mountain Race honoured its reputation as an historic bastion of the pure mountain running tradition. The course of 9km with 1074m of climb doesn’t offer any rest and while it might be short in distance it is very difficult especially at the end of a long season!
Bergen hosted this 4th stage of 5 of the 2018 WMRA Mountain Running World Cup.
The Full Ranking: http://timingdata.info/TimeNet.Web/multisport/algetimingdeutschland/20180930
After an unforgettable fight along the 1074 meters of +climb the Kenyan Geoffrey Gikuni Ndungu took the men’s victory, writing his name in the winners’ hall of fame of the bavarian race.
The start saw a strong presence by the “african corps”, with the eritrean Filimon Abraham and the kenyan Gikuni Ndungu in the lead, chased by Francesco Puppi and Yossief Tekle.
(Photo Above: Francesco Puppi ITA 2nd)
But an impressive band of italian talent was not far behind with the twins Martin and Bernard Dematteis who also gave a clear display of their strength the Italians were able to break up the race and launched an assault in the top positions with a few km to go.
An amazing crowd of fans cheered the final rush up to the Hochfelln peak where Gikuni Ndungu who had given the knock out blow to Puppi in the previous 2 kilometers was able to hold on to a narrow 8 seconds advantage to clinch his first victory in 43’48”, the 2nd one in this year’s World Cup after the Grossglockner round 1 in Austria.
(Photo Above: Geoffrey Ndungu)
T
he two Italian stars Puppi and Bernard Dematteis came out strong from the final uphill, Puppi was a superb 2nd in 43’56” while Bernard took the bronze spot in 44’:05” leaving the 4th to an impressive Filimon Abraham (44’:18”) and the big surprise of the day, the Czech Jan Janu, who gave one of his best results to his season with a 5th place in 44’:23”.
The women’s race represented a case of ‘race revenge’ for Austria’s Andrea Mayr who made up for a below average race in Andorra 2 weeks ago by getting the better of kenyan Lucy Murigi.
The 8 times Adelholzen Hochfelln Berglauf champion went for a 9th crown and simply destroyed any chance for her opponents running in a comfortable advantage but a fast 47’:44” ( 16 seconds from her own race record). Murigi and Michelle Maier’s were forced to battle it out and the kenyan won the race for the silver medal, ending in 49’:15” while the winner of 2018 Skaala Uphill Michelle Mayer was 3rd in 52:06”
With his 2nd place of today in Bergen Francesco Puppi (Italy- Saucony – Atl. Valle Brembana) made a further step closer to his dream of a 1st Mountain Running World Cup but due to the fact that his main rival Gikuni Ndungu won today, this big question will have to be answered next week at the Smarna Gora and the Cup final.
Andrea Mayr will not need any further big effort, a good position in the upcoming Smarna Gora Race will be enough to ensure the austrian sensation raises the 4th world cup of her amazing career.
(Podium Men: Ndungu KEN, Puppi ITA, Dematteis ITA) (Podium Women: Mayr AUT, Murigi KEN, Mayer GER)
photo By Alexis Courthoud
story by Alex Scolari (www.corsainmontagna.it for the WMRA)
The WMRA Mountain Running World Cup Hall Of Fame year – Women Champion / Men Champion
NEW MOUNTAIN RUNNING WORLD RANKING
At the meeting of the 2018 WMRA Congress before the World Championship races in Canillo, Andorra there was an opportunity to present to the Mountain Running community the new initiative of the Mountain Running World Ranking project with the test results so far.
In this first experimental phase, the internal wmra-pool responsible for managing this project examined and monitored 57 races to produce a preliminary World ranking for all athletes involved in mountain running competitions.
The current trial ranking classification is worked out using the following criteria / number of events:
1 x World cup points classification
2 x World mountain running championship race events
5 x World cup races
5 x Continental / area championships
6 x Golden trail series races
10 x National championships
28 x Sanctioned races chosen among the IAAF Label mountain races, the most long-lived and well organized from an organizational and competitive point of view.
49 x Races that have already been accounted for, recently there has been added two events including the IAAF/WMRA Mountain Running World Championship and the Golden Trail Series (ISF Championships) stage at Ring Of Steall in Scotland so the aim is to include a very wide cross section of off road races.
The points were awarded according to the grid launched by the technical commission at the time of the launch of the World Ranking which took place last April, shown below:
This first test analysis had to take into consideration the results of 344 MALE ATHLETES and 328 FEMALE ATHLETES that led to the drafting of this new update.
The experience is proving extremely positive and interesting and WMRA intends to continue with the project by identifying in concert with IAAF a pool of race events in order to prepare a dedicated website to the Ranking. This team is in charge of taking care of contacts with the organizers of the selected races, monitoring in real time events and above all taking care of all relative communication to the media.
In the two top-10s, at the date of this current update (27 September 2018) we find athletes from a wide range of countries and with different specialist off road abilities but the ranking value of each confirms that the best mountain running athletes are those who compare themselves with others several times during the season, taking part in the most important events to identify and create a sense of belonging to this sport that can be easily recognisable by the fans. Below is the top 10 Men and Women at 27 September 2018.
45th International Hochfelln Mountain Race WORLD CUP ROUND 4
World Champion Lucy Wambui Murigi from Kenya makes her first appearance at Hochfelln with her compatriot Geoffrey Gikuni Ndunga one of the favourites in the men’s race.
2018 World Champion and Sierre-Zinal winner Lucy Wambui Murigi from Kenya will make her first appearance at the International Adelholzen Hochfelln Mountain Race. At last year’s World Championships in Premana, Italy she won her first world title getting the better of 7-time World Champion Andrea Mayr of Austria. Mayr didn’t wait long to get revenge, taking nearly 4 minutes out of the Kenyan at the Kitzbüheler Horn Race a few weeks later. The pair will battle it out again at Hochfelln this year, with 8-time winner Mayr looking to avenge her defeat at the 2018 World Championships in Andorra.
The strong women’s field also includes 2-time winner of the Zermatt Marathon Ivana Iozzia of Italy, Challenge Stellina Susa winner Sarah McCormack of Ireland, top Italians Gloria Guidici and Camilla Magliano, 2017 German Mountain Running Champion Sarah Kistner, who has twice finished 2nd in Bergen, and 2016 Sierre-Zinal winner Michelle Maier, currently Germany’s top female mountain runner. “Michelle Maier may still have the Jungfrau Marathon in her legs” said Georg ‘Bibi’ Anfang, Hochfelln Vice-President, “but we’ll have to wait and see.”
In the men’s field Lucy Wambui Murigi’s compatriot and “run2gether” team mate Geoffrey Gikuni Ndunga will be looking for another victory to add to his 2018 wins at Grossglockner and Schlickeralm. 2017 World Long Distance Champion Francesco Puppi from Italy, 7th in this year’s World Championships in Andorra ahead of the Kenyan, will also be aiming for the top step of the podium in Bergen. The top German athlete is likely to be last year’s 2nd placer Toni Palzer from Ramsau/Berchtesgaden. A last minute entry from Italian twins Martin and Bernard Dematteis will spice things up on the men’s side making this one of the strongest Hochfellnberglauf races ever.
Men’s Favourites:
Anton Palzer GER, Ndungo Gikuni KEN, Girui Timothy Kimutai KEN, Filmon Abraham ERI
Antonio Tomaselli, ITA, Andrew Douglas SCO, Yossief Tekle ERI, Francesco Puppi ITA, Mwena Japhael Mutwiri KEN, Jan Janu CZE, Cvet Miran SLO
VERSION IN GERMAN LANGUAGE
45. Internationaler Hochfellnberglauf:
Weltmeisterin Lucy Wambui Murigi aus Kenia ist am 30. September erstmals am Start – Ihr erfolgreicher Landsmann Geoffrey Gikuni Ndunga will bei den Herren triumphieren
Bergen. Die amtierende kenianische Berglauf-Weltmeisterin und letztjährige Sierre-Zinal-Siegerin Lucy Wambui Murigi aus Kenia startet am 30. September zum ersten Mal beim Internationalen Adelholzener Hochfellnberglauf. Bei den Berglauf-Weltmeisterschaften im Vorjahr im italienischen Premana hatte sie sich erstmals die Krone aufgesetzt und damit gleichzeitig den siebten Berglauf-WM-Titel der österreichischen Ausnahmeathletin Andrea Mayr vereitelt. Es war aber nur ein kurzer „Einbruch“, denn schon einige Wochen später revanchierte sich die achtfache Hochfelln-Berglauf-Siegerin Mayr beim Kitzbüheler Hornlauf mit 3:42 Minuten Vorsprung. Nun kommt es in Bergen also zu einem erneuten Leistungsvergleich. Zum erweiterten Damen-Favoritenkreis zählen auch die zweifache italienische Zermatt-Marathonsiegerin Ivana Iozzia, die irische Stellina-Susa-Siegerin Sarah McCormack, die italienischen Top-Bergläuferinnen Gloria Guidici und Camilla Magliano, die letztjährige deutsche Berglaufmeisterin Sarah Kistner, die in Bergen schon zweimal Zweite war, und die derzeit beste deutsche Bergläuferin und Sierre-Zinal-Siegerin von 2016 Michelle Maier. Sie alle wollen Mayrs neunten Hochfelln-Berglauf-Triumph verhindern. „Michelle Maier könnte aber am 30. September noch der Jungfrau-Marathon in den Knochen stecken, da muss man abwarten“, so OK-Vizechef Georg „Bibi“ Anfang. So oder so hat es die diesjährige Damen-Konkurrenz in sich. Wilfried Raatz, Berglaufjournalist und Herausgeber des Berglauf-Journals, bezeichnete das Bergen-Damenstarterfeld bereits als „gewaltig“ und sprach von einem „verdienten Lohn für die jahrzehntelange Pionierarbeit“. Im Gepäck hat Weltmeisterin Murigi ihren kenianischen Teamkollegen von „run2gether“ Geoffrey Gikuni Ndunga, seines Zeichens schon Großglockner-Berglauf-Champion, Schlickeralm- und Sierre-Zinal-Sieger. Auch er will bei seinem ersten Start in Bergen gleich ganz oben auf dem Siegerpodest stehen. Der italienische Langstreckenweltmeister Francesco Puppi und weitere Weltklasse-Bergläufer werden aber mit aller Kraft dagegenhalten, sind sich die Experten einig. Auch dem deutschen Vorjahreszweiten Toni Palzer aus Ramsau/Berchtesgaden ist wieder einiges zuzutrauen. mmü
Männerkonkurrenz:
Anton Palzer GER, Ndungo Gikuni KEN, Girui Timothy Kimutai KEN, Filmon Abraham ERI
Antonio Tomaselli, ITA, Andrew Douglas SCO, Yossief Tekle ERI, Francesco Puppi ITA, Mwena Japhael Mutwiri KEN, Jan Janu CZE, Cvet Miran SLO,