Author: Tomo Sarf

Following on from Yesterday’s news and results at the World Youth Cup we can share some photos with you.  We have so many amazing memories and the enthusiasm of all the young runners in all of the races gives us a lot of inspiration for the future!  Sportiva Lanzada and the organising team worked incredibly hard to host this years event and feedback has been very positive.  

Credit for all images to Maurizio Torri & Francesco Lietti (www.SportdiMontagna.com).  

See SportdiMontagna for more great photos:

Sunny skies welcomed competitors in Lanzada, Italy, at today’s 13th WMRA Mountain Running International Youth Cup (U18). Of the twelve medals awarded, England led the count with three – gold and silver individual boys, and gold for the boys’ team. Host country Italy, USA, France, Romania netted two medals each, and Turkey rounded out the count with one.

First up, the girls’ race at 11:00 a.m. with 46 competitors.Joslin Blair (USA) took the lead on the steps heading up from the village and never faltered over the two-lap mountain course of 4.3 kilometers. Her time of 23:50 was just 11 seconds ahead of Ezgi Kaya (TUR). In bronze medal position was Laura Marina Corhana (ROU) timed in 24:11. This marked the first medal for Team USA in its three appearances at the Youth Cup.

With three girls in the top 10, Italy won team gold with a score of 17. Taking the silver medal was Romania scoring 25, with USA netting bronze with 29 points. There were 11 scoring teams in the girls’ division.

Likewise for the men, Matthew Mackay(ENG), led after the first climb on the rocky steps through the village and finished in gold medal position with a time of 20:10 in a field of 50 boys. He was followed closely by his countryman Euan Brennan in 20:34. Rounded out the top three was Estaban Olivero (FRA) in 20:37.

England, with a near-perfect score of eight, took the gold. France scored 18 points to take the silver, and Italy finished in bronze position with 36 points. There were 14 teams on the boys’ side.

WMRA president Jonathan Wyatt (NZL) presented awards at the flower ceremony to the individual girls podium, and elite Italian mountain runner Alice Gaggi presented awards to the men. Medals will be awarded at tonight’s ceremony in Lanzada during a festive gathering of all of the teams.

WMRA general secretary Tomo Sarf (SLO), treasurer Nancy Hobbs (USA), and at-large member Wolfgang Munzel (GER)were on site to support the event.

Results for Individual boys and girls: http://www.fidal.it/risultati/2018/COD7079/RESULTSBYEVENT1.htm
Teams: http://www.fidal.it/risultati/2018/COD7079/INDTEAMRANKING.htm

Start lists for 13th WMRA Mountain Running International Youth Cup (U18) are now available and have been published below. The Technical Meeting will take place at 17:30 on Friday, 15 June. The Opening Ceremony will be at 18:30 on Friday, 15 June. 

Youth MEN International Youth Cup (U18) Race Date: 16/06/2018 – Start Time: 11:45

51 Athletes – 15 Teams

Youth WOMEN International Youth Cup (U18) Race Date: 16/06/2018 – Start Time: 11:00
47 Athletes – 16 Teams

Under 18 Years old runners are preparing their National team uniforms and checking their shoes and making their final training preparations for this weekends World Youth Challenge that takes place in Lanzada, ITALY.  Located in the far North of Italy right on the Swiss border it is a spectacular alpine village surrounded by high mountains and alpine meadows.  

The races take place on this coming Saturday morning June 16 with the 2 Cup races at 11am and 11.45am.  There is a round number of exactly 100 runners on the startline with a 49 girls and 51 boys entered.  A maximum of 4 runners in each grade is possible and the countries fielding a full contingent of 8 runners each include: England, USA, France, Romania, Turkey, Wales and of course the host nation of Italy.  It will be hard to look past the Italians at home to take medals but in the past Romania and Turkey have always shown to be consistently strong in the younger grades.  For the second year running USA will make the long journey across to race and their programme for bringing on good young Mountain runners is a good example to follow.

“Team USA athletes have arrived in Europe and are eagerly anticipating this weekend’s competition,” said team staffer Mark Weeks. “We have a talented and accomplished squad and hope to be in medal contention. Joslin Blair, who competed at last year’s Youth Cup, is racing well as is our entire girls’ team.  On the boys’ side, our top runners are Gabriel Dinnel and Jaden Evans, who are compting in the Youth Cup for the first time.” 

A picture-perfect day awaited the nearly 400 competitors at the 18th WMRA/WMA World Masters Mountain Running Championships in Zelezniki, Slovenia today.  See below for results and how to see your photos!

After several days of afternoon or evening rain storms, the weather held from the first race start at 10:00 a.m. to the awards ceremony later in the day. Even with clouds threatening at the summit of Ratitovec at 1678 meters, which served ast the finish line, the rains never came delighting both spectators and runners.

There were two challenging courses, the long route of 10.8 kilometers with 1184 meters of height difference for men up to 54, and the shorter route of 7.2 kilometers with 869 meters of height difference for the men ages 55-79, and all women (ages 35-79). The terrain included a short stretch on pavement at the start of each race, and then a combination of wide forested path, single track trail, rocky steps, a section to the finish line in a meadow filled with wildflowers and an amazing view.

The fastest time of the day on the long course was posted by 50-year-old Miran CVET (SLO) who raced 1:02:22.  The short course top times were from 36-year-old Monica KOLLIGAR (SLO) in 52:04, and Franco TORRESANI (ITA) timed in 47:31. 

Of the 109 medals awarded, Italy netted the most with 33, 19 by individuals and 14 for team competition. Germany was second in the medal count with 15, nine individual and six team. Host nation Slovenia and came away with 11, four individual and seven team.  Of the 25 countries represented, 15 earned at least one medal.

  Representing the WMRA were president Jonathan WYATT (NZL), secretary Tomo SARF (SLO), treasuer Nancy HOBBS (USA), and at-large member Wolfgang MUNZEL (GER) who also served as the technical delegate to the race. Said Munzel of the event, “Perfect organization, high motivation by all. The volunteers never looked stressed. It was a fantastic course. It was the first time at a masters championships that I heard no negative comments. It was a true mountain course.”

The WMA was represented by Brian KEAVENEY (CAN), vice president competition, who said, “It was extremely well organized. The volunteers knew what they were doing. They were friendly and helpful. Coming to the masters mountain running championships is the highlight of my year. I like the raw ability of the athletes. That’s what makes it exciting to me.”

Also on site were nine members of the local organizing committe for the 2019 event which will be held in Gagliano del Capo, Italy, September 27-29. Luca SCARCIA and Eleanora d’AMORE from the LOC received the flag at the closing awards ceremony from Jonathan WYATT. A record number of competitors are expected at the event which features a beautiful seaside location on a unique and special course. The organizers are well experienced having hosted the Youth Championships (U 18) in 2017, and each year, the Italian Masters Mountain Running Championsips starting in 2003. The 2015 masters championships boasted over 750 competitors. Details will soon be available on a website dedicated to the event, but now, click HERE for news.

Complete results from today’s event are available HERE.   Photos from today’s race HERE. Special thanks to the LOC led by Brane ?en?i?.

This weekend sees runners over 35 years old descend on Zelezniki, Slovenia for the annual Masters Mountain Running gathering.  It is a chance to race in a World Championships event running and representing each person’s country and enjoying the spirit of the mountains.  It really is a unique meeting of all people who enjoy running in the Mountains.

The entries represent 25 countries and include 425 runners across the categories.  Men 45 to 49 category looks to have the biggest field at 60 starters, and for the women it is the 55 years’ division that is the most popular. 

The incredible Miran Cvet (SLO-M50) looks to be a firm favourite not only for his category but for the overall fastest time – local knowledge will surely help him here!  Antonella Confortola (ITA) will run the Masters division for the first time in the W40 and will be a favourite in the womens grade over the shorter 8km distance.  

The town of Zelezniki in Slovenia plays host and it is located in the picturesque Julian Alps and close to the popular tourist spot of Lake Bled.  The next edition of this masters’ event will be staged in Southern Italy and a contingent will be present in Zelezniki to show the 2019 course and another stunning location – but very different from the Slovenian Mountains! 

Your #mountainrunning finish line awaits! It’s not too late to register for the 18th WMRA/WMA Masters World Mountain Running Championships in Zelezniki, Slovenia. It’s just one week away but enties are still being accepted if you have been waiting until now!

 Course and hosts are ready and the World Mountain Running Association is looking forward to showing you a beautiful mountain in Slovenia! Race is on the 2 June. More info here: http://www.atletsko-drustvo-zelezniki.si/…/tek-na-rati…/home

World Mountain Running has launched their new website today with a new look and the WMRA is working on improving it’s images and allowing easier navigation. 

It’s a new look and we hope you like it. 

Check it out and we are using the address : www.wmra.info

Another big news is that WORLD CUP has launched with it’s own dedicated web space ( www.wmra.info/world-cup ) where you can see the races in detail, course information, programme and we will continue to update it with results and World Cup news as the races unfold.  Have a look at the exciting races we have included with some iconic races and some historic races.

The WMRA WORLD CUP

WMRA are bringing new races and concepts to rejuvenate the World Cup.  The WMRA is convinced it needs to move with the times and create a product that appeals to a wider group of runners and public.  With a new World Cup product working with more of the protagonists in off road sport the WMRA will try to get more top athletes in all off road disciplines racing together and introduce more people to Mountain Running. These working partnerships will include other off road disciplines as well as closer relations with the IAAF to try to bring a more exciting series of races.
 
The decision was made to remove the World Champs from the World Cup because this is a race where runners need to be selected so the WMRA wanted to make it open for everyone to participate.
 
In 2018, the concept of the Mountain Running World Cup will be a transition from the one we know from the past with new race relationships that have been forged during the winter months.  There will be 5 races in the Circuit, starting in mid July with the famous Grossglocknerlauf in Austria finishing in October on Smarna gora in Slovenia, a traditional final race.   A bigger variety in distances and terrain was one of the big goals so they range from a vertical kilometre race over 3.3km to a 31km long distance event. 

In future another goal will be to maintain a more compact calendar so more international runners will be able to include races on consecutive weekends to be efficient with travel that also helps with making a more exciting series.

WMRA President Jonathan Wyatt (NZL) recently travelled to Lanzada in the Valmalenco valley in northern Italy

The site of the 13th WMRA Mountain Running International Youth Cup (U18) slated for Saturday, June 16.

Wyatt serves as the technical delegate for the event and in this role, previewed the course with representatives from the LOC.

Said Wyatt, “The organisers have made a fantastic course that will be two laps above the town and runs on single track mountain paths with steep IMG 7396ascents and fast descents. The 4.3-kilometer route has 290m ascent/descent, which will prove a great test for the next generation of our sport.  Starting right in the heart of the village with a lap around the church, competitors will then set off into the hill to spread the field out.  My advice will be to not get too excited in the first 1km and stay relaxed on the first downhill part!

“Lanzada is very near the Swiss border,” continued Wyatt. “In fact, you can see Switzerland from the town where the high mountains surround the village. The LOC has a lot of experience in Mountain Running organising past events such as the Skyrace Valmalenco-Poschiavo, Junior Italian Mountain Running Championships and Italian National Championships.The race weekend will include local race events for younger (U16) regional runners alongside the World Youth event so it promises to be an exciting time and a great atmosphere for all the runners who will take part.”
 
The opening ceremony highlighted by an international parade of athletes, will be held on Friday, June 15.

For event details, CLICK HERE.

Press statement by WMRA president Jonathan Wyatt (NZL):

“The WMRA is pleased to present the World Mountain Running Cup in 2018 with 5 races.
It represents a change of direction for us in some important respects.
We started with the goal to try to bring more athletes together on the races so reducing the number of events and really concentrating on these to invest in them with more promotion was a strong desire of the World Cup Management team from the WMRA.”

The World Championships is no longer a part if it because we want a World Cup where everyone can enter it so it makes the individual races ranking evenly. WMRA is working to bring a dedicated media team, TV and video coverage and a dedicated space on the Web for the new World Cup.

Bringing diversity to the World Cup was another goal and so we have races that are giving more variety. We have a vertical kilometre race (Piz Tri Vertikal, Italy) + a race of 31km (Sierre-Zinal) so that the World Cup will show us who are the best all-around mountain runners.

So, in 2018 the World Cup is a mix of old and new because for the WMRA it is important to celebrate the tradition and heritage of the sport with the classic and beautiful races of Hochfelnberglauf and the Smarna Gora. The kick-off race sees us coming to Austria and the Grossglocknerberglauf in July. It is a beautiful track and Julius from the LOC tells us he sells out the entries every year so it is best to get your entry in quickly!

Second stage will be the Vertical kilometre test in Italy. A short uphill-only race in the heart of the north Italian Alps takes runners up to breathtaking views over the high mountains and the Italian hospitality and crazy fans are famous on this track.

Third stage needs no introduction. It’s Sierre-Zinal and is world famous and it takes runners from the valley floor in Switzerland up to views over five different 4000m+ high peaks (including Matterhorn views), before dropping down to the town of Zinal. A picture postcard Swiss village if ever there was one!

From here we take a break while there are Championship races in the season before picking up again in late September at the Hochfelnberglauf. Held deep in the heart of Bavaria its one of the golden original races. A race that first helped to join World Mountain Running together and you feel the history as you race up to the edge of the Bavarian Alps with stunning views over the flat lands beyond. I can also say it has the best cakes and buffet of any mountain race I have done!!

The final race takes us to the autumn classic of Smarna Gora in Slovenia racing through the falling golden leaves. It might be a smaller mountain compared to the others but it makes just as tough a test of the runners. The trails around and up the mountain are beautifully fast and the up down plus up to finish in a castle makes this race a unique experience and not to be missed to see who will take home the World Cup title.

The 2018 World Cup is a stepping stone into the future for the WMRA and how it positions Mountain Running in a very competitive off road running environment compared with trail, Golden Trail and Sky, etc. WMRA acknowledges that it needs to be much more relevant to the masses of runners and also build the Cup to a point where it has true international relevance. This will mean in future races outside of central Europe, working to build partnerships with other off road sectors (in 2018 we have a partnership race with Golden Trail at Sierre-Zinal). It will mean investing more to show how great Mountain Running can be to a wider audience and we are lucky that we have IAAF assistance to distribute our media content to people outside of our normal community.

In bringing this together I couldn’t do everything I wanted this year and the World Cup Management team will agree. We had our friends in Norway who had to withdraw at the very final minute where we wanted to bring you a mini tour to combine 3 world cup races together but these are still some of many ideas for the future as ways to innovate the World Cup.

We have updated points and scoring which will reward runners with some bonus points (see the rules that will come online soon), we have invested more prize money in the overall World Cup and we hope you will join us on every race to share the spirit of what we love about Mountain Running.

Remember that the World Mountain Running Cup is not just about elite runners – it is also about bringing our community together and sharing a tough race and some good stories about it at the finish line!

Thanks for your patience in waiting so long while we worked away on the details the past 6 months. We know we are presenting later than we wanted to but now we are ready to kick the 2018 Mountain Running season into life!

WORLD MOUNTAIN RUNNING CUP 2018 Calendar:

15 July 2018 Grossglocknerberglauf

• 12.7km, 1494m+
• Location: Heiligenblut, Austria (German)
• Website: http://www.grossglocknerberglauf.at/
• Contact: Julius Rupitsch, [email protected]

4 August 2018 Piz Tri Vertical

• 3.3km, 1000m+
• Location: Malonno, Italy (Italian)
• Website: http://www.memorialbianchi.it/
• Contact: Giorgio Bianchi, [email protected]

12 August 2018 Sierre-Zinal

• 31km, 2200m+ / 1100m
• Location: Zinal, Switzerland (Valais/French)
• Website: http://www.sierre-zinal.com/
• Contact: Valentin Genoud, [email protected]

30 September 2018 Hochfeln-Berglauf

• 8.9km, 1074m+
• Location: Bergen, Germany (German)
• Website: https://www.hochfellnberglauf.de/
• Contact: Jürgen Schmid, [email protected]

6 October 2018 Smarna Gora Mountain Race

• 10km, 710m+ 350m
• Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia
• Website: http://www.smarnagora.com/index_en.php
• Contact: Tomo Sarf, [email protected]