Author: wmra_wp

The streets of Premana, Italy were abuzz this past weekend for the 33rd World Mountain Running Championships. Know for its cutlery factories, it was ironic that the athletes representing nearly 40 countries were also sharpening their skills and techniques as they prepared for the rugged terrain they would experience in this championship event during the few days leading up to the competition.

More than 5,000 spectators, including most of the town’s 2,200 inhabitants, were scattered throughout the course to witness the best of the world’s mountain runners racing for the 24 medals to be awarded on Sunday, July 30.
 
Uganda led the medal count with six, including a sweep in the senior men’s competition with gold medalist Victor Kiplangat, leading the way. Additional gold medals for Uganda’s junior men’s team led by a first-place finish from Oscar Chelimo. Risper Chebet earned the junior women’s title.
 
USA and Italy each netted five awards with a gold medal for Team USA in the senior women’s competition, a silver medal in the junior women’s competition, bronze for the senior men’s team, and bronze for juniors Talon Hull and Lauren. Italy’s Daniel Pattis won silver in the junior men’s competition leading his team to bronze. Italy’s junior women duplicated the bronze effort and the senior teams both won silver.
 
The final two gold medals were awarded to Romania in the junior women’s team competition and Kenya’s Lucy Wambui Murigi winner of the senior women’s event. Romania’s second team medal was silver in the junior men’s competition.
 
The Czech Republic was the final team medal winner with a bronze in the senior women’s competition. Turkey’s Bahar Atalay won silver in the junior women’s competition and multi-time world champion Andrea Mayr was the senior women’s silver medalist followed in bronze by Sarah Tunstall representing Great Britain.
 
WMRA was represented at the competition by outgoing council members president Bruno Gozzelino (ITA), secretary Pierre Weiss (FRA), and at-large council member Galia Puheleva (BUL). Additionally, technical delegate to the competition was Tomo Sarf (SLO), who was elected as the new secretary during the WMRA Congress meeting on Saturday, July 29, Nancy Hobbs (USA) who will continue as treasurer and at-large council members Wolfgang Munzel (GER), and Andrzej Puchacz (POL).
 
The new WMRA council will be led by president Jonathan Wyatt (NZL), and include at-large members Sarah Rowell (GBR), and Georgio Bianchi (ITA).
 
Full Results: www.corsainmontagna.it/2017/07/30/premana-lc-campionato-mondiale-corsa-montagna-full-results/

Premana (LC) will host the 2017 World Mountain Running Championships and for the first time the title of Mountain Running Classic and Long Distance will be awarded at the same venue and within the space of one week away. 
The scenario is ready for a true mountain running event: at the 33th WMRA World Mountain Running Championships 2017 will participate 35 accredited nations with about 320 runners from the all the Continents in the world, including some of the most legendary names in the recent history of the discipline. 
Premana represents an important part of Italy’s history in this sport.
The Local Sports Club, AS Premana, celebrates this year’s 70th anniversary of foundation and the 25th of the Giir of Mont, the legendary race on the local mountain pastures that passionate fans and athletes.
The small village of Premana, on the Val Varrone Alps in Lecco, is ready to become the theater of the World Mountain Running Championship up-down (July 29th and 30th) and the Long-Distance World Mountain Running Championship (August 5th and 6th). 
An unrepeatable opportunity to celebrate the Giir of Mont, the historic competition supported by the municipality of Premana and the Lombardy Region, who for this special occasion also returns to the classic mountain race, at a distance of more than 20 years since Premana organized epic tests of the FIDAL Italian championship.

Both defending world champions in the Senior Categories will be on stage again, chasing for an incredible back to back title: Austria’s Andrea Mayr and USA’s Joe Gray are back after their golden effort in Sapareva Banya 2016 and will be two names to note among a lot of super stars trailing them to be the next world mountain running champion.
In the Men race all spotlights are on Uganda team, leaded by former world champion in up&down (Betws Y Coed – Galles 2015), Fred Musobo but Africa will be represented also by another strong candidate to the final victory, the Eritrean sensation Petro Mamu.
Europe will be as usual represented by all the best athletes in the circuit where Italy, France and Great Britain should take the main spot: Dematteis twins and new euro champion Xavier Chevrier are co-skipper for the “Azzurri” squad while Julien Rancon and Andy Douglas will drive the French and GB teams through the battle.
Women Race could represent a revenge of recent European championship, the complete podium will start the race in Premana with Swiss Maude Mathys, GB Sarah Tunstall and Austria Andrea Mayr ready for another grueling fight. The 6 times World Champion Andrea Mayr on a up&down edition is something rare as she has not participated to this format since 2007 in Ovronnaz where she earned the silver behind Czechian Anna Pichrtova.
Team USA with Kasie Enman (2011 world champion in Tirana) and especially Kenya with Lucia Murigi are serious challengers in a race that will be also a very focused target for the hosting Italian Team, a well shacked mix of the experience of the 2009 world champion and also three times world silver medalist Valentina Belotti, the 2013 world champion Alice Gaggi and the new rising star Sara Bottarelli.

The course of the world classic is a real novelty for Premana, and the organization with the technical supervision of WMRA (Pierre Weiss, WMRA Organisational Delegate and Tomo Sarf, WMRA Technical Delegate) has studied a ring circuit around and inside the inhabited area of the village that contains all the features of mountain running and has been designed to enhance the show, technical skills, and visibility to the public.
But WMRC 2017 Premana will mean also see many athletes in the Junior categories: they represent the future of this sport and the guarantee that tomorrow mountain running will continue to give emotions and tell stories like that of little Premana, a “village of dreamers” that has accepted a true global challenge and is now ready to win it.
Race for junior categories will be on 1 lap, for a total length of 6.5 km and 430 mt of ascent and descent. Senior categories will run on 2 laps, for a total length of 13 km and 860 mt of ascent and descent.
Start and finish line is located in the center of Premana, to guarantee the greatest show to all the people that will come to attend the event.
It is not easy tell in advance who could the winners: probably Uganda team in the junior men and Czech and GB in the junior women will be very but Italy trust to have chances for the victory, too.
WMRA and LOC are waiting for many spectators because really the races will be world competitions!
The 34 WMRA Congress with the election of the new WMRA Council 2017-2020 will be held the day before the Championships.
At the event will be present all the WMRA Council members, IAAF representants, and also IAU and ITRA officials together of course FIDAL Delegates.

Edited from Press Office of LOC and Bruno Gozzelino (WMRA)

Source of the pictures LOC:
on front page:
– logo of the event;
on second page:
– view of Premana.

The EAA Mountain Running Championships 2017 was very well organised and all the races were exciting competitions.
Nine Nations had their athletes on the podium.
In the medal table, Italy took first place with 7 medals totally (2 golds, 3 silvers and 2 bronzes) and Great Britain and Northern Ireland was second winning 3 medals (2 golds and 1 silver).
Other four Nations gained one gold medal each: in order third was Romania with 3 medals (1 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze); fourth France with 2 medals (1 gold and 1 bronze); and fifth together Germany and Switzerland  with 1 gold each. Seventh in the medal table was Turkey with 3 medals (2 silvers and 1 bronze) followed by Portugal (eighth) with 2 medals (1 silver and 1 bronze) and Austria (ninth) with 2 bronze medals.

Italy’s Xavier Chevrier and Switzerland’s Maude Mathys took the senior individual titles at the 23rd European Mountain Running Championships in the northern Slovenian town of Kamnik on Saturday (8).
Chevrier covered the testing 12km uphill course in 1:02:51 and in the absence of brothers Martin and Bernard Dematteis, between them three-time winners in the last four years, Chevrier flew the Italian flag in style.
He was in the mix at the first checkpoint after 4km, reaching that stage in 17:17 as Norway’s 2015 winner Johan Bugge led by 12 seconds but this event, starting at a altitude of 440m on the Eko resort, was all about the toughness of the climb, with the men’s route ascending 1295m with only a 75m descent.
By the time of the next checkpoint at 8km, the 27-year-old Chevrier had showed immense strength as he turned that deficit of 12 seconds into an advantage of 14 seconds from Bugge.
The Italian led here with a time of 43:09 from his Norwegian rival and then just pressed on to win by 43 seconds from Portugal’s Luis Saraiva (1:03:34) and another Italian Francesco Puppi (1:03:35), who had a tremendous duel over the final 4km with only one second separating them by the line.

Bugge in the end slipped back to sixth while Turkey’s six-time champion Ahmet Arslan, third 12 months ago, finishing down in 20th on this occasion.
However, despite Italy’s having two men on the podium, their 20-year winning streak in the senior men’s team contest came to an end and they had to settle for the silver medals.
With the top three athletes from each nation counting, it was France who took team honours on the tie-break system with Emmanuel Meyssat in fourth (1:04:10), Didier Zago in fifth (1:04:30) and Julien Rancon in eighth (1:05:05) as Italy’s third scorer, teammate Alex Baldaccini, was just one agonising place away from retaining their title when he finished 13th (1:06:22).
Saraiva’s outstanding run helped Portugal take an unexpected team bronze medal.
16 Nations finished in team results.

After her course-record triumph last Sunday at the 36th Montreux–Les Rochers-de-Naye, Maude Mathys was quoted as saying: “I am starting to believe in my medal chances.”
She turned that hope into gold in a race where she emphatically defeated one of the all-time greats of the discipline in Andrea Mayr. 
Mathys won in 49:30 from Great Britain’s Sarah Tunstall, who led her nation to team gold as she finished second in 50:51), with Mayr a distant third in 51:43. Mayr has worn this crown on four occasions, including her hat-trick of wins between 2013 and 2015, but this time it was Mathys who showed such tenacity in a championship where so much was about going uphill.
Starting at Prelesje, at 700m, the ascent was 1035m with the 75m descent and Mathys handled all aspects of the race it better than the rest.
At the intermediate marker during the race, the top three at 4km were the top three at the finish, with Mathys in front in 28:16, 27 seconds ahead of Tunstall with Mayr a further 45 seconds back.
They were the only three athletes to be under 30 minutes at this point in the race and Mathys pushed on to land a memorable victory.
Switzerland have a superb record at this event, with Eroica Spiess (1995 and 1997) and Martina Strahl (2009 and 2011) both winning twice and Monika Furholz once, in 2012, and now Mathys joins them in their list of champions.
Tunstall was supported by Victoria Wilkinson, fifth in 54:05, and Rebecca Hilland, 12th in 55:49, as Britain’s women took the team honours to regain the title they won in 2015. Italy and Austria took the team silver and bronze medals.
14 Nations finished in team results.
The junior men’s route followed the same course as the senior women over 8.5km, with Romania’s Gabriel Bularda taking gold.
In Arco last year, Bularda, still only 17, was 16th and exactly four minutes adrift of Italy’s Daniel Pattis, 19, in fourth but that gap was cut back sensationally today.
Bularda and Pattis battled it, with the Romanian teenager 18 seconds ahead at 4km in 26:37 before stretching the lead to 23 seconds by the finish.
He won in 47:07 with Pattis 23 seconds further back at the finish. The latter’s compatriot Andrea Prandi took bronze in 48:22 and with Andrea Rostan seventh in 49:41, Italy comfortably landed the team title from Turkey (silver) and France (bronze) in that order.
12 Nations finished in team results.
The junior women’s race over 4.5km, which started at Kisovec at 1240m and had a 430m ascent and 10m descent, brought the most comprehensive win of the day for 17-year-old Lisa Oed of Germany; and there was a second women’s team gold for Britain, even though none of their athletes made the top five.
Oed won by an advantage of 1:09 as she crossed the line in 23:16 from Turkey’s Bahar Atalay and Romania’s Gabriela Andre Doroftei, second and third respectively in 24:25 and 24:36.but with Scarlet Dale in sixth, Anna MacFadyen seventh and 2016 bronze medallist Heidi Davies in ninth, Britain combined to just beat Romania by one point to the team title with Turkey just two points further back in third. 8 Nations finished in team results.

Full individual results can be found: http://remote.timingljubljana.si/timing/rezultati.aspx?IDtekme=3254&tip=E.

Edited from European Athletics

Source of the pictures EAA and LOC:
on front page:
– Chevrier;
on second page
– Saraiva and Puppi;
– Mathys.

On Saturday, 8 July the best European mountain runners will test their strength in Kamnik/Slovenia. A record number of 240 runners from 27 countries will compete this prestigious competition with the finish on 1660m high Velika Planina.
There are 3 courses provided for four different age and gender related and categories.
Men will start in the valley and the course is 12,5km long with 1250m elevation gain.
Women and junior men will run the upper 8,5km of the men’s course with 800m elevation gain and junior women will run the last 4,5 kilometres of the men’s course with almost 400m elevation gain.

In both junior’s categories the favourites are always unpredictable – new runners are coming and the most experienced are moving to the seniors categories every year.
In the men’s division there are several top runners on the start list, who were on the podium of the World and European Championships recently. Italy will send the best climbers and save the best descenders for the World championships, that will be held just 3 weeks later in their Premana and Alex Baldaccini is probably their strongest weapon; he finished 3. in 2015 and 2. in 2013 on a similar course.
British Douglas was close to the podium in the last years, but never succeeded to enter top 3. 
In 2015 Norway, oa similar uphill race, surprised winning both gold medals in the men’s races – this year Bugge and AArvik are both competing in a seniors race. Ahmet Arslan from Turkey is the most successful runner at the WCh, winning 6 gold medals in 2007 – 2012. In 2010 on Velika planina he finished 7th as the best European runner. In 2016 he came back and finished on the podium at the World Championships. French is always sending a team with some excellent individuals who can also finish close to the podium.
In the ladies division the situation is more clear. Anything else than gold for Andea Mayr would be a surprise. In her career she collected 10 gold’s at the World and European Championships, including the one in 2010 on Velika Planina. 
Valentina finished with bronze at Velika Planina in 2010, after that she collected several silver medals and is a specialist for this kind of courses. 
Suisse Maude Mathys finished always very close to the podium in 2012-13-14 and looks extremely motivated this year. 
There are also som other strong runners on the start, like Alice Gaggi, “Campionessa del mondo” 2013, Schorna Pavla, also always on the top positions; Dvergsdal from Norway – silver medallist from Madeira.
The venue is well known to the international mountain running family – in 2010 hosted the World Championships and the runners described the this course as one of the most challenging and beautiful due to the nice landscape. Kamnik traditionally hosts also one of the World Cup races – the Grintovec race, the extreme 10km race with almost 2000m elevation gain. All those races are organized by the enthusiastic Papež team. Many EAA Officials (Romanian Gabriela Szabo is the EAA Delegate) will attend to the event, of course, that is another important moment in the world mountain running Calendar every year.

Edited from Tomo Sarf (LOC)

Source of the pictures EAA and LOC:
on front page:
– logo of the event

Wonderful day and spectacular competitions at the 12. edition of the WMRA International Youth Cup 2017 in Gagliano del Capo, Italy, on Saturday, June 24.
Italian runners dominated both races – girls and boys – winning globally four medals and exactly 3 gold medals and 1 silver medal.
In the medal table, second position for Turkey that won a total of 4 medals too: 1 golf, 1 silver and 2 bronzes. Third was Czech Rep with 2 silver medals. 
Also England and Romania gained 1 bronze medal each.
So, five of the 16 nations present had their athletes’ medallist!

The girls ran approximately 4 kilometres on a course which included pavement, single track over steep and rocky terrain, accented with ascents and descents overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The total elevation gain was just over 250 meters.
The boys ran a course with over 340 meters of climbing for a total of 5.5 kilometres.
The sunny, cloudless race morning was void of even a slight sea breeze making for very hot and humid conditions for the competition.
First up was the girls’ race at 10:30 a.m., followed by the boys just after 11:00.
A quick downhill start on pavement for 250 meters quickly turned to the mountainous course on a short steep rocky ascent, followed by a short technical downhill section.
A slight bottleneck at the narrow access to the trail proved not to be a problem, as race strategy would develop over the next 20 minutes.
Patience was the key strategy as runners jockeyed for position using their specialties on the course, whether uphill, downhill, or on the paved faster sections.
Home nation Italy ran to victory in both the girls’ and boys’ individual positions and also captured gold on the girls’ side for the team with a score of 18 followed closely by Czech Republic with 19 points, and further back, Turkey with 42 points.
Girls’ winner, Nadia Battocletti, ran a time of 18:45, just ten seconds ahead of Barbora Havlickova, Czech Republic. Alesia Hecico, Romania, was third in 19:09.
On the boys’ side, Alain Cavagna crushed the course in 23:37, and bested Omer Yilmaz, Turkey, by 11 seconds at the finish. Just one second behind his countryman was Sirin Karabal who posted a time of 23:49.
Turkey Team B (Turkey fielded two boys’ teams which were declared in advance), went on to win team gold with 14 points, followed by Italy for silver with 18 points, and England capturing bronze with a score of 20.
All of the athletes and officials enjoyed the beautiful scenery and hospitality from the LOC led by Luca Scarcia, during their stay in the Puglia region of southern Italy.
Gagliano del Capo will again host a world event when they welcome the WMRA/WMA Masters Mountain Running Championships in September 2019.
On hand for the WMRA for the Youth Cup was president Bruno Gozzelino, Wolfgang Munzel (GER) — delegate to the event, Tomo Sarf (SLO) and Nancy Hobbs (USA).
For FIDAL were present Senior Vice President, Vincenzo Parrinello, and Giacomo Leone, President FIDAL Regione Puglia.
For CONI were present Elio Sannicandro and Angelo Giliberto, President CONI Region Puglia.
Among many important politician people, important was the presence of Vice President of Regione Puglia, Capone.

Result are available at the following link: http://www.fidal.it/risultati/2017/COD6072/Index.htm

Edited from Nancy Hobbs and Bruno Gozzelino (WMRA)

Source of the pictures LOC:
on front page:
– Luca Scarcia, chairman of LOC, between Bruno Gozzelino and Vincenzo Parrinello;
on second page:
– girls individual podium;
– boys individual podium;
– girls team podium;
– boys team podium.

In total, more than 100 runners coming from Bulgaria, Czech Rep, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Poland, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Slovak, Turkey, USA, Wales and hosting Country Italy will take part to the 12. edition of the WMRA International Youth Cup 2017.
This year’s race will be held in Gagliano del Capo, Italy, on Saturday, June 24. 
Gagliano del Capo is located in the Salento region situated in the southeast of Italy.
The Ciolo Canyon connects the small town of Gagliano del Capo to the sea.
The area is comprised of olive groves, natural landscape and a diverse ecology.
Views of the seascape are constant on the numerous pathways surrounding the town.

The course for boys will be 5.3 kilometres and include 340 meters of ascending and 220 meters of descending over terrain to include a short section on asphalt, with the majority of the route on gravel road, and scenic mountain paths. The girls will run 3.85 kilometres with 250 meters of ascent and 130 meters of descent.
More details on the competition can be found on the event website.
One important point must be underlined: for the first time in the 12-year history of the WMRA International Youth Cup, the United States will field a complete squad for this mountain running competition designed to showcase athletes who are 16 and 17 years old.
Team USA includes a full scoring team of three boys and three girls and will be accompanied and led by two staff members, Nancy Hobbs, Colorado Springs, CO, and Mark Weeks, Colorado Springs, CO.
At the event WMRA Council will be present with four members: Bruno Gozzelino (ITA – President), Nancy Hobbs (USA – Treasurer), Wolfgang Munzel (GER – Council Member, and also WMRA delegate to the event) and Tomo Sarf (SLO – WMRA Council member).
For FIDAL will be present the Senior Vice President, Vincenzo Parrinello, and President of FIDAL Regional Committee of Puglia, Giacomo Leone, together President of CONI Region Puglia, Angelo Giliberto.
Besides will be present Loredana Capone Assessor to the economic develpoment and delegate to the turism and to the sport of the Region Puglia, together other politician officials for Puglia Region and mayor of the towns interested by the event.
LOC Staff with its chief, Luca Scarcia, are ready for welcoming all the people who will arrive on next weekend and for organising a wonderful event.
It will be certainly a great competition with young runners on the stage: the future of the discipline!

Edited from Bruno Gozzelino (WMRA President)

Source of the pictures LOC:
on front page:
– front page of the Team Manual of the YIC 2017
on second page:
– view of Ciolo bridge (start of the race) and surrounding (track). 

At Teteven (Bulgaria) was held the 9th edition of ABAF Mountain Running Championships on last Saturday, 10 June.
Six nations were present: Romania, Turkey, Serbia, FYR of Makedonia, Moldova and hosting country Bulgaria.
More than 60 runners competed in the four races.
Four nations had athletes on the podium; Turkey dominated medal table, but also Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia won medals.
In particular, Turkey took 5 gold, 2 silvers and 4 bronze, so in total 11 medals; Romania won 2 gold and 5 silver, that is 7 medals globally; Bulgaria kept 1 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze, so it means that Bulgaria gained 5 medals in total and finally also Serbia gained 1 bronze medal.
This important event inside the International Mountain Running Calendar was very well organised by BAF, following a tradition very important in Bulgaria for this discipline of the athletics.

In the junior women race (km. 4,300 +- 290 m.), the top runners finished with a great gap among them: winner was Turkish Bahar Atalay who became Balkan Champion clocked 21 minutes and 44 seconds, in front of Romanian Alexia Hecico (22:05); she was second also in 2016! Third was other Turkish runner Selma Isot (time 23:13).
In the team results, Turkey won gold medal with 8 points, in front of Romania (second with 15 points) and Bulgaria (third with 22 points).
In the junior men race (km. 8,600 +- 580), Balkan Champion 2017 was Turkish Orhan Ozturk who clocked 40 minutes and 49. Podium was totally occupied by Turkish athletes: second arrived was Turkish Kenan Sari with time of 41:01 and third another Turkish runner, Ahmet Alkanoglu who finished race in 42 minutes and 05 seconds.
In the team result, Turkey – of course- dominated and became Balkan Champion 2017 with 6 points. Second finished Romania with 16 points and third Bulgaria with 32 points. In the fourth place was Serbia (35 points).
In the women senior race (km. 8,360: +- 580), the race was similar to junior men race and the first three runners arrived at the finish without any problem for keeping their position.
In fact, the Balkan Champion 2017 was Romanian Denisa Dragomir (several times on the Balkan podium: for sample, last year she was second) who clocked 45 minutes and 27 seconds, in front of the best Bulgarian runner, Marinela Nineva (third last year 2016), with time of 47 minutes and 10 seconds. Third finished Serbian runner, Nevena Jovanovic, who won an important medal for her Nation, with time of 48 minutes and 00 seconds.
In the team results, Bulgaria won Balkan title 2017 and gold medal with 15 points, in front of Romania, silver, with 18 points and Turkey, bronze medal with 27 points.
In the senior men race (km. 12,900; +- 870), Romanian Catalin Atanasoatei confirmed the title 2016, becoming Balkan Champion 2017 clocked time of 59 minutes and 54 seconds, in front of two Turkish runners: Orhan Avci was silver medallist, with a time of 1 hour, 00 minute and 28 seconds and Osman Celik, was bronze medallist, with a time of 1 hour, 01 minutes and 01 second.
In the team result, once more Turkey became Balkan Champion 2017 with 10 points in front of Romania second with 20 points and Bulgaria third with 23 points. Fourth position for FYR of Makedonia with 41 points.
Organisation of the event was very good.
One of the potential candidate for next 10. Balkan Mountain Running Championships 2018 is town of Vrsac, in Serbia.

Edited from Bruno Gozzelino (WMRA President)

Source of the pictures LOC:
on front page:
– Dr. Madlena Boyadzhieva, Mayor of Teteven Municipality proudly awards the Senior Women Teams.

After his dominance in Arco and Bludenz, Eritrean runner Petro MAMU was the absolute favourite on the start line in Willer-sur-Thur.
Finally he did not disappoint at the third World Cup race in 2017. ù
When he crossed the finish line on the top of Vosges’s, the stop watch was showing just 2 seconds less than one hour.
After winning with 57:36 in 2014 on almost the same course the winning time is not impressive, but was enough for a clear win.
After 4km of the 13,2km long course with 1160m elevation gain that includes also 110 m of descent, he felt stronger than his closest opponents.
French Rancon was his closest opponent. Italian Baldacini looked tired after the race in Arco, where his motivation was on the highest level.

In the women’s race there favourites were standing close and smiling on the finish line. Alice Gaggi, also ex world champion and specialist for mixed courses, had a good day and run an excellent race.
Belotti, Schorna and Gegorova finished all in 3 seconds!
After the clear win in Arco Valentina Belotti, specialist for steeper courses than this one, was already focused on the European Championship.
Pavla Schorna and Kamila Gegorova , both from Czech republic, were also stronger than the first French.
The women’s course was 9,0km long with 850m elevation gain that includes also 110m of descent.
The men’s race winner Petro Mamu, who faced with this course for the fourth time, liked the course; he thinks the course is not very difficult, because the declination does not change a lot; the only really steep part is a short section in just after Goldbach. The course is really runnable, which suits him.
Runners from 5 countries finished in top 10 women and men.

The organizers from Athletic club Thann chaired by the Jean-Alain Haan organized the 37 edition of this race with lots of enthusiasm.
Experiences gained in all those years made their job easier, but every year they find ideas and energy to improve particular details.
Running conditions were ideal good for running – course was dry and the temperatures excellent for this part of the year.
In the World Cup, in the ladies division, two Italians are sharing the top position. In the men’s competition,
Petro Mamu with 3 clear victories looks to be unbeatable this season.
Three WMRA Council members attended to the event: Pierre Weiss (General Secretary), Tomo Sarf and Wolfgang Munzel.
The next stage of the World Cup will be the World Championships in Premana-Italy at the end of July.

Edited from Tomo Sarf (WMRA Council member)

Source of the pictures Tomo Sarf:
on front page:
– Gaggi, Belotti and Schorna at the start
on second page:
– Mamu in action on the track.

Since ten years, the French race of the Montée du Grand-Ballon is became one of the “classic” races of the WMRA mountain running World Cup: World Cup this year is at the 19 edition.
Next Sunday,11 June, it’s another top race which will happen on the top of the Vosges for the third stages of the World Cup 2017 after Bolognano-Velo in Italy and the Muttersberg in Bludenz (Austria).
The Grand Ballon mountain race is organised this year by Jean-Alain Haan and its staff for the 37th edition.

In the man category, the winner of the two first races, Petro Mamu who also win three times at the Grand-Ballon, is again the favourite. Behind him, Alex Baldaccini (Italy), Julien Rancon (France) or Jeremy Hunt (Switzerland) will fight for a place on the podium.
In the women race, another top race with the two Italians Valentina Belotti and Alice Gaggi but also Pavla Schorna (Czech Republic) and Celine Jeannier (France).
Between 400 and 500 runners will start next sunday in Willer-sur-Thur.
For WMRA will attend to the event three persons: Pierre Weiss (FRA – WMRA General Secretary), Wolfgang Munzel (GER) and Tomo Sarf (SLO), both WMRA Council members.

Edited from Jean_Alain Haan (LOC)

Source of the pictures LOC:
on front page:
– depliant of the event;
on second page:
– Jean-Alain Haan (Chairman of the LOC).

33. Internationaler Muttersberglauf was the second stage of 19 WMRA World Cup 2017.
The World Cup race was included in the Austrian National Championships.
The parameters of this mountain race were 8460 m and a total hight of 1180 m.
The start was in the village centre of Bludenz and the finish was near the peak of Frasen (1740 m).
Despite heavy rainfall during the whole race it was a spectacular race with extraordinarily results.

After 5 km still a group of 5 men were close together in the lead only Petro Mamu was 50 m ahead.
On the very steep trail up to the finish line Petro Mamu showed his strength and he won in the new record time of 46:45,8.
But also, the second placed Italian Francesco Puppi and the third placed Austrian champion Manuel Innerhofer were still faster than the old record.
In the lady’s race, there were no doubts about the victory of Andrea Mayr, the number one in the world of mountain running.
In excellent 54:07,1 she was more than 3 minutes ahead of the German Monique Siegel and another 3 minutes of the third placed Alexandra Hauser from Austria.
About 200 runners from 14 countries finished the Muttersberg race pushed by hundreds of spectators along the course.
A big applause to the organizer Hubert Rödhammer and his team for a well-organized race and a perfect price ceremony with the World Cup winners in the focus.
Hubert Rödhammer was disappointed that only less top runners were present in Bludenz.
One explanation is for sure that on the same day and also next weekend some national championships will take place.
WMRA Council member Wolfgang Münzel attended the event and was very impressed by the carrying-out of the event.

Full results are available on www.berglaufteam.com

Edited from Wolfgang Munzel (WMRA Council member)

Source of the pictures LOC:
on front page:
– Mayr on the track
on second page:
– women podium;
– men podium.