Author: wmra_wp

“The World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) concluded three days of meetings on January 12, 2014, in Monte Carlo, Monaco, where the organization is headquartered.
Led by president Bruno Gozzelino, the eight-member council plus honorary member Pierre Weiss and IAAF Officials Paul Hardy and David Okeyo reviewed agenda items including a recap of competitions held in 2013, upcoming competitions, administrative details, as well as regulations governing the WMRA&rsquo,s various activities (honorary member Raimondo Balicco was the only absent council member).
The WMRA Working Group had updated the rules and regulations documents for competition and revised some aspects of the Constitution and these were agreed by council with some decisions to be given final approval by Congress in September.
David Okeyo had been encouraged by the excellent work of the council and confirmed the continued support of the IAAF acknowledging that mountain running was &ldquo,growing very fast&rdquo,. He praised the council members for giving their free time to run the sport and for producing such a vast amount of activity with a small budget to achieve it.”
The WMRA Youth International Cup will be held in Italy, Arco di Trento on the 29th of June and this competition will be certainly a success.
The WMRA&rsquo,s signature event, the World Mountain Running Championships will also be held in Italy on September 14, in Casette di Massa, an area famous for its marble quarry. The quarry will be part of the course for this year&rsquo,s events which include both junior and senior competition and will attract teams from 40, or more countries. The WMRA&rsquo,s technical delegate to the Championships, Tomo Sarf, visited the venue in December, and provided a detailed report to the Council including photographs and proposed routes for the competition. The final route is being reviewed and will be available to teams in the coming weeks to assist with their training plans.&ldquo,The proposed course is quite a technical one,&rdquo, said Sarf, &ldquo,Much is single track trail, with just a few asphalted road sections,&rdquo, said Sarf. &ldquo,The quarry will be part of the course and this provides an interesting running experience.&rdquo,
In 2014, the WMRA has events in Europe, as well as North America. The Pikes Peak Ascent will host the World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge on August 16th, in Manitou Springs, Colorado, with eight to ten international teams expected to compete.
The WMRA/WMA Masters World Mountain Running Championships will be held in Telfes, Austria on the 6th September.
Dates for the 16th WMRA Grand Prix were announced with a prize structure to mirror that of 2013. The six-race series kicks off in June, and includes venues in Austria, France, Slovenia, and Italy, with the final event to be held at Smarna Gora, Slovenia, in October.
In other matters:
– WMRA Director of Marketing Erhan Basoglu had secured a new three year sponsorship agreement with Turkish company AROMA Bursa Fruit Juices and Food Industry Inc.&nbsp,

“The 5. Edition of African Mountain Running Championship at Obudu (Nigeria) offered a great show for the discipline.
The race, held in Nigeria on November 23rd 2013, together the Night Obudu International Mountain had 112 runners started: 71 in the men event&nbsp, and 41 in the women race.
Finally were present teams of 4 countries: Uganda, Cameroon, Kenya and of course Nigeria.
Also runners from Ethiopia took part to the competition.”
“Just four Ethiopians women dominated the competition, in the female category. Yalew Genet was always leader during all the race winning with record of the race time of 58.55 (first tie under one hour!), second finished Selan Abere with time of 59.46, third was Berha Afera with time 1.00.00 and fourth Neda Etenesh with time of 1.02.36. These position remained the same during the track after a short battle at the start.
Due the fact that the entries were not sent by the National Athletic Federation, in the African Championships the individual title of African Champion was won by Kenyan Oltaruesh Perrine Nenkampi (fifth at the finish with time of 1:04.29), in front of her fellows – both Kenyans – Angelina Mutheu, silver medal (and sixth with 1:05.50) and Mildred Chebosis, bronze medal (seventh with 1:07.07).
In the team women list Kenya gained the title with 6 points, second and silver medal for Nigeria team with 18 points (placing the two best runners of the team in the first ten position)and third and bronze medal for Cameroon with 36 points.
Also the men race had a simple history because Kenyan Rono Pjilemon at the beginning of the ascent took the first position and Ethiopian Abebe Dinkesa, defending winner of last year, was not able to cross over him. So at the finish Rono won the 9th Obudu International race with record time of 1.00.43, defeating Abebe Dinkesa by 14 seconds!
Ugandan Geoffrey Kusuro, third at the finish line with time of 1.02.08 became African Champion 2013. Fourth in the Obudu race finished Ethiopian Atalay Yirsaw (time 1.02.27) and fifth was Kenyan David Kwemoi (time 1.03.32). In Afrian Championships silver medallist was Ugandan Philip Kiplimo (sixth at the finish with time of 1.03.56) and bronze medallist was Kenyan Ondara Mzcdonard (eight at the finish with time of 1.04.05, just one second behind Ethiopian Didi Bonsa, seventh).
In the team men results, the title was won – for the third time – from Uganda team with 7 points.Kenya was present with an official team, led by Moses Tanui, IAAF World Champion 10.000 meters at Tokyo 1991 and silver medal at the World IAAF Championships at Stuttgart on 1993 gained the silver team’s medal with 15 points. Hosting Country, Nigeria, took bronze medal in the team African Championships with 36 points. Fourth finished Cameroon with 43 points.
NAF, LOC and officials of Cross River State received congratulations from all the participants.
They would like to celebrate the tenth edition of the race with a special event and WMRA will try to support this willing!
The WMRA President, Bruno Gozzelino, and the WMRA Council member, Turkish Erhan Basoglu,&nbsp, attended to the event.

Edited from Bruno Gozzelino (WMRA)&nbsp,

Source of the pictures:
On front page (by Erhan Basoglu, WMRA):
– Rono Pjilemon, men winner of Obudu race, at the finish.&nbsp,&nbsp,&nbsp,

“

“After that last year, with a lot of changes (starting from the kind of track), also this 5. Edition of African Mountain Running Championship at Obudu (Nigeria) will be hosted in Nigeria on November 23rd 2013, together the Night Obudu International Mountain Race
It will be the second time that the route of the track of the race will respect WMRA parameters.
This year 6 countries, Eritrea, Uganda, Cameroon, Kenya, Ethiopia and of course Nigeria will take part in the African Nations championships: in total 147 runners untried and of them 61 are Foreign Athletes that will be present, comprising of 43 men and 18 women.”
Some of the winners of past edition will be present and it is not easy to identify the favourites for the victory.
For the first time Kenya is present with an official team, lead by&nbsp,Moses Tanui, IAAF World Champion 10.000 meters at Tokyo 1991 and silver medal at the World IAAF Championships at Stuttgart on 1993.
The WMRA presence at the event will see with the WMRA President, Bruno Gozzelino, and the WMRA Council member, Turkish Erhan Basoglu.

Edited from Bruno Gozzelino (WMRA)

Source of the pictures:
On front page (by LOC):
– start of 2012 race.

“Casette di Massa, located at the foot of the Apuan Alps in the Tuscany region of Italy, will host the 30th WMRA World Mountain Running Championships on Saturday, September 13, 2014.
WMRA President Bruno Gozzelino present at Tallinn during the European Athletic Association Convention finalised the WMRA Calendar for 2014.
FIDAL announced the organization of a wonderful competition linked with special and spectacular news.
WMRA is confident that the next edition will be one of the best World Mountain Running Championships ever organized.
Italy – as all know very well – is a top leader Country in the world in the discipline of mountain running under a lot of aspects: for the result of the Italian runners with their wonderful coaches and also for the organization of world events like the World Mountain Running Championships.
In fact&nbsp,on the 2014 there will be the eighth time that Italy will organize the World Mountain Running Championship!
WMRA Organisational Delegate will be Galia Puhaleva (Bulgaria) and WMRA Techincal Delegate will be Tomo Sarf (Slovenia).
”
“Italy will also host the 9th International Youth Mountain Running Cup at the Castle Mountain Running event in Arco di Trento, on June 28-29, 2014. The event is open to Youth athletes who are ages 16 or 17 in the year of competition with both individual and team competition. Athletes must be members of their respective athletic federations. At the 2014 event in Italy, youth boys will run 4.7 kilometers with 280 meters of ascending, while youth girls will compete over a 3.87 kilometer course with 220 meters of ascending.
This will be the fifth year in which Italy serves as host of the Youth Mountain Running Cup. Susa hosted the inaugural running in 2006, as well as 2007 and 2008. In 2010, Sauze d’Oulx was the host village. Germany, Slovenia, Ireland and France have also hosted the event.
The 11th WMRA Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge was confirmed on August, 16th, at Manitou Springs (USA) together the 59th Pikes Peak Ascent (km. 21): it will be the third time that this competition will be on this venue. On 2006 the Challenge was run together Pikes Peak Maraton (42 km) and on 2010 the track was the same of next year Challenge.
Telfes (Austria) will organize the 14th WMRA/WMA Master World Mountain Running Championships, on September 6th. LOC of Tlefes have organized in the past time two edition of the World Mountain Running Championships (1990 and 1996) and one time the European Mountain Running Championships (2009).
American and Austrian experience is a guaranty of the good organization of both event.
The Area Continental Championships were also scheduled: in particular the 13th European Mountain Running Championship will be organized in France at Gap on July, 12th.
Finally also the 16th WMRA Grand Prix series was scheduled including six races, two each for Austria (Bkudenz and Leogang) and for Slovenia (Kamnik and Smarna Gora), one per France (Grand Ballon) and one for Italy (of course the World M.R. Championships).
The 6th Balkan Mountain Running Championships will be held on 15th June at Vatra Dornei, Romania.
It will possible in future that the Athletic Association of Small States of Europe will introduce a Mountain Running Championships in the calendar of AASSE.
Some Countries announced their participation at next WMRA events and this item is very important the continue increasing of mountain running movement.
Together WMRA President Bruno Gozzelino was present at Tallinn also the WMRA Council members Galia Puhaleva.
WMRA thanks EAA for this important opportunity to be present at this annual Convention, where other interesting points are discussed for the future of athletics.

Edited from&nbsp,Bruno GOZZELINO and Nancy HOBBS&nbsp,(WMRA)

Source of the pictures:
On front page (by Galia Puhaleva):
-&nbsp,Hans Jorg Worz and Bruno Gozzelino,
&nbsp,on second page (by Marlis Tiitsaar – LOC),
– meeting for Calendar Conference”

“A fantastic finale to the 15th WMRA GP final unfolded in this superb race as the competing athletes for the race podium and final rankings in the Grand Prix battled hard for positions.
The traditional pre-event dinner to the International Smarna Gora race hosted on Friday evening by The LOC and presided over by event organiser Tomo Sarf was attended by many of the top contenders for this famous mountain race on Saturday.
Great friendships and old rivalries were renewed in a wonderful welcoming atmosphere which set the scene for the final of the WMRA Grand Prix series of International Mountain Races for 2013 on the beautiful mountain of Smarna Gora set on the edge of Ljublijana. ”
“In the men’s race there was revenge for the Eritrean runners, making no mistakes this time as they pulled away from last years race winner Alex Baldaccini (ITA) of Italy in the second part of this tough race.
Younger of the two Eritrean athletes Tekle Yossief, winner of the World Championships Junior race held here in Kamnik, Slovenia 2010, pulled away from his friend and compatriot Eritrean Teklay Azeria to win the race in a time of 41m 37s just 5 seconds off last years record.
Baldaccini could not keep with the pace of the Eritrean duo and had to settle for third place on the podium.
In the women’s race the top two places were taken by two giants in the World of mountain running.
The race was won by recently crowned WMRA World Mountain Running Champion 2013 Alice Gaggi (Italy) in a time of 49m 58s and second with a strong finish was taken by Gaggi’s Italian team mate Antonella Confortola (Italy) the 2013 WMRA World Long Distance Mountain Running Champion.
Last years race winner Mateja Kosovelj (Slovenia) fought hard to follow the two Italian runners and achieved a well deserved third placed medal position.
Amongst the strong Junior Men Andrei Leanca of Roumania set a new record finishing in a time of 47m 15s whilst local Slovenian runner and former WMRA World Junior Ladies Champion Lea Einfelt mixed it amongst the top senior ladies finishing in a time of 53m 55s.
The overall top position in the final rankings of the WMRA Grand Prix 2013 rankings once again went to Teklay Azeria of Eritrea, second position went to Italian runners Baldaccini and third to Abate.
The top ranked lady this year was top Slovenian athlete Mateja Kosovelj who has worked extremely hard to achieve this position in the last few years.
Kosovelj was fifth overall two years ago and finished third overall in last year’s competition. Italian Antonella Confortolla finished second overall proving what a fantastic all round athlete and mountain runner she is. The third position was taken by the race winner Alice Gaggi from Italy.
&nbsp,

&nbsp,

Edited from Adrian WOODS (WMRA)

“

“The International Smarna Gora Mountain Running Race remains one of the highlights of the mountain running season, and its rich tradition will continue on Saturday, October 5, with its 34th edition.
In the fall season of 1979 running enthusiasts from Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital, decided to organize a race to the top of one of the most popular mountains in Slovenia at Smarna Gora.
Nobody envisaged that it would become such a massive event with worldwide popularity.&nbsp,
The WMRA Grand Prix champions of the world will again be crowned this Saturday at this magnificent mountain peak.”
“In the early 1990s the event was the first national championships in the new state of Slovenia and later that decade, world champion Lucio Fregona (ITA) made the Smarna Gora race an internationally recognized event.
After the millennium, the Smarna Gora race became one of the founding members of the WMRA Grand Prix and since then it has been the final Grand Prix event on eleven occasions.
In the last 33 years many world championships medalists have been tested on the demanding course that takes runners 360 meters uphill to the first summit, followed by 300 meters of technical descent before a 300 meter climb to the finish. The top men will race just over 40 minutes for this 10-kilometre course.
This Saturday, the best mountain runners will again meet to test their strength, speed and skills.
This will be the first official WMRA meeting after the World Championships and many will strive to climb the famous podium at Smarna Gora.
This will be a tall order, as the top female runners will include World Championship winner Alice Gaggi (ITA) and Mateja Kosovelj (SLO) who took fourth place.
Antonella Confortola (ITA), the 2013 WMRA World Long Distance Challenge winner, will also try to earn a spot on the podium.
Slovenia’s Lea Einfalt, the World Junior Championships silver medalist, is expected to be a factor at some stage of this wonderful festival of mountain running in Slovenia
In the men’s event, Alex Baldaccini, returns to defend his Smarna Gora title from 2012.
Strong Eritrean team members will test their skills on the Smarna gora course also this year, Teklay Azeria, 3-times world vice-champion and Grand Prix current leader will do his best to improve his second place from 2012.
His fellow team member Tekle Yossief, 2010 junior world Champion (Kamnik-Slovenia, 5th at Smarna gora 2012) will try to repeat his successful runs on Slovenian soil.
Mitja Kosovelj of Slovenia is well positioned to offer a strong challenge since he knows the course very well.&nbsp,

“

“Petro Mamo from Eritrea, 2012 World champion, was clear winner of the 5th AsitzBeglauf, 28 seconds ahead of his team mate Tekle Yossief, 2010 junior world champion.
Another Eritrean, Teklay Azerya was third which was enough to come on the first position in the current WMRA Grand Prix ranking.
In the women’s race, Slovenian Mateja Kosovelj crossed the finish line in front of Antonella Confortola.
”
“The three Eritrean runners were absolute favorites already before the race.
They started fast and expanded the line of more than one hundred runners from12 countries soon after the start.
In the third km, in the steepest part of the 8km long course with 1125m ascent, only Suisse David Schneider could follow them.
At km 4, when the steep trail turned to less steep 4WD road, the Suisse runner was just not fast enough to follow the small group.
At 6, the late winner got rid of his team mates and at km 7 the younger Tekele showed his skills to his older teacher Teklay, also 3 times world vice champion.
Slovenian Mitja Kosovelj was defending his fifth position the whole race similar to his sister Mateja, who knew, that her only chance against more endurable Italian Confortola is to get advantage in the first, fast 2 kilometers.
She was successful – the 30 seconds were enough to win her second WMRA Grand Prix race in this season and improve her position from second to first position before the last Grand Prix race, that will be held on her home soil on 5th October in Slovenia.
The winner of the men’s race improved the course record for almost 3 minutes, which was not a surprise, because the course was this year first time tested by international elite runners.
The local organizers and the Leogang tourist organization did a great job – the event was organized on a high level, suitable for a Grand Prix race.
&nbsp,
Edited from Tomo Sarf (WMRA)

Source of the pictures: Tomo Sarf
on front page:
– Petro Mamo on action,
on second page:
– podium of women top runner.
&nbsp,“

“The Asitz Summit Mountain Run in Saalfelden Leogang has been classed as part of the Mountain Running Grand Prix by the IAAF for the first time this year and will probably feature a mountain running duel of the highest level between the ex-Mountain Running World Champion and new King of the Dolomites Petro Mamo and the three times World vice Champion, Azaria Teklay – both from Eritrea.
This unique encounter between two &lsquo,gazelles’ on Austrian soil will probably result in a sudden improvement in the track record held by Alexander Rieder.
Mitja Kosovelj, current World Long Distance Mountain Running challenge winner, will also test this new international course.”
“Next top athlete on the start line will be Gabriele Abate from Italy, currently third in the Grand Prix and permanent member of Italian national team since 2004.
The arrival of these world class athletes will also be accompanied by a replay of the Austrian Mountain Running Championships between Austria-based Swiss athlete David Schneider and Tyrolean runner Simon Lechleitner, Austria’s most internationally successful runner of the last few years.
The most impressive name in the women’s division will be Mateja Kosovelj from Slovenia, this year’s European championships bronze medalist and fourth at just passed World Championships, also second in the current Grand Prix ranking.
Jonathan Wyatt, the mountain running legend from New Zealand and Antonella Confortola-Wyatt, this year’s World Long Distance Mountain Running challenge winner from Italy have both recently confirmed their attendance.&nbsp,
The eyes of the international mountain running scene will certainly be on the Asitz summit in Saalfelden Leogang on this weekend.
&quot,We had already achieved our goal for the year of attracting around 20 top athletes from at least 10 nations to the region when the deadline for registrations closed. We have also succeeded in securing a mixed field of top local runners and international athletes. The Mountain Runing in Austria is now a tradition and highly regarded on the international mountain running scene. We want our Asitz Summit Mountain Run to be the flagship event,&quot, says Tourist Manager Stefan P&uuml,hringer about the development of this top class Leogang event.

Edited from Tomo Sarf (WMRA)

Pirctures by LOC:
on front page:
– start of last year,
on second page:

“

“329 athletes coming from 39 nations were present at the start of the races staged for the 30. WMRA World Mountain Running Championships 2013 at Krynica Zdroj, Poland.
In all 10 Countries won medals and five of them were gold.
Italy was the most successful Country in the medal table with three gold medals, two silver medals and one bronze.
They were followed by Uganda with two gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal and by Great Britain with one gold medal, two silver medals and one bronze medal.
The Czech Republic and USA had one gold medal each.
The other 5 countries who won medals were Turkey with one silver and two bronze, Slovenia one silver and Austria, Russia and Ireland with one bronze medal each.

”
“On a crisp, clear morning with temperatures in the low 50s for the start of the first race at 9:15 there were 14 teams competing in the junior women’s category with Great Britain winning gold, the U.S.A earned a silver medal led by the gold-medal individual performance of 18-year-old Mandy Ortiz racing in her first international event.The Russian team took bronze.
The second position was gained by a representative of Slovenia, Lea Einfalt.
The bronze medal and second vice-champion title was won by Tubay Erdal from Turkey
In the Junior Men’s race Nekagenet Crippa &nbsp,from Italy proved to be unbeatable on a slightly longer than&nbsp, 9-kilometer route along beautiful, but extremely difficult slopes of Jaworzyna Krynicka Mountain.
Silver medal was won by the favourite of this race, Ramazan Karagoz from Turkey, while bronze medal went to Manuel Innerhofer from Austria. &nbsp,Czech Republic took the honours in the closest team competition of the day with 25 points, just four less than Italy with Great Britain taking third.&nbsp,
In the senior women’s race, Italy’s Alice Gaggi was the surprise winner, covering the two laps 9.08km course in 42:47 with Great Britain’s Emma Clayton second in 43:12.
Gaggi’s best previous international result was finishing ninth in the European Championships last year but she was extra-motivated to do well as she celebrated her 26th birthday on Sunday.
Italy put two women on the podium when Elisa Desco crossed the line in 43:32 and with three women in the top seven, Antonella Confortola completing the scoring trio, the &quot,Azzurre&quot, took the team competition with 11 points.&nbsp,

Clayton got a second silver medal as Great Britain were second in the team competition, with Ireland third.
The senior men’s race was the final event on the schedule with a 12:30 start time.
Uganda swept the top four places and earned a gold team medal with a perfect score of 10.
Philip Kiplimo won over the three-lap 13.56km course in 54:22 putting more than half-a-minute between himself and his nearest rival Geoffrey Kusuro, with his better-known compatriot crossing the line in 55:06.
Team mates Nathan Ayeko and Peter Kibet were third and fourth respectively in 55:19 and 55:27 respectively.
The first non-Ugandan home was Italy’s Bernard Dematteis in fifth place and the lead home the Italian team to the silver medals with Turkey, led by six-time European champion Arslan Ahmet in eighth place, taking the bronze medals.
David Okeyo, like Chairman of the IAAF Cross&nbsp,Country Commission and Otto Klappert, like Honorary Chairman of the same Commission, Zbigniew Polakowski, PZLA VicePresident and&nbsp,all WMRA Council members attended to the competition.At the closing ceremony the WMRA flag passed by LOC of Krynica Zdroj trought the WMRA President Bruno Gozzelino to mr. Sergio Baldo, FIDAL Council member and Chief Delegation of Italian team,&nbsp,like representant of the LOC of the next 30. WMRA World Mountain Running Championships 2014 in Italy, at Casette di Massa (Toscana Region).

“

“40 of the 43 record number of Countries now affiliated to the WMRA were present at the 30th WMRA Congress in Poland (India, Netherlands and Liechtenstein were absent), where the WMRA President, Secretary and Treasurer were unanimously elected for next four years.
Italian Bruno Gozzelino was re-confirmed as the President for another term as was Nancy Hobbs USA as Treasurer. Welshman Adrian Woods GBR was elected as the newWMRA Secretary.
Regarding the five places as WMRA Directors for the next two years, existing Council members Wolfgang Munzel (Germany), Erhan Basoglu (Turkey), Galia Puhaleva (Bulgaria) and Tomo Sarf (Slovenia) were also confirmed.
The only new entry was Andrzej Puchacz (Poland) who replaced Italian Raimondo Balicco.
”
“Balicco was nominated as Honorary WMRA Council member by the Congress and a special presentation was made to him for all his contributions and excellent work since the very beginning of the Council. WMRA Congress accepted the Italian bid for the next 30th World Mountain Running Championships 2014 to be held in Italy at Casette di Massa (Tuscany).
WMRA Congress after a secret ballot chose Great Britain to host the 31st World Mountain Running Championships 2015 at the venue of Betws y Coed in Wales.
The Bulgarian candidature from Sapareva Banya was beaten by 19 votes to 14 in the voting, but the Bulgaria Athletics Federation announced its interest in organizing the 32ndWorld Mountain Running Championships in 2016.
Finally, the USA declared an interest in the organizing of the 33rd World Mountain Running Championships 2017.
The most important events in the Calendar for 2014 were already finalised by the WMRA Council with only the WMRA Grand Prix and Youth International to be scheduled by the end of September.
11th WMRA Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge will be held at Manitou Springs (USA) on next 16th August 2014 together with 59th Pikes Peak Ascent (km. 21).
14th WMRA/WMA Master World Mountain Running Championships will be organised at Telfes (Austria) on next 6th September 2014.
WMRA due fee for all the competition are in discussion to be changed and implemented together the service offer by WMA to the LOC.
A Working Group consisting of Bruno Gozzelino, Adrian Woods, Pierre Weiss and Tomo Sarf was formed to review WMRA Regulations and guidelines. Congress members were invited to send comments to WMRA Secretary Adrian Woods.

“