Author: wmra_wp

“On July 21, 2013, the Cranmore Hill Climb presented by Northeast Delta Dental will welcome the nation’s best mountain runners during an unprecedented trifecta. For the first time, the USA Mountain Running Championships, the North American Central America Caribbean (NACAC) Mountain Running Championships, and the U.S. Mountain Team selection will all happen simultaneously at one venue resulting in the, &lsquo,race within the race’, moniker and the promise of an amazing day of competition.
Canada with senior men (David Le Porho, Jeff Gosselin, Alister Gardner) and senior Women (Meggan Franks, Sarah&nbsp, Bergeron-larouche, Melanie Nadeau, Sarah Baribeau), and Mexico with senior men (Jose Alberto Madera Vega and V&iacute,ctor Manuel Mercado Miranda), Junior Men (Ricardo Ibarra Ibarra, Fabi&aacute,n Vera Guti&eacute,rrez, Jos&eacute, de jes&uacute,s de Loa &Aacute,ngel, Omar Ernesto Ponce Mendivil) and Junior Women (Ana Rosa G&oacute,mez Vel&aacute,zquez, Sandra Lizeth L&oacute,pez Navarro, Ramona Jazm&iacute,n Ja&uacute,regui Mu&ntilde,oz, Ver&oacute,nica de Loa &Aacute,ngel) will compete against the USA team formed from senior men (Max King, Glenn Randall, Joseph Gray, Ryan Woods) and senior women: (Michele Yates, Morgan Arritola, Megan Lizotte, Amber Reece-Young).
The junior mountain running team (athletes who are at least 16 in the year of competition and not yet 20), will not be selected at Cranmore, rather the four junior men and three junior women who comprise the team are chosen based on their resumes which must be sent to Kirsch by July 15.
However, the U.S. senior team – six men and four women – will be selected at Cranmore. The team will compete in Poland at the 29th World Mountain Running Championships on September 8, 2013.”
Organized by the White Mountain Milers, the race has attracted runners from across the country and around the world to North Conway, NH, for the past 26 years. In recent years, the race course has undergone quite a few changes as explained by director Paul Kirsch who has been at the helm for eleven years.
Says Kirsch, &quot,One of the fun things about Cranmore is that every year since 2004, we have changed the course. The changes started first to emulate the World Mountain Running Championship course of that year, but I still change it for the other years too. I have been told by some of the USATF-NE Mountain Circuit regulars that they always enjoy the surprise of a new course.
&quot,This year it is the biggest change since it went from an uphill only to an up/down course. To mirror the course in Poland, which starts each lap with a descent and ends with an ascent, the race will be starting at the top of the mountain for the first time ever. It should be interesting to see the different race strategies of people needing to finish with a strong uphill instead of downhill.&quot,
The race will have a separate start for men and women.
The women’s race will begin at 8:15 a.m. while the men will set off one hour later.
The lap course features single-track, wide pathways, meadows, rocky terrain, and some steep ascents and descents over the four-kilometer route featuring 254 meters of elevation change.
The women will run two laps, the men will run three laps. The chairlift will be running at the mountain starting at 7:00 a.m. on race day so that both competitors and spectators can get to the start and finish area.
With the infusion of a $4,000 prize purse up for grabs, as well as the U.S. Championship titles at stake the competition will be fierce. &quot,The field is as strong as it ever has been,&quot, said Kirsch, &quot,There are the, &lsquo,usual suspects,’ like Max King, Joe Gray, Megan Lizotte and Morgan Arritola, plus a group of really fast trail and cross country runners, most of whom have not competed in a USA Mountain Championship before. This to me shows how our sport continues to grow and confirms that there are plenty of new up-and-comers alongside the veterans.&quot,
The international portion of the race is realized in the NACAC acronym with top mountain runners from Canada and Mexico slated to compete alongside the U.S. elites in the 10th installment of this area mountain running championship.
With this influx of invited athletes, Kirsch sought out host families in the Mount Washington region, and more than 40 host families came forward to open their homes to athletes.
&quot,The White Mountain Milers really take a lot of pride in welcoming people to our community. I’ve heard from more than one host family how they have made long term friends with athletes they have hosted over the years,&quot, said Kirsch, &quot,My family and I have been hosting people for almost ten years now for Mt Washington, or Cranmore and it’s striking how every one of the runners you host is working so hard to realize their dreams as a runner. It gives you a great feeling to have some small part in supporting them in their efforts.&quot,
Kirsch expects nearly 300 runners for this year’s event comprised of elites as well as recreational weekend warriors ranging from age 10 to age 70. &quot,As I always say, what other sport do you get to toe the line with the best in the country? I don’t get to play basketball with Michael Jordan or play hockey with Zdeno Chara, but I can run in the same race as Max King or Kasie Enman,&quot, said Kirsch. &quot,I remember back in 2011, after I got back from the World Champs in Albania where Max and Kasie won gold, I saw three of the USATF-NE regulars (we call them Mountain Goats) and they were all so excited to hear all about Max and Kasie’s victories. They all took a sense of pride in knowing they got to be in the same race as them at the U.S. Champs that year.&quot,
Mountain running has certainly found a home in New England through the USATF New England Mountain Race Circuit of which Cranmore is the final race in the six-race series.
&quot,Thanks to the hard work of my USATF-NE Mountain Ultra Trail chairpersons before me, Dave Dunham and Richard Bolt, we have the oldest mountain running circuit in the country going on in New England. You have every type of surface and course style, which gives people a chance to try out all kinds of mountain running,&quot, explained Kirsch, &quot,Because of the tie-in with the strong New England running community, you get a lot of road runners who will experience their first mountain race as part of the circuit. Exemplifying the vibe of the New England Mountain Running Community is the first race in the USATF-NE Mountain Circuit, which for the past two years has been the Sleepy Hollow Mountain race in Huntington, VT, organized by World Mountain Running Champion Kasie Enman. People in our mountain running community are so committed to giving back to their sport.&quot,
The support of the USATF New England Association has been extremely valuable according to Kirsch. &quot,The New England USATF Association continues to realize the value of hosting a National Championship. They have been extremely generous with funds to help support athletes coming to compete at Cranmore. In some ways you might think it’s counter-intuitive to be helping to support runners from outside New England, but really, this gives all of the local association runners an opportunity to compete against the best in the U.S. and also Canada and Mexico. What great exposure for New England runners this is. We’ve all had the opportunity to see how competing against people potentially better than you just raises your own efforts. It’s a win-win for everyone.&quot,
To that point, the importance of introducing the sport to younger athletes is one of the missions of the event. &quot,For the ones that are able to make it, it really gives them a chance to see what competitive mountain running can be,&quot, said Kirsch who is also the manager of the U.S. junior mountain running team. &quot,All of the top runners are very approachable and they are happy to talk with kids about the sport. They want to see it grow too. I only wish I had an unlimited travel budget for the race so I could fly in kids from around the country to compete, it’s such great exposure for them.&quot,
In addition to title sponsor Northeast Delta Dental, sponsors include the host venue, Cranmore Mountain Resort, Inov-8, Julbo USA, USATF New England, World Fellowship Center, CW-X, Cabot Cheese of Vermont, SportHill, Swiftwick, Hammer Nutrition, RunReg Online Registration, Arts Jubilee North Conway, and Tuckerman Brewing Company.
Follow the NACAC Mountain Running Championships and look for live updates from Cranmore on Twitter @usmrt.

News from Nancy Hobbs and Bruno Gozzelino (WMRA)

“Looking to the entry list, about 90 senior men and 50 senior women will be at the start of the second WMRA Grand Prix race on next 21 July 2013 at Arco di Trento, Italy!
The Italian Team is output from the European Championships in Borovets, Bulgaria, with seven medals in individual and team, a booty historic and virtually all national runners of this team will be at the start of their races in Arco: Dematteis, Belotti, Desco, Baldaccini, Vaia and so on.
And with their space to prominent personalities from every continent, from Eritrea (Teklay Weldemariam Azeria: three tiime silver medallist at the World Mountain Running Championships) to Japan, via Slovenia (Kosovelj Mitja and Mateja, Lucjia Krkoc and Andreja Godec), Austria, Czech rep.,&nbsp,Germany and the UK (Matthew Hobbs and Emma Clayton).”
“After two editions with a Relay race, the Castle Mountain Running returns with a new look, tricolor and internationally to give another show because at Arco together the WMRA Grand Prix race there will be also a race valid the Italian National Championships.
In 2010, the year of the first edition, LOC has surprised everyone, opening a new route for mountain running.
No longer there on track, through woods and mountains, where sometimes – inevitably – it is difficult to attract the interest of the public and as long as the media, so far from the city centers and the risk of non-cellular network coverage, so indispensable today with the web.
Before that, 2010, the thought of a race in the mountains town might seem a contradiction in terms, then it became the proof that intuition and the spirit of innovation can often (one might say almost always) bring vital breaths of fresh air.
It is precisely these two elements were and are at the basis of the Garda Sport Events, the company that first &quot,broke&quot, the schemes and proposed this new formula, with departure and arrival in the city center of Arco, breathtaking climb (for hardness and charm) and then to the Castle on the Rock on Mount Colodri, before returning to the avenue Segantini.
Two editions Relay, an off year to crown the best Italian chamois on Monte Velo in &quot,Classicissima Bolognano – Velo&quot,, and now the return of the shadow of the towers of the Castle of Arco to dress as the colors of the tricolor, how those iris with entry into the international circuit WMRA.
On saturday the 20th and sunday the 21st mountain running is coming back to Arco: an individual competition of great spectacularity and highly technical characteristics, with several transits through the city center, the assault of the ramps of the Castle, the Colodri mount and the oly grove.
The entire course will be covered by television. Fifteen fix or mobile cameras and a helicopter will project live images on a giant wall screen in the main square of Arco, so that viewers can look forard the race live.
The duel will be exciing till the end with the best athletes who will give all their best to win the first prize.
A promotional video with the courses and all the information about the race can be seen on GARDASPORTEVENTS website, www.gardasportevents.it
At the event WMRA will be present with its President Bruno Gozzelino and other WMRA Council members like Raimondo Balicco and Tomo Sarf.
And also FIDAL will be present with some important Officials, because FIDAL is ready to candidate Arco di Trento for the organization of the European Mountain Running Championships 2016! Another dream that could become reality!

News by Bruno Gozzelino (WMRA President)

Pictures:
on front page:
– leaflet of the event,
on second page:
– Teklay Azeria
– logo of the event”

“In a city dubbed &quot,The Sportiest City in France,&quot, a record 15 countries participated in the 8th WMRA International Youth Cup in Gap, France on July 7.
Turkey dominated the competition winning in total five medals: all the gold medals, individual and team, plus one silver.
Poland&nbsp,took two silver medals and England&nbsp, one silver medal.
Italy, Russia, Wales and hosting Country France gained one bronze medal each.”
“The sun was brightly shining with temperatures rising to nearly 26 degrees by the 10:30 a.m. start of the youth women’s 2.55-kilometer race.
Thirty-seven women competed on a course which started in an open meadow and climbed through the forest over mountain paths with Turkish runner Burcu Subatan, leading after the first checkpoint some 300 meters into the race until the finish.
During the first two kilometers, the second and third positions changed between athletes from Turkey, Russia, Poland, and Wales.
At the finish it was Burcu Subatan winning in 13:24, followed 14 seconds later by Poland’s Magdalena Dias. Rounding out the top three podium spots was Georgia Garner, Wales, in 13:47.
With 20 points, Turkey earned a gold medal.
In silver position was Poland with 24 points, and with 36 points, Russia2 won bronze. There were 11 teams in the youth women’s division.
The youth men’s race followed at 11:00 a.m. with 44 competitors racing over 5.3 kilometers.
After the first loop of 1.4 kilometers, Turkey’s Ridvan Yilmaz was already creating a gap over the field. Ridvan Yilmaz would increase his lead to nearly one minute by the finish.
The race for second and third see-sawed between Turkey’s Onur Aras, and Italy’s Davide Magnini.
At the finish it was Yilmaz in 23:53, followed by fellow countryman Aras in 24:46.
Magnini placed third in 24:55.
With the strong one-two finish, Turkey won the team title with 17 points.
In second was England with 29 points led by James Hall who finished in fourth position. The French team 38 points won the bronze medal with their first scoring runner Mehdi Frere finishing in sixth.
There were 13 teams finishing the youth men’s race.
This was the first appearance at the WMRA International Youth Cup by runners from France, Hungary and The Netherlands.
Presenting medals were Pierre Weiss, Tomo Sarf, Bashir Hussain and Nancy Hobbs from the WMRA while trophies were presented by the Local Organizing Committee.
Complete results are available at the LOC webpage
The venue for the 2014 WMRA International Youth Cup has not yet been announced.

News from Nancy Hobbs (WMRA Treasurer)

Photos from Nancy Hobbs:
on front page:
– Turkish delegation at Gap,
on second page:
. podium teams girl,
– Ridvan Yilmaz,
– Pierre Weiss at start’s procedure.

“

“Another important page of the history of the European mountain running was written at the 12. European Mountain Running Championships held on 6th July 2013 at Borovets, Bulgaria.
The new European Champions 2013 are: Italian Bernard Dematteis for senior men, Austrian Andrea Mayr for senior women, Turkish Ramazan Karagoz for junior men and German Melanie Albrecht for junior women. In the team list Gold medal was took in both senior categories by Italy and from Turkey in the junior men and from Russia in the junior women.
Nine Countries had athletes who finished on the podium. Italy and Turkey dominated the medal table winning seven medals each but Italy had 3 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze, instead Turkey won 2 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze. Germany, Russia and Austria took 1 gold medal each. Great Britain and Northern Ireland won 2 silver and 1 bronze medals, Switzerland 1 silver, Slovenia 2 bronze and Romania 1 bronze.”
“All the races were wonderful competition and all the Champions had some particular aspect to tell.
First race was junior race: Melanie Albrecht always run in first position for all the race finishing in 25.49, with fourthly second advantage in front of Turkish Casminaz Yilmaz (26.29) and of Slovenian Lea Einfalt (27.05). Annabel Mason, defending title as Champion 2012, finished 8. Albrecht, the winner is also national cross country champion! Yilmaz was third last year at the European Championships and second at World Championships 2011 whilst Lea Einfalt was World Champion 2011 (Tirana) and third last year at the World Championships in Italy. In the team result Russia (with Olga Sharpova 4., Ksenia Fedorchuck 9., Ekaterina Evonina 11. and Ksenia Makhneva 29.) was European Champion 2013 with 24 points, two points better United Kingdom that was second with 26 points. Turkey and Germany had same point&nbsp, – 34 – but Turkey won bronze medal because its third counting athlete finished 17. place was better third runner of United Kingdom (28.) Nine teams were classified.
In the junior men race Turkey confirm the tradition. Since the beginning of the European Mountain Running Championships, every year the winner is a Turkish runner. This year Ramazan Karagoz dominated the competition, finished in 48.51, more than one minute before silver medalist, its fellow Turkish Sehmus Sarihan. Italian Michele Vaia won bronze medal (50.29) crossing over Romanian Andrei Leanca (4. With 51.05) in the last part of the track. 41 runners at the start and the winner Ramazan Karagoz is the only one born in 1997: the youngest runner of the race became Champion! He is brother of Adem Karagoz, who was World Champion 2011 (Tirana) and second last year at the World Championships in Italy. Despite the important performances of the first two runners Turkey was European Team Champion with 21 points (Ramazan Karagoz 1., Sehmus Sarihan 2., Omer Tuncer 18. and Naif Bozkurt 20.), only one point better than Italy (Michele Vaia 3. Giampaolo Crotti 8. Nadir Cavagna 11. and Michael Monella 35, silver medalist. Romania (Andrej Leanca 4., Ionut Marius Dumitru 15., Mihai&nbsp, Marian Falcescu 17. And Alexsandru Daniel Dobritescu) finished third with 36 points, one point in front Russia (37 points). Nine teams were classified.
The senior women race was one of the more impressive competition ever run at European level, with a lot of potential winners.
At the end the fourth time World Champion Austrian Andrea Mayr won European title, for the second time after her
victory on 2005. Behind Mayr, Italian Valentina Belotti , she also in the past World Champion (on 2009), was – for the third time – second in the European Mountain Running Championships. The gap between the two runners was more than one minute: Mayr’s time was 51.49 and Belotti’s time was 52.54. Bronze medal was for Slovenian Mateja Kosovelj, (time 53.08) for the first time on the European podium, after that she won in the past three medals in the junior category at World Mountain Running Championships.
With the important performances of Elisa Desco (4.), Renate Rungger (5.) and Samantha Galassi (28.) Italy had no problem to become European Champion in the team (point 11). Second was Switzerland with 36 points counting the result of Bernadette Meier (8.), Martina Staehl (9.: she was European Champion in 2011), Angela Haldmann (19.) and the defending Champion of 2012, Monika Fuerholz (22.). Bronze medal was for Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Emma Clayton 6., Olivia Walwyn 21., Sarah Tunstall 25. and Rebecca Robinson (39.) with 52 points, just one point better than Russia fourth with 53 points. Fifteen teams were classified.
The senor men race was a triumph for Italian team, winning both gold medal and one silver medals. Italian Bernard Dematties dominated the race starting very strong since the first meters of the competition. Nobody was able to cross over him and he finished the race with 56.30. Second was another Italian runner, Alex Baldaccini, who defeat the six time European Champion Turkish Ahmet Arslan, bronze at the finish: Baldaccini run in 57.35 and Arslan arrived 12 seconds behind, just 14 before the fourth athlete, again an Italian runner, Xavier Chevrier, junior world Champion in 2009. Bernard Dematteis completed his set of European medals: he was second on 2008 in Germany and third on 2010 in Turkey.
Of course Italy gained gold medal in the team result with 7 points (Bernard Dematteis 1. Alex Baldaccini&nbsp, 2. Xavier Chevrier 4 and Martin Dematteis 23.) confirming the European leaderships that started at the beginning of this competition. Great Britain and Northern Ireland return to win a medal after 2006: with 31 points finished second ( Steve Vernon 5., Chris Smith 8., Orlando Edwards 18. and Robbie Simpson 29.). Thirds was Turkey (Ahmet Arslan 3., Deniz Kazan 11. Orhan Avic 37 and Akit Kitir 49) with 51 points and France finished out podium after that won consecutively medal in the last eight years in the senior men team. Nineteen teams were classified.
The event was organised with top quality under all the aspects, showing once more the great organisational capacity of Bulgarian Athletic Federation with full staff involved and coordinated by Galia Puhaleva, who is also WMRA Council member. Of course all the preparation was made under the wonderful direction by European Athletics, with great work of the Technical Delegate Christoph Seiler and of the project coordinators from European Athletics Ede Rutkovszky and Elena Barrios.
The core of the organization – the main volunteers with their hard work, competency and experience made sure to have activities run smoothly. They were always there to help and solve problems with a smile.
Hansjorg Wirz, European Athletics President, Gabriela Szabo, European Athletics Council Delegate, Dobromir Karamarinov, President of Bulgarian Athletic Federation and Vladimir Georgiev, Mayor of Samokov Municipality attended the event.
At the end, 217 athletes from 27 European Athletics member federation countries are set to compete in the four race categories – 75 senior men, 64 senior women, 41 junior men and 37 junior women – in the mountain resort town of Borovets, Bulgaria, at the 12. European Mountain Running Championships.
The full results of the 2013 European Mountain Running Championships have been published on the EA webpage.
With a nice closing ceremony all the participants said &quot,Good bye&quot, to the next year when the 13. European Mountain Running Championships will be held at Gap, France.

News by Bruno Gozzelino

Photos (by LOC):
On front page:
– Bernard Dematteis celebrated his victory with his twin Brother Martin,
On second page:
– flowwer ceremony for junior men with Romanian Gabriela Szabo (EA Delegate)
– flower ceremony for senior women with BAF President, Dobromir Karamarinov.

“

“On July 7th, with the support of the City and the local club, the WMRA organizes in Gap its 8th edition of the International Youth Cup. It is the first time that France hosts this event, indeed, Italy, Slovenia, Germany and Ireland welcomed it in the past.
The traditional teams of Italy, Slovenia, Germany, Czech Republic, Russia, England and Ireland are entered, together Bulgaria, Poland, Scotland, Turkey, Wales and, of course, the hosting Country, France. But, for the first time, the Netherlands and Hungary are also sending a delegation. ”
“In total, there will be 15 countries for the boys’ race and 12 for the girls’ (two new records) and the field of 45 boys and 37 girls&nbsp, is also two other records !
The courses is a up and down trace of 5500m for the boys (with an elevation of 335m) and 2550m for the girls (elevation of 170m), starting and finishing above the city in a place called &quot,Chateau de Charance&quot,.
With the young athletes (aged 16 and 17), it is impossible to make pronostics.
Last year, the Gold medals went to Turkey, Poland, Ireland, and Italy.
France never won a single medal in the history of the Cup.
Why not this year with Jeremy Belkacem, the current French Champion for this age?
At the competition will be present as WMRA Council the American Nancy Hobbs (delegate by WMRA President who at the same weekend will be at the European Mountain Running Championships at Borovets), Pierre Weiss (WMRA member of Honor and also FFA representant), Tomo Sarf and Bashir Hussain, both also officials of their national delegations.

News from Pierre Weiss

Pictures
on front page:
– view of Gap (by LOC),
on second page
– view of &quot,Chateau de Charance&quot, (by LOC),
– Jeremy Belkacem (FRA) (by Nicola Fried – www.alsace-en-courant.com)

“

“224 athletes from 27 European Athletics member federation countries are set to compete in the four race categories – 77 senior men, 67 senior women, 42 junior men and 38 junior women – in the mountain resort town of Borovets, Bulgaria, at the 12. European Mountain Running Championships.
The race will be an uphill race.
The final entries for the 2013 European Mountain Running Championships to be held, on 6 July have been published on the EA webpage.”
“

For the first time ever Luxemburg announced the presence, while Greece and Malta will participate for the second time.
All the stronger runners from Continent will run this Championships and certainly the competition will be very exciting.
It is not easy to indicate the favorites.
In the senior men race, certainly Ahmet Arslan will try to win the seven consecutive European title, but a group of other athletes starting from all the member of Italian team or Belgian Joly Jente or Slovenian Mitja Kosovelj but also team from Great Britain, Russia, Czech and Norway could try for taking medals.
In the senior women race there is a wonderful list of champions. With the presence of five European Champions are at the start: Austrian Andrea Mayr, French Marie Laure Dumergues, Italian Elisa Desco, and the two Swiss Martina Straehl and Monika Furholz (defending champion) plus a lot of other medalist as Slovenians Lucija Krkoc and Mateja Kosovelj or Italian Valentina Belotti or British Sarah Tunstall or Russian Nadezhda Leshchinskaia or Czechian Pavla Schorna Matyasova but also Romanian Denisa Ionela Dragomir (twice junior European Champion in 2010 and 2011) or Turkish Yasemin Can (silver European Championships 2010) is impossible to make any prediction!
Annabel Mason will defend&nbsp, her European title of last year, at the start also the bronze medalist 2012 Turkish Cesminaz Yilmaz, and a lot of strong runners like Slovenian Lea Einfalt.
Very uncertain prediction in the junior men’s race. None of the medal winners in the latest editions of the European Championship will be at this year’s race.
Bulgaria organise for the second time the European Mountain Running Championships (the first time was on 2010 at Sapareva Banya).
The Bulgarian team will try to get on the podium with some of his athlete but will not be easy!
European Athletics President Hansj&ouml,rg Wirz will attend the event.&nbsp,
The President of Bulgarian Athletic Federation, Dobromir Karamarinov, will chair the annual meeting of European Athletics Mountain Running Commission on Sunday.&nbsp,
Karamarinov and the whole staff of Bulgarian Federation (including Galia Puhaleva WMRA Council members) together with the local Municipality and a few devoted volunteers are working hard to provide a certainly a perfect event for the success of the beautiful discipline of mountain running!

News by Bruno Gozzelino

Photos (by LOC):
On front page:
– logo of the event,
On second page:
– map of the race,
– view of the hotel, headquarter of the competition.

“

“14 medals for Turkish team at the 5th Balkan Mountain Running Championships held on 16th June 2013 at Poiana Brasov (Romania).
Teams of Bulgaria and of Romania won remaining medals: both 5 medals each.
Five Countries competing at the Championships: besides Turkey, Bulgaria and Rumania, athletes from Serbia and Moldova were also present at the competition.
In total 53 athletes&nbsp,took part&nbsp,at this Championships.
The Turkish runners won 6 gold, 4 silver and 4 bronze medals. Turkish athletes occupied fully the podium in three categories: junior women, junior men and senior women, winning of course the team title in the same categories. Then in the senior women individual took bronze medal and the team senior women was silver.
Bulgaria and Romania gained 1 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze each.
In particular Bulgaria won individual title in the senior women’s race&nbsp,and Romania won gold medal for team in the same category. Bulgarian runners obtained four additional awards in the team list: silver in junior women and senior men and bronze in senior women and junior men.
Hosting country Romania gained&nbsp,additional two silver medals in senior women individual and junior men team whilst the last two bronze medals were gained by team in junior women’s and senior men’s categories.”
“Turkey totally dominated the junior women’s race (distance 4.00km) and the junior men’s race (distance 8.9 km) with its’ athletes arriving on the top three positions.
Turkish athletes offered a great show in these two races.
For&nbsp,a second&nbsp,consecutive year, Turkish Yilmaz Cesminaz (time 28:21), became junior women Balkan Champion, silver went to Esra Kalis Ekin (Turkey, time 29:36) and bronze for Subatan Burcu (Turkey: time 29:47).
In the team result first was Turkey, second Bulgaria and third Romania.
In the junior men race, Tuncer Omer from Turkey was celebrated as Balkan Mountain Running Champion 2013, after his victory with time of 56:37. Turkish Karagoz Ramazan got the silver medal with time of 57:25 and the bronze went to Turkish Bozkurt Najf almost one minute behind (time 38:13).
In the team result first was Turkey, second Romania and third Bulgaria.
Runners by three different Countries won medals in the senior women race: Bulgarian Milka Mihailova became Balkan Mountain Running Champion 2013 with 1.04:51 dominating the race&nbsp,of 8,9 km.
Silver medallist was Romanian Liliana Maria Danci, who finished second with more than two minutes&nbsp,difference (time 1.06:57) in front of Turkish, runner Yasemin Can (bronze, time 1.07:52). In the team result first Romania, second Turkey and third Bulgaria.
In the senior men’s race Turkish Kazan Deniz won the title of Balkan Mountain Running Champion 2013 with 57:15 on&nbsp, a distance of 11.9 km) in front of other two other Turkish Kitir Akif (silver, time 58:30) and Avci Orhan (bronze, time 59:18).
In the team result first was Turkey, second Bulgaria and third Romania.
The Balkan Championships was well organised by Romanian Athletic Federation leaded by the newly elected president Ion Sandu and the Municipality of Poiana Brasov and Rumanian Athletic Federation. The event was attended by local dignitaries,

News from Bruno Gozzelino (WMRA)

Pictures from Cristian Barbu
On front page:
– podium senior men individual,
On second page:
– podium junior women team,
– podium junior men team,
– Medals and Trophies.

“

“The 33th Edition of the Mont&eacute,e du Grand Ballon (Vosges Mountains, France) had three meanings: it was the venue of the French Mountain Running Championships, but also the first race in the 2013 WMRA Grand Prix and the trials to select the French Team for the 2013 WMRA World Youth Cup (to be organised in Gap on July 7).
During the weeks before the event, it was raining every day, luckily enough, it stopped on race day, with temperatures of 11 degrees C. at the men’s start time in Willer-Sur-Thur, and around 6&deg, C. near the 1424-metre summit of Grand Ballon.
Teklay Azerya and Valentina Belotti are the winners of the first stage of the 2013 WMRA Grand Prix.”
“In the men’s race (13km and 1230m elevation), the field was strong with the four first runners of the last year’s Grand Prix. The Turk Ahmet Arslan, the 2011 WMRA Grand Prix champion and one of the favorite dropped out, after, after 3kms, injured.&nbsp, Teklay Azerya (Eritrea) took the lead to win easily, his time just above our hour (1H00.05) is one of the best even achieved on this course (the record is still the property of Jonathan WHYATT, 58.01), behind him, the positions changed regularly and the Swiss David Schneider (the winner of the 2011 race) took in the last kilometer, the second place from Alex Baldaccini&nbsp, (Italy) who finished third. The French Julien Rancon, finished 4th confirming his title of French Champion that he has since 2011, he said that he liked the course very much despite the mud which made it slippery on some sections, 495 runners finished the race.
No surprise for the first place of the women race (8km and 822m elevation), Valentina Belotti (Italy) won, like last year (her time of 47.07 is one minute slower than her time of last year), the second place was taken unexpectedly by a French lady, Christel Dewalle. Like last year, Emma Clayton, Great Britain, finished 3rd. The Swiss team placed three runners in the top eight.&nbsp,75 female&nbsp,runners finished the race.
The winning of the junior race (on the same course) was a 19-year-old Swiss Stefan Lustenberger, with a time of 43.50: 26 junior runners finished the race.
The last race (4km and 365m elevation) was attended by 50 runners: juniors women (winner: Julie Latger, France in 26.11), youth boys (winner: Jeremy Belmkacen, France in 20.45) and the youth girls (winner: Melanie Rignaud, FRA in 26.49)
The organisation was very good under lot of profiles, especially technical aspects, and was attended by four members of the French Federation Executive Board (including the General Secretary and President of the club organising the event Jean Marie Bellicini) while WMRA was represented by Tomo Sarf (Council member) and Pierre Weiss (Honorary Member).

News by Pierre Weiss (WMRA Member of Honor)

Photos:
on front page: Eritrean Teklay Azerya
on second page: Italian Valentina Belotti
Pictures by LOC (Jean Marie Bellicini)”

“For the fifth year, the Mont&eacute,e du Grand-Ballon in France is welcome the 15 WMRA Grand-Prix next 2nd June in Willer-sur-Thur.
This 33th race on the top of the Vosges is also this year and like in 2000, the French mountain running championship and the trail race for the Swiss team for the next European championship.
The promise of a really high level race this year.”
“Ahmet Arslan (Turkey) the six times European Champion, win at the Grand-Ballon last year and is back in France next 2nd June to begin his mountain season and to test his form before the next European championship.
He will find here in Willer-sur-Thur a high level race with three top Italian runners: Gabriele Abate (2d last year at the Grand-Ballon), Emanuele Manzi and Alex Baldaccini (also on the podium in 2012), all the best French runners: Julien Rancon, Raymond Fontaine, Emmanuel Meyssat, Sa&icirc,d Jandari, Didier Zago, the brothers Georges and Edouard Burrier, and also the best Swiss mountain specialists like David Schneider (winner at the Grand-Ballon in 2011).
Azaria Teklay Valdemariam from Eritrea, the last WMRA G.P. winner, should also be this year at the start of the Grand-Ballon, also if his presence is not sure at the moment.
By the women, this Mont&eacute,e du Grand-Ballon will be also a top race with at the start in Goldbach, Valentina Belotti (Italy) the winner of the last year, Emma Clayton and Sarah Tundstall from Great Britain, Bernadette Meyer-Br&auml,ndle (Switzerland) the winner of the race 2011, Martina Str&auml,hl (Switzerland) and also the best French women with Marie-Laure Dumergue, Aline Cambioulive, Ad&eacute,la&iuml,de Pantheon, Hafida Gadi.

News by Jean-Alain Haan (LOC)

Photos:
On front page: Turkish Ahmet Arslan
On second page: Italian Gabriele Abate

“

“As usual, just before the beginning of WMRA season for the most important international races, the &quot,WMRA Newsletter 2013&quot,, issue number 18 of its Annual Magazine, was published by WMRA.
Also this year the WMRA Newsletter is available to download on the WMRA webpage: Clicking &quot,about us&quot,, followed by &quot,Newsletter&quot,.
As usual the Newsletter gives a summary of the activity for last year 2012 and previews the competition in 2013. This year the WMRA magazine consists of 24 pages.”
It was prepared by Adrian Woods with the support by WMRA President, Bruno Gozzelino, and the cooperation of all the WMRA Council Members.
The WMRA Newsletter 2013 was printed – as usual in the last years – by John Barnes of Ink Design Print.
With the support of the IAAF it will be distributed free of charge to all the National Athletic Federation in the World (it means more than 200 Countries will receive this magazine, plus all the IAAF Officials Council members and so on).
WMRA Council members also will distribute the Magazine to all the LOC of the races held in 2012 and 2013 and to coaches and athletes at WMRA events.
The WMRA Newsletter is an important document for recording events and developing the knowledge of mountain running worldwide. It is also an opportunity for promoting the sponsors and supporters of WMRA.
WMRA Is confident that this Newsletter will be appreciated by everyone who has a love for mountain running!
WMRA remember that all previous WMRA Newsletters of the past years are available on line in a downloadable PDF format for everyone to access.
In the meantime WMRA hope that more people will visit the WMRA webpage and enjoy reading the WMRA Newsletter 2013.

News by WMRA

Photo:
Front page of WMRA Newsletter 2013.