Author: wmra_wp

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“The Mont&eacute,e du Grand-Ballon in France is for the third year the WMRA Grand-Prix opening race.
For this 30th edition, the top of the Vosges (1424m) promise a very rough race with numerous top runners at the start. The French national team (bronze medal at the last European championship in Telfes) with Meyssat (photo herewith, winner in 2008 and second last year behind Jonathan Wyatt).”

Rancon and Jandari will find on their way, the Czech runners Robert Krupicka and Roman Skalsky, the German Timo Zeiler, the Swiss runners Tarcis An&ccedil,ay and David Schneider and Markus Kroll from Austria. In the women’s race, Iva Milesova (Czech republic) the winner of the last Grand-Prix will have to fight with the new generation of French top runners like Constance Devillers (silver medal at the European championship in Zell-am-Harmersbach in 2008) and Marie-Laure Dumergue, 2009 French champion, and also Maya Chollet (Switzerland), winner last year at the Grand-Ballon.

A good opening race for the Grand-Prix 2010!
Jean-Alain Haan for WMRA

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“The WMRA Anti-Doping Commission met at the IAAF headquarters in Monaco on 23 April 2010.

This meeting was the occasion to review the statistics from the 2009 testing programme and to establish the testing plan for 2010 both for in-competition tests and out-of-competition tests.

Various other doping related matters such as the anti-doping regulations and therapeutic use exemptions were also discussed.

The WMRA thanks the IAAF and the Local Organisers for their continuous support to the fight against doping in Mountain Running.
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“Ljubljana, 1.April 2010 – The first official presentation of the 26th World Mountain Running Championships to the host city of Kamnik took place in the offices of the Slovenian Athletic Federation with the main representatives of the Slovenian media present.

The LOC President and Mayor of Kamnik Tone Smolnikar confirmed the importance of this event for the local community by declaring it as &quot,the greatest sporting event ever in Kamnik&quot,. The LOC Director Dusan Papez highlighted the roles of the organizers, the course and all other technical aspects of the event. President of the Slovenian Athletic Federation Peter Kukovica described the organization of Mountain Running within the Athletic Federation and the WMRA representative Tomo Sarf explained the WMRA competition system and the current situation with the mountain running scene worldwide. ”
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The contract was signed between the WMRA, NAF and the LOC and consequently the official organizing procedure was put in place (photo 1).

Some of the best Slovenian Mountain runners were also present. Lucija Krkoc, the winner of many World and European Trophy-Championships medals in the junior women category described her expectations. Slovenia’s top Junior Women Kaja Obidic presented her plans for the Championships and Mitja Kosovelj, several times a medalist, also presented his plans for the future, where the 26. World Mountain Running Championships will be his first endeavor.

ST for WMRA

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“Report by Adrian Woods

WMRA Council met as usual at the beginning of the year in Monte Carlo on 23rd January. Many discussions took place and some important decisions were taken,

WMRA President Gozzelino underlined the important fact that besides the World Championships, four Continental Championships were held in 2009 and also a Commonwealth Championships, a Balkan Championships and a Youth International. WMRA Council will also explore the possibility of adding a relay international event to the WMRA Calendar in the future.

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“The President confirmed that WMRA policy was strongly opposed to doping in our sport and he thanked IAAF for its important support in this area.
WMRA Council discussed proposals to change some parameters of the technical aspects of Championship events such as race distances for men and women becoming the same: WMRA Council confirmed that the race distance for men and women should remain different for many reasons, both technical and organizational. 7 WMRA Council members were in favour of this decision (and one abstention). WMRA Council concluded to study the regulations in more detail for Championship mountain races and to present its recommendations to the WMRA Congress.

WMRA Council unanimously appointed Adrian Woods as Organisational Delegate and Tomo Sarf as the Technical Delegate for the 26th WMRA World Mountain Running Championships to be held in Slovenia in the city of Kamnik on 5th September 2010.
There was currently no official application received for 2011. Any Countries interested in hosting this prestigious event should contact a member of the WMRA Council.

5 races had been chosen for the 2010 WMRA Grand Prix Series including the World Championships.This was considered an adequate number of races because it was a very busy calendar. The races selected will be the Grand Ballon race in France, 2 races in Austria, Mayrhofen and Ebensee and 2 races in Slovenia, Kamnik (World Championships) and Smarna Gora.
An important decision was taken to organize a meeting in Kamnik with the Local Organising Committee’s LOC of the most important mountain races in the world with a view to discussing a new format for the Grand Prix series for 2012! WMRA hopes to receive cooperation from National Athletic Federations and from LOC’s of these events.

The 7th WMRA World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge regarded as one of the WMRA’s premiere racing events will be incorporated in the famous Pikes Peak Ascent, Colorado, USA on the 21st August 2010. The WMRA Council appointed Adrian Woods as its delegate for this event.

The 8th WMRA World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge was awarded to Podbrdo, Slovenia. The event will take place in June 2011 and the 2012 race has been awarded to the organizers of the Jungfrau event in Switzerland. Raimondo Balicco (Podbrdo) and Wolfgang Munzel (Jungfrau) were appointed by Council as delegates for these events respectively.
Another strong bid was sent by the Swiss LOC of the Zermatt event for 2011 but unfortunately this was unsuccessful on this occasion as it would have been a clash of dates with the European Mountain Running Championships to be held in Bursa, Turkey on the same date. WMRA was also keen to develop the long distance mountain running event in different countries and the 2012 event had already been awarded to the Jungfrau race in Switzerland to celebrate its anniversary. WMRA hopes that in the Zermatt race will host this event in the future.

Wolfgang Munzel was appointed as WMRA delegate for the 9th WMRA/WMA Masters World Mountain Running Championships to be held in the town of Korbielow, Poland on the 28th August 2010. Many aspects of the event were discussed by Council especially with regard to deciding on the ages of competitors.

The 10th WMRA/WMA Masters World Mountain Running Championships 2011 were awarded to the town of Arte Terme, Italy and Raimondo Balicco was appointed as delegate for this event and also for the 5th WMRA Youth Team Challenge 2010 which will take place in the Susa valley in Sauze D’Oulx on Saturday 26th of June.

An excellent bid had also been received for the WMRA/WMA Masters event from Janske Lazne in the Czech Republic. The event had previously been awarded to the Czech Republic in Dolni Morova in 2008. Whilst unsuccessful on this occasion the WMRA Council were grateful to the LOC for their interest and would be happy to consider their application again should they wish to apply for a future event.

WMRA Council appointed a small working group including Adrian Woods (Chair), Tomo Sarf and Galia Puhaleva to work together with the President and review the WMRA Constitution and the World Championship rules. It will present its proposals to the WMRA Congress for approval in September 2010 at the World Championships.

WMRA are very grateful for the support of Norma Hughes who will once again coordinate the publication and printing of the 2010 Newsletter.

In 2010 WMRA Council, led by new President Bruno Gozzelino and with the support of IAAF, looks forward to working towards continued growth in our sport, further worldwide participation, and opportunities for athletes and administrators to share ideas and their love of mountain running.

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Photograph of WMRA Council Members and IAAF Officials in Monaco January 2010:

From Left to right:

Carlos Cardoso (IAAF Cross Country Committee Member), Erhan Basoglu (WMRA Director of Marketing), Raimondo Balicco (WMRA Director of Competition), Adrian Woods (WMRA General Secretary), Wolfgang Munzel (WMRA Director of Organisation), Bruno Gozzelino (WMRA President), Pierre Weiss (IAAF General Secretary), Nancy Hobbs ( WMRA Treasurer), Otto Klappert (Chairman IAAF Cross Country Committee), Tomo Sarf (WMRA Director of Development), (Galia Puhaleva (WMRA Council member – female reserved position). Photo by Norma Hughes:

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“Ethiopian&nbsp,Habtamu Fikadu Awash enters in the history of mountain running like first African Mountain Running Champion. He won the Continental title finishing eleven kilometres of the 5th Obudu International Mountain Race in 42 minutes and 3 seconds, defeating Ugandan Geoffrey Kusuro, silver medallist, and Abebe Dinkesa, from Ethiopia too, as bronze medallist in the 1st African Mountain Running Championships.

Ethiopia team won also the Continental title, in front of Uganda (second) and host Country Nigeria (third).
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In the Nation’s team African Championships Cameroon finished fourth, Kenya fifth and Egypt sixth. For the Egyptian runners it was a debut in the international event in mountain running. Eritrean team was absent due visa problem at the last moment.

Habtamu Fikadu Awash took also the 50.000 USD like winner of the 5th Obudu International Mountain Race, the race with the richest prize money in the world! For the third following time Geoffrey Kusuro received 20.000 USD as second. Instead third in the 5th Obudu International Mountain Race was Kenyan Macdonard Ondara and fourth was other Kenyan Hillary Kipchumba, in front of Abebe Dinkesa (third in the individual African Championships this year and winner of the 4th Obudu International Mountain Race last year).

In the women race of the 5th Obudu International Mountain Race, Ethiopians took all the three places on the podium: Mamitu Daska, won the race with the record time of 49 minutes and 12 second, in front of Mestawet Tufa and Meselech Melkamu Hileyesus. Kenyan Margaret Wangare finished fourth, just one second behind third position.

All the present appreciated the organisation of the race that was good and for the future it will be possible to stage the second African Mountain Running Championships 2010, introducing also the title (individual and team) for women category, if AAC will be agree, like all hopes.
All the civil and sport Authorities attending to the event, led by Cross River State Governor, Senator Lyonel Imoke, and Mr. William Archibong, LOC Chairman, showed their interest for staging in the future a WMRA World Mountain Running Championships in Nigeria, Obudu Ranch Resort, following WMRA regulations, and
Bruno Gozzelino, WMRA President, who also attended to the event, was satisfied to taking note of this possibility.
Full result of the 1st African Mountain Running Championships 2009 in WMRA webpage.

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“ Important event for mountain running in Africa. 1st African Mountain Running Championships for men(individual and team) will be held on next 28th November 2009 in Nigeria, with the 5th edition of the Obudu Ranch park International Mountain Race. Six African Athletic Federations has sent their national team: Cameroon, Egypt, Eritrea, Kenya, Uganda and, of course, host Country, Nigeria.

LOC is waiting confirm from other National Federations, first of all Ethiopia.
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There will be also the international mountain race for women and top class runners will run like Ethiopians Meselech Melkamu, Mestawet Tufa and Meseret Defar, all three many times medallist in World Athletics Championships (Track and Field and Cross). From Europe there will be some runners like dutch athlete Jolanda Verstraten. The Governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke, who is the chief sponsor of the race since inception, has assured that he will continue for promoting mountain running in the future. Coca Cola Nigeria Limited has been partnering with the Governament of Cross River State to ensure that the Obudu Resort International Mountain Race is substained. The Chairman of LOC, William Archibong, is optimistic that with the quality of runners that come to the race, very soon race will be designated mountain running top level class race. WMRA President Bruno Gozzelino will attend to the event together officials of AAC and of Nigeria Athletic Fedration like Solomon Ogba, Maria Wophill, Gloria Obajimi and Jide Josiah

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It was a wonderful day for all mountain running supporters in Morbegno, Northern Italy, at the famous Trofeo Vanoni Race. A total of 130 relay teams participated in the race, along with 50 women and 300 youth competitors in the junior race for a total of 740 runners.

The course was a technical 7 kilometers (500 meters climb) for the men’s race, and 5 kilometers (300 meters climb) for the ladies race.

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“Atletica Valli Bergamasche (Massimiliano Zanaboni, Andrea Regazzoni, Mauro Lanfranchi) won the race with the final time of 1:31:03, second place for France (Gilles Segris, Yvan Bizet, Julien Rancon) in 1:31:23, third place La Recastello Radici Group (Danilo Bosio, Eris Costa, Fabio Ruga) in 1:33:12, fourth place Poland (Daniek Wosik, Milosz Szczesniewski, Marcin Swierc) in 1:33:59 and fifth place Great Britain (Danny Hope, Ian Holmes, Murry Strain) in 1:34:32. The best individual time was posted by Julien Rancon (France) 29:31.
The ladies individual race was won by Mariagrazia Roberti (G.S. Forestale) in 22:46. It has been her 4th win at this race, second was Cristina Scolari (Atletica Vallecamonica) in 23:03, while Mariola Konowalska (Poland) was third in 23:17.
The winner of the International criterium for runners under 23 were Alex Baldaccini (G.S. Orobie) and Alice Gaggi (G.S. Valgerola Ciapparelli).

Results are available on www.gscsimorbegno.org

Photos at www.sportdimontagna.com and www.pizzoscalino.it

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With a surprising and also untouchable winner the World Mountain Running Long Distance Challenge ended yesterday in S&ouml,ll. Marc Lauenstein (Swiss) won the Kaisermarathon with almost 6 minutes advance before all-time-Kaisermarathon-favorite Jonathan Wyatt, who did a real great finish. The third place went to Ricky Lightfoot from England. Only a few seconds away from the medal winners there was Raymond Kemboi Chemungo from Kenia, but his team was able to win the team-ranking.

The ladies-ranking the last-year-winner Anna Pichrtova (Czech) again dominated. In a fantastic time of 3.28.57 she finished the Kaisermarathon, and so she was only 23 minutes away from the new Champion.

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“For Austria it is great to have with Christian Br&uuml,ndlinger an athlete who finished with a top ten-result, especially because of the international starting list including more than 22 nations.

A lot of running-fans, walkers and visitors had an exciting race to the top of the Hohe Salve, even the weather was against all prognoses good.

The Tour de Tirol ends on Sunday with the Kaiserwinkl Halbmarathon. Also this race seems to become exciting until the last seconds. Jonathan Wyatt, who won the races of the last years, leads the Tour de Tirol-ranking only with one minute advantage.

Annette W&ouml,rg&ouml,tter for IAAF

Results &ndash, individual:

Results &ndash, team:

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“Soll / Austria, 10.Oct.2009

The World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge is regarded has one of the WMRA’s premiere racing events. WMRA rules state that the event must be connected to mountain running races with tradition and reputation and this year the event forms part of the &quot,Kaisermarathon&quot, which takes place in the Austrian tourist resort of Soll.”
“The first part of the 42 km long course is flat, but there is more than 1900m of ascent and 700m of descent in the second part of this demanding course. The course record holder is Jonathan Wyatt of New Zealand with a time of 3:06:43 recorded last year.

Jonathan will be on the start line again on Saturday, accompanied by a strong squad of Kenyan runners and experienced British athletes from the four home countries of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.: They include the 2008 World Long Distance Champion Jethro Lennox from Scotland and Tom Owens (2008-2nd), Ricky Lightfoot (2008-6th) and Morgan Donnelly (2008-13th) from England.

In the women’s race 2008 Champion Anna Pichrtova from Czech Republic and Anna Frost from New Zealand appear to be the strongest contenders.

14 national federations have entered official teams in the event.&nbsp,

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