Tag: WMRA World Cup

KIPNGENO DOES DOUBLE AND MUTHONI NJERU EXECUTES PERFECT WIN AT TROFEO NASEGO

Written by Kirsty Reade on 01/09/2024. Posted in Latest News, Latest News - Feature Home Slide.

Yesterday’s Vertical Nasego provided an exciting start to a weekend of World Cup racing in Casto, Italy. Andrea Mayr took her fifth win and Patrick Kipngeno made it three in a row for him. Today it was the turn of Trofeo Nasego, our next long mountain Gold Label race in the 2024 Valsir Mountain Running World Cup. This was the 23^rd edition of this historic race.

Most of the runners from yesterday’s Vertical Nasego were doubling up, giving us the chance to see some of the epic duels replayed on a longer, up and down, course. The runners would take on a 21.5k course, with a lot of fast, runnable sections but one very notable climb. From the start in Casto at 400m it climbs slowly for the first 6km, before flattening off for 6k, then comes the big climb up of around 750m up to Rifugio Nasego, before a long descent down to Famea for the finish. Conditions were very hot, which would certainly play a major part in the racing.

MEN’S RACE

The men and women start together in this race. The men set off fast through the streets of Casto, and a small group separated from the others quickly, comprising of Josphat Kiprotich, Patrick Kipngeno and Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (all Run2gether) and Paul Machoka (Atletica Saluzzo), Michael Selelo Saoli (Run2gether) and Luciano Rota (La Recastello Radici Group) just behind.

But there was a long way to go, and in this race the big climb up to Rifugio Nasego, then the ensuing long descent into Famea, can really shake up the positions.

It was Kipngeno who reached Rifugio Nasego first, and by this point he had a lead of around 90 seconds on Kiriago, with Machoka sitting in third place at this point. The battle for the places behind them had heated up on the big climb and it was now a matter of whether these three runners could hold on down the long descent and then in the scramble for the sprint finish through the streets of Famea.

Kipngeno did hold on for the win in emphatic fashion, in 1.31.26. Kiriago, last year’s winner, took second in 1.33.59, and Machoka held on for third in 1.34.38. Kiprotich was very close behind (1.34.54) and Cesare Maestri (NIKE) came through to take a brilliant fifth in 1.37.37.

WOMEN’S RACE

After an exciting women’s Vertical Nasego yesterday, the long race looked wide open. Last year’s winner of both races and yesterday’s women’s champion, Andrea Mayr (SV Schwechat/Hoolirun), was on the start. Could she do the double double?

Leading the charge through the streets of Casto for the women was Philaries Jeruto Kisang (Run2gether), who was beaten in the duel with Mayr in the vertical race yesterday. She was no doubt looking to go one better here. Behind her were Gloria Chebet (also Run2gether) and Joyce Muthoni Njeru (Atletica Saluzzo), with Mayr and yesterday’s third placed woman, Susanna Saapunki (New Balance), just behind them.

But after the long climb it was Mayr who reached Rifugio Nasego first. Next to arrive was Muthoni Njeru and she was followed by Saapunki. It was all going to come down to the descent. It wasn’t long before Muthoni Njeru made her move, overtaking Mayr at around 17km and quickly opening a gap of 45 seconds. On the descent Naomi Lang (Scottish Athletics) was in sixth, but such was the skill and speed of her descending that she overtook Jeruto Kisang and Vivien Bonzi (La Recastello Radici Group).

Muthoni Njeru could not be caught and she took the win in 1.51.33. Mayr maintained second in 1.53.02 and Saapunki was third in 1.54.00. Lang finished strongly for fourth, almost challenging for third in the end, in 1.54.23, with Bonzi in fifth in 1.54.44.

DOUBLE HEADER WEEKEND FOR WORLD CUP WITH VERTICAL AND TROFEO NASEGO

Written by Kirsty Reade on 27/08/2024. Posted in Latest News, Latest News - Feature Home Slide.

DOUBLE HEADER WEEKEND FOR WORLD CUP WITH VERTICAL AND TROFEO NASEGO

After the excitement of Sierre-Zinal, the Valsir Mountain Running World Cup took a short break, but now it’s back with a bang with a double header in Italy. This weekend we head to Casto in the North of Italy for Vertical Nasego and Trofeo Nasego.

On Saturday 31^st August runners will take on Vertical Nasego, which packs in 1000m of ascent over 4.3km, making it our next short uphill Gold Label race. Then the following day our next long mountain Gold Label race, at 21.5k with 1330m of ascent, takes place at Trofeo Nasego. 18 nations will be represented over the weekend, and it will also incorporate a Three Nations competition between England, Ireland and Scotland, showing just how international this event has become.

The event centre, Casto, is in the province of Brescia in the Lombardy region of Italy. It’s a town that dates back to medieval times and retains a lot of its old-world charm with cobbled streets and historic buildings. Its green hills, forests and network of mountain trails make it a stunning location for mountain pursuits and a perfect venue for World Cup races.

WORLD CUP STANDINGS

As the 2024 World Cup heats up, after seven races and with five to go, we are excited to have many of the leading runners in Casto. In both the women’s and men’s competition we will have the top four runners: Scout Adkin, Joyce Muthoni Njeru, Philaries Jeruto Kisang, Gloria Chebet, Philemon Ombogo Kiriago, Patrick Kipngeno, Michael Selelo Saoli and Josphat Kiprotich. See the current standings in full here: https://www.wmra.info/world-cup-races/

VERTICAL NASEGO

Starting in Casto, the runners will begin climbing on roads and good trails as the course ascends gradually towards Briale village. But then the race really begins and the route becomes steeper and more technical as it winds its way up past Rifugio Nasego (at 1270m) to the eventual finish at 1430m.

THE FAVOURITES

Last year we saw Andrea Mayr (SV Schwechat/Hoolirun) and Patrick Kipngeno (Run2gether) take the wins (just as they did in 2022), and both will return to defend their titles this year. But they will face some very challenging competition.

For the women Scout Adkin (HOKA EU) is incredibly strong on uphill-only races and is also coming off an impressive second place in Sierre-Zinal. Philaries Jeruto Kisang (Run2gether) has been chasing Adkin at several of the World Cup races this year, and also has a strong track record on short uphill courses. Joyce Muthoni Njeru (Atletica Saluzzo) began this season by doing the double at Broken Arrow, Gloria Chebet (Run2gether) has been on three World Cup podiums this year and Susanna Saapunki (New Balance) finishes consistently high in World Cup fields. In addition we will see US runners Sarah Carter (The Trail Team) and Lauren Gregory (Northwoods Athletics), plus World Championships medallist Phillipa Williams (Dark Peak) and previous World Cup champion Sarah McCormack (INOV8).

In the men’s race Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (Run2gether) comes straight off an incredible Sierre-Zinal, where he finished a very close second to Kilian Jornet. Josphat Kiprotich and Michael Selelo Saoli (both of Run2gether) are also having very strong World Cups, with Kiprotich winning Piz Tri Vertical and coming fourth at Sierre-Zinal and Saoli winning Giir di Mont. Former winner of this race, as well as many other VKs over the years, Henri Aymonod (The North Face) will also be on the start line. Paul Machoka (Atletica Saluzzo) is also having a strong year, with top ten finishes at Grossglockner and Sierre-Zinal, and Tiziano Moia (Gemonatletica) finished second at Piz Tri Vertical this year. In addition we will see European Championships uphill race winner Joe Steward (Salford Harriers) and Roberto Delorenzi (Brooks), who finished fifth at Sierre-Zinal, alongside many other contenders.

TROFEO NASEGO

This will be the 23^rd edition of Trofeo Nasego and it is a race that has seen many epic battles over the years. The runners will take on a 21.5k course, which has a lot of fast, runnable sections but one very notable climb. From the start in Casto at 400m it climbs slowly for the first 6km, before flattening off for 6k, then comes the big climb up of around 750m up to Rifugio Nasego, before a long descent down to Famea for the finish.

THE FAVOURITES

Most runners taking part in Vertical Nasego will double up in Trofeo Nasego. Unfortunately we will not see Mayr on Sunday for the women, but we will see Adkin, Saapunki, Williams, Njeru, Kisang, Chebut, Gregory and Carter, so the women’s race will certainly be highly competitive. As well as the main, overall event, we will also see an exciting Three Nations competition between England, Ireland and Scotland, adding even more interest to Trofeo Nasego.

For the men, most runners will also double up and the Three Nations contest will bring an additional depth to it, as with the women’s race. There are two notable additions to the men’s field for Trofeo Nasego and these are Cesare Maestri (NIKE), who is a former winner here and has stood on many World Cup podiums through the years, and Xavier Chevrier (ASICS), who has also finished on the podium here, as well as many others. They could add an extra twist to this already highly competitive race.

On Saturday 31st August for Vertical Nasego the women start at 10am and the men at 10.45am

On Sunday 1st September Trofeo Nasego starts at 9.30am

“I’ll Never Forget The Joy I Felt”

Written by Tomo Sarf on 17/06/2021. Posted in Latest News.

In our next athlete story Fujio Miyachi of Japan tells us about his full commitment to the World Cup and the thrill of earning his first national vest to compete at the World Championships.

2013 was an unforgettable year for me. In 2012, I competed in “Tek na Grintovec” and I could not forget the rigors of the World Cup, but more importantly, the excitement of the experience.

I was eager to challenge in a race on the world stage again and wanted to participate in a series of races instead of just one. The WMRA Grand Prix (as the World Cup was known then) had six races including the World Championships in 2013. I decided to take part in all six races that year, starting with the first race in France in June, but this year I especially wanted to compete in the World Championships in Poland in September. Because the World Championships needed to be represented by each country, I needed to be selected by the Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF). However, at that time JAAF did not have selection criteria (e.g., qualification standards) for sending mountain runners as a national team member. So, I went to the JAAF with my results to consult directly with them. One day in late July, I received an email from the JAAF confirming my participation in the World Championships, perhaps because of my 17th place finish in the World cup in Slovenia in July. I was actually in Poland at that time to prepare for a big mountain running race, the World Long Distance Championships. It was a pretty strenuous trip, as I had run the World Cup races in Italy and Slovenia and then headed right back to Poland. However, I wasn’t sure if I would be selected as national team member for the World Championships, and so I was bouncing around in Europe as much as I could. Fortunately, JAAF informed me that I would be sent to Poland, so I decided to take it easy and spend my time there.

As the World Championships in September approached, the JAAF send me my first national kit. I’ll never forget the joy I felt when I held it in my hands and put on my vest for the first time. Above all, I felt a sense of accomplishment that my challenge had finally been recognized. Of course, there were always strong competitors from many countries. I was a challenger. I just had to do my best. I felt an inexplicable sense of tension, but much more than that, I was very happy.

When I arrived at the local airport in Poland, I was greeted by a car. It was late at night when I arrived, but I was warmly welcomed by a local staff member holding a sign for the race. I went to the hotel and went to bed immediately. The next day and the next few days were dedicated to the World Championships. It was very hectic and there was a lot to do during those days. Prior to the race, I had to check out the race course, confirm the registered race wear for any discrepancies, read the regulations, and attend the Technical Meeting and WMRA Congress. If I had been a member of a big team, it would have been normal for the team staff to attend these meetings. However, because I was a member of Japanese team with only a few athletes, I had to attend all meetings by myself in order to get the necessary information.

The night before the race there was the Opening Ceremony. We went to the center of the town, lined in an alphabetical order, and marched by country. Each country’s runners were greeted with many cheers from the gallery. On the day of the race, I ran as hard as I could to live up to their expectations. The course that year was a circuit of 3 to 4 kilometers per lap. A special course was built on the top of the ski resort slope to make a loop, which made it easy for people to cheer. As the laps went by, the number of runners decreased little by little due to injuries. As I passed them, I held on and kept running. My result was 86th place. There was no limit to how far I could go, but I did the best I could at that race. At the finish line, I was warmly welcomed by a volunteer interpreter who had been arranged by the race organizer. The night after the race, I took part in the closing ceremony. After the ceremony, we all had a buffet style dinner where we exchanged our own national team kit and soaked up the aftermath of the race. The highlight was afterwards. A dance party started at the venue and it was a big hit. I was so surprised to see it because I couldn’t understand where their energy came from when they were supposed to have given it their all in a race. At the same time I think I caught a glimpse of their strength. They were really tough. I was proud to have been able to run with these special runners, and I renewed my determination to run as well as they did.

The week after the World Championship, I went to Austria, where I competed in the fifth round of the World Cup. I finished the race in 20th. And then, I took part in the final round in Slovenia after returning to Japan for a while. I completed that race in 22nd place. I had no outstanding ability. However, this year I was able to compete in the World Cup and ranked in 23rd overall. It’s a great thing that there is a way to challenge yourself. I would be happy if more people knew that mountain running is such a way to challenge themselves.

Dipping A Toe Into The World Cup

Written by Tomo Sarf on 14/05/2021. Posted in Latest News.

We asked Japanese runner and member of the WMRA Athletes’ Commission, Fujio Miyachi, to tell us about his first experience of running in a World Cup Race, Tek na Grintovec in Slovenia. So if you’re thinking of dipping your toe into the World Cup, or mountain running races this year, read on…

I started to take part in mountain endurance races in 2006. Frankly speaking, I did not know it as “Mountain Running” at that time (of course, I guess that most Japanese runners didn’t know it either). So, at first, I took part in “Trail Running” races in the Asian region and North America in places such as Malaysia, Saipan, Hong Kong, Hawaii, Colorado, Oregon and Utah as well as Japan. A turning point came at a trail running race at Colorado in 2011. I found a leaflet placed at the exhibition booth of the race venue. It was a newsletter from the World Mountain Running Association, and national mountain runners from the World Championship in Slovenia in 2011 appeared on the cover page. I was fascinated about this competition with international runners. So, I didn’t even know what “Mountain Running” was, but immediately decided to try it. The stage for this challenge was the Mountain Running World Cup “Tek na Grintovec” held at Slovenia in 2012. This was my first time in Europe.

Different counties have different cultures, including in event organization and its atmosphere. I was particularly surprised by the race briefing the day before. International runners had to have a dinner and race briefing together. During the briefing, each runner was called up by the organizer to receive their race number bib. It wasn’t formal, it was pretty casual so that every runner enjoyed the dinner with their family. Obviously, the majority of the runners were European runners there who knew each other, probably because they had often run together in other races. They were also kind to the minority such as me too. After the briefing, we had to sign a document for a doping test agreement.

The World Mountain Running Association supports the anti-doping policy as an obligation of international sport. It was the first time I encountered the issue of doping in a race. All the trail running races I had participated in before didn’t require me to take a doping test. When I decided to race in the World Cup of mountain running, I started to go to a sports clinic near my house in order to consult with a doctor who had good knowledge of doping issues and worked for the Japanese national teams of tennis and sailing. Also, because I suffered from severe asthma when I was a child, I started to pay attention to the medicines I was prescribed, the food and drink in my daily life since then. So, I believed that I was prepared, with medicines checked. Nevertheless, it was still a shock to encounter the reality of anti-doping controls at international competitions.

“Tek na Grintovec” was a really tough race that went up 2000m in 9km. I ran up a relatively gentle hill in the forest for a few kilometers after the start, and had to climb up the very steep and rocky slope when I entered the trail head. I just kept climbing up towards the top of the mountain past the hut located at the halfway point by chasing a runner ahead. Generally speaking, European runners are big and have long legs. When I ran at the same pace as they did, they could move farther than me. So, it was hard for me to chase such big European runners. Even among such European runners, of course, there are smaller ones. I was so surprised to see that such small runners climbed up so lightly like antelope. They made the best use of their own physical characteristics and carried themselves easily with high flexibility. After the competition with all these runners, finally, I somehow crossed the finish line. However, another race was starting again immediately. At the 2000m height of the mountain, the temperature dropped by about 12 degrees, and on the ridgeline, the perceived temperature also drops considerably. I did not care about the cold temperature during the race because I was concentrating on running. However, after the race, I suddenly not only realized the strong wind and the cold weather but also became afraid of hypothermia. So, I went down quickly together with other runners who had finished. The result of my first race was 28^th place in 1 hour and 44 minutes. I was drawn in by this sport, because of the powerful European runners with great dexterity as well as the warm supporters with enthusiastic cheering even on the steep mountainside. This is the memory of my first World Cup.

In this race, I met a person who would become indispensable to me. Tomo Sarf has been a council member of the World Mountain Running Association for many years and is widely known globally by everyone as father of Slovenia’s mountain running community. Since then, I have met him every year at the World Cup and other races in Slovenia. He was really kind to me, as were the other council members and the international athletes. He helped me to communicate with the race organizers and book hotels near the race venue. For me, as somebody who has to travel from Japan every time for the race, he is like a family member in Slovenia.

Unfortunately, “Tek na Grintovec” ended in 2019 with the 20^th edition but I would love to climb it again.

Launching the World Mountain Running Ranking

Written by Tomo Sarf on 06/04/2021. Posted in Latest News.

Today we proudly launch the World Mountain Running Ranking, designed for Mountain Runners, by Mountain Runners. Since 1984, the WMRA has been a pioneering institution, key to the global development of Mountain Running. Starting with its first major international competition in 1985, it has gone on to hold 37 World Championships plus 22 World Cups. This year another World Cup is about to start, together with the World Mountain & Trail Running Championships which will be held in November in Thailand.

As the sport keeps on growing globally, we are launching the WMRA ranking in order to help share the best races and give runners from all over the world a clear, objective and easy to understand tool.

Created for Mountain Runners, by Mountain Runners, this ranking is based on four principles:

A race directory for top mountain races all over the world. All the WMRA calendar races are there, but there are many more. Other top mountain races are recognized and included, to increase awareness of them among athletes and bring them to a wider audience.
A rolling 365 day ranking. With mountain running, you are only as good as your current form, whether you’re the world champion or a back of the pack runner.
A transparent, easy to understand scoring system. No hidden algorithms, no secret formulas. Simplicity is an inherent part of the joy of mountain running, and we have tried to maintain that. Therefore clear calculations can be made by any race director, sponsor, national team manager or runner about performance.
A work in progress. The sport is very dynamic and constantly evolving. We acknowledge this and will strive to learn from feedback in order to keep developing the resource, for the benefit of all.

The ranking has gained great support from all stakeholders in Mountain Running. Initial reactions from mountain runners all over the world have been very enthusiastic, confirming the need for this ranking, together with the WMRA’s interest in listening to comments/suggestions on working together for a better future.

SARAH MCCORMACK. (UK- Gold World Cup WMRA 2019)
“This is a great resource for the mountain running community to keep up-to-date with events and top performances worldwide. I think it will also bring greater awareness about the variety of different mountain races taking place around the globe. Personally I’ll definitely be perusing it to get ideas for new races to try in future!”

ANDREW DOUGLAS (UK – Gold World Cup WMRA 2019)
“I think it’s a really positive initiative for mountain running and gives some context to who the in-form athletes are, leading up to the championship events. Once travel begins to open up again and we can have international races with international fields then I think something like this really gives athletes extra impetus to climb up the rankings and compare themselves to the best mountain runners in the world.”

JACOB ADKIN (UK- Gold European Championship Zermatt 19)
“It’s a useful resource for finding out about the many races out there to enjoy, to remember what races you’ve actually done(!), and see your progression and comparison against yourself and others year on year.”

RODRIGO MEJIA (MEX – Five times winner Sierre Zinal)
“I am glad that nowadays there is Brand new worldwide ranking of mountain runners endorsed by the WMRA. We may now know, via an objective tool, to be improved gradually for sure, who are the best. And that will allow for them to be recognized for their performances in serveral different races all over the world. Congrats to all involved in such a Project and Good luck on the steep trails ahead.”

ANTONIO MARTINEZ (ESP- Gold Medal Team World Championship Patagonia 19 – Sheila Aviles pictured)
“A step forward for the mountain running comunity. I feel like the sport is growing and this is an example of it, together with the inaugural World Mountain & Trail Running Championship at Thailand 2021, plus the addition of more distances to the events. I’m really excited to see this new calendar and ranking format working out soon.”

RICHARD BOLT (USA Team Leader- Medal Leader World Championship Patagonia 19 – World Champions Grayson Murphy and Joseph Gray pictured)
“The WMRA World Ranking is a great program for helping promote the many dedicated athletes and races that make up the global mountain running community. As we get back to racing in the coming months, we look forward to seeing the ranking evolve and to how it motivates competitors in the lead up to the inaugural World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand.

JUAN CARLOS GRANADO (ESP Team Leader. 3 Medals World Championships Patagonia 19)
“We are witnessing an important moment in this exciting world of Mountain Running. The creation of a serious world ranking according to the world calendar only brings this specialty closer to a sport with more entity and with greater references. Having the option of comparing runners in the most objective way possible offers another scene much closer to World Athletics traditions, where rankings have a unique importance. Hopefully over time it will become an essential tool as it is in Track & field.”

ANNE BUCKLEY (Team Leader, GB&NI Mountain Running Team)”The WMRA World Rankings is a great initiative that will help to raise the profile of mountain running. The race directory is a fantastic resource for athletes and the ranking list will provide motivation and publicity.”

JONATHAN WYATT. (Six times WMRA World Champion) President WMRA
“The Mountain Running World Ranking powered by the WMRA is a project started three years ago. It is with a great satisfaction that we now present a ranking that reflects the specific features of mountain running. With it we recognise the top athletes, plus rank all runners who participate in mountain races. A simple and transparent points system makes it easy to understand, as the ranking is calculated on a rolling 365 day basis. Thanks to all the work from our Council and developers. this project is only just beginning and we’re excited for the future of it.”

FRANCESCO PUPPI (ITA- Silver Long Distance World Championship Patagonia 19) Ranking Secretary
“ It is with great pleasure that I announce my collaboration with the World Mountain Running Association as the Ranking Secretary. This is a way for me to promote and develop the sport not just as an athlete, but also from the side of federations and management.
I think that having an athlete sharing feedback and bringing knowledge inside a federation is a great way to give voice to all athletes’ needs: something that the WMRA is already doing with its Athletes Commission.
The project, as I see it, is a work in progress and I will appreciate any feedback and constructive criticism that will help its implementation and development. It’s finally time to give athletes a more powerful voice inside the sport and this project is one way to do it, which I am happy to contribute to.”

View the World Mountain Running Ranking website here: WMRA – World Ranking

Photos credit Corsa in Montagna and Mayayo

Celebrating International Women’s Day

Written by Tomo Sarf on 06/03/2021. Posted in Latest News.

Monday 8^th March is International Women’s Day and we’re taking the opportunity to celebrate some of the inspirational women who have helped to shape the sport of mountain running. Not only are there some truly exceptional female runners who have continually pushed the boundaries, but there are also some key women in coaching, event organisation and in the sport’s management who have contributed so much.

The theme of this year’s IWD is ‘choose to challenge’, because ‘a challenged world is an alert world and from challenge comes change’. Mountain running should have gender equality in every respect. WMRA events and World Cup events have equal prize money, equal race distances and equal team numbers at junior and senior level and this is written into the rules. It’s hugely important to us and we are fully committed to it. Media coverage of races should also have equality or it should rightfully be challenged. If there’s one thing that will encourage more women to take up the sport it’s seeing other women taking part.

There has been no shortage of inspirational female athletes in mountain running throughout the history of the sport. We will name just a few.

Isabelle Guillot of France won bronze in the European Mountain Running Championships in 1988 and then she proceeded to string together an incredibly consistent and lengthy set of impressive results! This included 4 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals in the World Championships, as well as European gold, then she bookended those with another bronze in the European Championships in 2006. She has had considerable success as a masters athlete since. There are few athletes in any sport who can claim so much success over such a long period!

A few years after Isabelle began her run of success, Poland’s Izabela Zatorska began one of her own. There followed an amazing run of podium and top 10 finishes between 1996 and 2005, including 2 European Championship golds in 1999 and 2000, and 3 World Cup wins. In the World Championships she achieved a silver and 3 bronzes. She also won iconic mountain races like Drei Zinnen, Challenge Stellina and Smarna Gora. As well as achieving success in the mountains, she also won many road races all over the world, from 5k to marathon.

At around the same time as Isabela burst onto the scene Melissa Moon, a track and cross country athlete from New Zealand, was coming to the conclusion that mountain running might be the sport for her. The reasons? Firstly, a 3^rd place at the 1997 World Championships, which she was persuaded to take part in after staying on in Europe for a week after the World Student Games. And secondly, she said, “I also loved the culture of the mountain runners, just like an extended family, and I felt energized in the mountain and villages of Europe.” After a 3^rd and 4^th place in the World Mountain Running Championships she went on to win in 2001 and defended her title in 2003. Read our full interview with this inspirational athlete.

One of the athletes Melissa enjoyed an epic tussle with at the 2003 World Championships was Angela Mudge of Scotland. Coming from the world of hill and fell running (Angela won the British Fell Running Championships 5 times), she achieved great success in mountain running. She won the World Cup 3 times, won the 2000 World Championships and came 2nd in 2003, leading Scotland’s women’s team to the gold medal (incredibly the 3 counters all ran for the same club – Carnethy Hill Runners). She won Pikes Peak Marathon and Sierre Zinal, breaking many course records at iconic international races during her career.

She continues to give so much back to the sport as the National Lead for Hill and Mountain Running in Scotland and she has inspired many runners along the way. Sarah Tunstall says of her: “Angela Mudge has probably been my greatest inspiration and personally I have always looked to her times as a guide of how well I have raced on the mountains. When I was still a junior I saw her storm the Inter-county XC (even though the commentators didn’t know her name) and qualify for the 1999 World XC. This always stuck with me and gave me confidence when I used to race the (much) quicker track girls over XC. In 2009 when I finished 2nd on the same course, seeing her win all those years previously had given me some kind of weird belief that mountain runners could mix it with the Steph Twells of the world!” Read our interview with Angela.

Around the same time as Angela, Anna Pichrtova of the Czech Republic was beginning a long and successful period in the sport. She was born in the Slovak Republic and initially balanced marathon running with mountain running. Her mountain running debut was in the World Trophy in 1992, where she won the silver in the junior race and then finished 13th in the senior race (for Slovakia) – in the same competition! An early feat which set the scene for her hugely successful career. She proceeded to do well in the World Trophy in 1993 and 1994, but it was the period of 2001 – 2009, competing for the Czech Republic, where she really dominated. She won gold, 2 silvers and a bronze in the World Championships, 2 golds, 2 silvers and a bronze in the Europeans, 2 golds in the World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships and she won 2 World Cups. Her Sierre Zinal Course Record stood for 11 years, finally falling in 2019.

The female athlete who has dominated most recently is of course Austria’s Andrea Mayr. It’s hard to sum up her illustrious career, particularly as it is still very much ongoing. Her results speak for themselves – she is a 6-time World Champion (2006, 2008. 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016) and won the World Cup in 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2018 – but it also has to be emphasised that many of her victories were by large margins. Her speed and climbing ability are legendary. And, as Anne Buckley puts it “Andrea Mayr used to finish well up among the decent men!”.

As well as her success in mountain running Andrea has had huge success in ski mountaineering, Red Bull 400 and even tower running. But what might be most inspiring about Andrea Mayr is the fact that she fits all of this around her job as a medical doctor in a hospital. It’s hard to imagine a tougher job in the midst of the current pandemic.

This just highlights a few of the inspiring female mountain runners we could mention. There are many, many more, such as Lucy Wambui Murigi (winner of the 2017 and 2018 World Championships), who has done so much to put Africa at the forefront of mountain running.

As well as athletes we’d like to mention race directors like Danelle Ballengee, director of the Moab Trail Marathon, which is the 2021 USATF Marathon Trail Running Championships. Danelle is also a 4 time winner of Pikes Peak Marathon and a former member of the US mountain running team.

Also behind the scenes are strong team leaders like Anita Ortiz of the US under 18 team, who is a 2 time US mountain running champion and world masters mountain running champion (as well as former Western States winner). She now shares the benefit of her wealth of experience with junior athletes. Similarly, Ellen Miller has been the US women’s team manager for the classic distance for the last 14 years, overseeing some great successes during that time.

Please join us in celebrating some of the great women in mountain running, who have helped to shape this sport and drive it forward with equality.

World Cup Preview Part Five: La Montee Du Nid D’Aigle

Written by Tomo Sarf on 02/03/2021. Posted in Latest News.

We’re taking a look at our 2021 World Cup races. But we’re not just looking at the events and the stunning routes, we’ll be going behind the scenes to find out what really makes these races and the places they happen so special. Next up, it’s La Montee Du Nid D’Aigle, new to this year’s World Cup but definitely not a new race as this year will mark the 34^th time the event has taken place!

For those runners who are familiar with the running mecca that is the Haute-Savoie region, La Montee Du Nid D’Aigle takes place in Saint-Gervais-Les-Bains, next to the Italian and Swiss border. Like many of our classic mountain race locations Saint-Gervais is also a popular ski resort in the Winter. Epic runs in the summer, epic runs in the Winter.

So what makes this race so special? First and foremost, it has a rich history. It was actually one of the first mountain races in France and as such, it’s a must-do race for French runners. It’s also really important to the community in Saint-Gervais, with 200 volunteers helping out every year. It’s an integral part of the identity of Saint-Gervais and the local people embrace it, like all the best races. And the organisers use local producers and suppliers wherever possible.

Another reason for La Montee Du Nid D’Aigle’s popularity is its accessibility. While it attracts some of the best mountain runners in the world, it also prides itself on being an opportunity for runners of all abilities to come together and have fun. So whether you’re there to win, or to have a more social mountain running experience, they will welcome you with open arms.

For all World Cup races we take a great course for granted. But the running trails in the area around Saint-Gervais are simply stunning. Some of the classic routes are: the path between Le Bettex and Le Plateau de la Croix; the path to the top of Mont Joly from le Plateau de la Croix; and, one of the hardest routes, with more than 1,100 meters of height difference, the path between Parking du Crozat at Bionnassay to La Charme.

La Montee Du Nid D’Aigle has also made an impressive commitment to reducing their environmental impact and they’ve pledged to make every change a lasting one. These changes include replacing the helicopter with the use of the tram, limiting the number of runners to 500 to limit damage to the trails, committing to recycling as many materials as possible, collaborating with local partners as much as possible and reduction in use of plastics. Sustainability is a big focus for the race this year.

Find out more and enter at https://www.saintgervais.com/activites-et-evenements/les-grands-evenements-de-lannee/la-montee-du-nid-daigle

Header photo by Miles Peacock, others by Peignee Verticale

World Cup Preview Part Four: Grossglockner Berglauf

Written by Tomo Sarf on 27/02/2021. Posted in Latest News.

Another old favourite that we’re excited to welcome back to the World Cup this year is Grossglockner Berglauf! We visit some stunning locations in the World Cup, but this race must be one of the finest! Let’s take a look at what else makes this race so special.

The race takes place in Heiligenblut, Austria and the language spoken there is German. The area is just a dream for mountain athletes, with incredible skiing, mountaineering, hiking and cycling. And, of course, mountain running.

Grossglockner itself is the highest mountain in Austria at 3798 metres and there are a large number of peaks over 3000 metres in the Hohe Tauern Range. If you like your runs steep, you’ll be in heaven here. It’s a very popular area for tourism, so there are plenty of great places to stay too.

As well as the incredible mountainous area there are so many other aspects which make this race special. The whole town comes out to support the race, with over 300 volunteers. And it’s a town that really values its traditions and customs, giving the runners a real flavour of the history and culture of the area. It has a rich and interesting history of transalpine trade and gold mining and you can visit the iconic pilgrimage church, dating back to the 1200s. And as well as the ancient history there’s a deep tradition of mountaineering, with some fascinating stories of first ascents and incredible adventures in the area.

As far as the route itself goes, it’s the gift that just keeps on giving. Runners follow the river initially, before climbing up to the famous Briccius Chapel, past the quaint Trogalm hut, then the ‘Pasterze’, the longest glacier in the Eastern Alps, before the final lung-busting climb of 900m to the summit. The summit finish at the famous Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Hohe, with (hopefully) clear views all around is a great reward for all who run the race.

Previous winners of Grossglockner Berglauf include Jonathan Wyatt, Anna Pichrtova, Andrea Mayr, Antonella Confortola, Filimon Abraham, Petro Mamu and Sarah Tunstall.

The date for the race this year is 11^th July and we look forward to bringing you all the news. Find out more about the race here http://www.grossglocknerberglauf.at/

World Cup 2021 Races

Written by Tomo Sarf on 25/11/2020. Posted in Latest News.

The 2021 World Cup has something for everybody – 8 countries, 12 locations, some old favourites, some new soon-to-be favourites. Let’s take a closer look at the 16 races which make up next year’s competition.

The World Cup kicks off on 18 June with a race which made its debut in the 2019 World Cup, Broken Arrow. This time there are 2 races, a short uphill only race of 5.1k with 900m of ascent on the Friday, then the 26k race with 1700m, which featured in the 2019 competition, on the Sunday. The race describes itself as ‘European-inspired mountain running characterized by off-trail scrambling, steep terrain, and massive amounts of vertical gain and loss’ and the majority of it takes place at over 6000 feet. https://www.brokenarrowskyrace.com/

Next is a new race for the World Cup and the first of 2 visits to Poland for us, Tatra Race Run on 26 June. This is our second long mountain race, at 24k with 2019m of up and down running. We’re really looking forward to exploring the Tatra Mountains, which look stunning. They are part of the Tatra National Park and part of UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves. https://tatrafestbieg.pl/

From there we head to familiar ground when we return to Grossglockner Berglauf in Heilenblut, Austria on the 11^th of July for our next classic mountain race. Runners will take on the 13k race with 1265m of uphill (no down) against the stunning backdrop. http://www.grossglocknerberglauf.at/berglauf.html

Then it’s over to another new World Cup event in France on 17 July, La Montee du Nid d’Aigle. This takes place in beautiful St Gervais in France and it’s our next classic mountain race at 19.5k with 2000m of ascent, up to Refuge du Nid d’Aigle, and just 100m of descent. Could this be the year that the women’s record is broken? Isabelle Guillot has held it since 2006! https://trailpei.run/course/montee-du-nid-daigle/

Next we take our second trip to the Tatra Mountains for Tatra Sky Marathon on 24 July. This is our next long mountain race at 42k and runners will take on a huge 3300m of ascent and descent. This race looks epic, but don’t take our word for it, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suMTd2kKhAI

It’s back to an old favourite for another long mountain race next – it’s the one and only Sierre Zinal! Who could forget the level of competition at the 2019 race when both the men’s and women’s records fell? Could we see something like that again in 2020 with athletes itching to return to competition? We’ll find out over 31k with 2200m of ascent from Sierre to Zinal. https://www.sierre-zinal.com/

Then it’s on to the most northern part of the Czech Republic for the Krkonossky Half Marathon, which had to wait an extra year to debut in the World Cup. This race is just a week after Sierre-Zinal and it will be our next classic mountain race, at 21k with 1200m of climbing. http://www.maratonstav.cz/

Next we travel to northern Italy for Vertical Nasego and Trofeo Nasego. On 4 September the short uphill race will take place, over a distance of 4.2k with 1000m of ascent and the following day the classic mountain race will be contested over a 21.5k course with 1336m of climbing. http://www.trofeonasegocorsainmontagna.com/

Then we head to another race which had to wait a while to make its World Cup debut – Canfranc-Canfranc in the Spanish Pyrenees. This rugged race will take place on 11 and 12 September and the runners will have a choice between the 45k (and an incredible +3910m) long mountain race or the classic mountain distance with 1195m of ascent. https://canfranccanfranc.com/

From there we head to a race which served as the World Mountain Running Championships for Masters runners in 2019, Trofeo Ciolo. This race on 26 September isn’t in the mountains, it’s along the stunning, jagged coastline in Gagliano del Capo, Puglia, but at 11k with 496m of short and sharp ascent this classic mountain race will be a fast test for athletes. http://www.trofeociolo.com/

Then it’s out second trip to Spain of the World Cup for Zumaia Flysch Trail Mendi Maratoina on the 3 October. There will be a long mountain race, with 42k with 3000m of ascent, and also a classic mountain race of 14k with 425m of ascent. http://www.zumaiaflyschtrail.com/

Lastly, we round out the 2020 World Cup with one more short uphill race on the 10^th October – the Kilometro Verticale Chiavenna-Lagunac in Italy. This classic of Italian mountain running has already been a WMRA affiliated race and it’s known as the ‘vertical race of the records’. Will it live up to that reputation in 2021 with the added attraction of inclusion in the World Cup? We hope so! http://www.kilometroverticalelagunc.it/

The global Covid-19 pandemic may yet create some adaptations or even cancellations of events and the individual race organisers, as well as the WMRA, will continue to monitor the situation going forward. Local restrictions will be observed and athlete and volunteer safety will be paramount.

The 2021 World Cup in numbers:

8 Countries

12 Event locations

16 races in 3 categories

10,000+ participants

World Cup 2021 Announcement

Written by Tomo Sarf on 22/11/2020. Posted in Latest News.

The USA, Poland, Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, France and Austria. These are the locations that will be staging the 2021 World Cup. It is really pleasing to be able to present today the 2021 World Cup Calendar!

What is especially pleasing is the level of interest and positivity from our races and athletes about the possibilities of racing next year. We know and expect the challenges of Covid-19 to be with us during 2021 and with new measures of safety and adapting to travel restrictions the WMRA is ready to work with the races in order to run the series and have exciting opportunities for our Mountain Running athletes to race each other on some exciting courses in spectacular locations. Being adaptable and working together has been the concept for next year’s event as well as an earlier launch to allow for best planning possible. It has been a pleasure seeing how all of our race applicants are committed to the sport.

We are also very excited to see such great support from long time World Cup supporters as well as new races wanting to join us on our World Cup journey. WMRA have decided to continue the format of offering 3 race categories with category champions as well as overall World Cup champions that was proposed in 2020.

We have 12 event locations in 8 countries with 16 races across the 3 categories. There are 3 Vertical Up races, 7 Classic Mountain races and 6 Long mountain races that offer an incredible variety of terrain and landscapes.

The World Cup points rules have been modified to take account of the number of races we are offering.

We have a great mix of iconic, new (to the World Cup) as well as very experienced race events in the 2021 edition of the World Cup that the Mountain Running Community can enjoy and share.

Two iconic mountain races at Sierre-Zinal (Switzerland) and Grossglockner (Austria) come back in 2021.

There are races that join the World Cup for the first time. Here we have under the shadow of Mt Blanc in the French Alps La Monte’e du Nid d’Aigle join us. We welcome three new events for the World Cup in the eastern area of Europe where we have two of these in the Tatra Mountains of Poland (Tatra Sky Marathon and Tatra Race Run) and then the experienced Mountain event organisers at the Krkonosky half marathon in the Czech Republic. Italy has more competitions than ever before with Lagunc in Chiavenna who will host the final race of the year in October, we visit southern italy with the Trofeo Ciolo. Nasego with many years of mountain running experience hosts two races. The World Cup will travel to Spain for the first time in 2021 with two venues and four races. One in the Basque region (Zumaia-Gipuzkoa) where the passion for sport is always very strong and then Canfranc that is in the beautiful Pyrenean mountains. So it’s an exciting line-up kicking off on June 20th and running through until October 10th!

The races are all open for every runner to participate and join in the World Cup competition. The more races you run, the more points you will get towards a higher World Mountain Ranking! WMRA would like to wish all people involved the best of health in these difficult times.

Summary 2021 World Cup key facts:

8 Countries

12 Event locations

16 Races in 3 categories

10,000+ participants

Venue no	Race no	Date	Race name	Venue	Country	Distance	Up	Down	Event
1	1	Sunday 20 June	Broken Arrow Skyrace	Squaw Valley	USA	26km	1700m	1700m	Long Mountain
	2	Friday 18 June	Broken Arrow	Squaw Valley	USA	5.1km	900m	0	Short Uphill
2	3	Saturday 26 June	Tatra Race Run	Tatra Mountains	POL	24.2km	2019m	2019m	Long Mountain
3	4	Sunday 11 July	22nd Grossglockner Berglauf	Heiligenblut	AUT	13.4km	1265m	142m	Classic Mountain
4	5	Saturday 17 July	La Montee du Nid d’Aigle	St Gervais	FRA	19.5km	2000m	100m	Classic Mountain
5	6	Saturday 24 July	Tatra SkyMarathon	Koscielisko	POL	42km	3300m	3300m	Long Mountain
6	7	Saturday 7 August	Sierre-Zinal	Sierre-Zinal	SUI	31km	2200m	1100m	Long Mountain
7	8	Sunday 15 August	Krkonosky Half Marathon	Jasnke Lazne	CZE	21km	1200m	1220m	Classic Mountain
8	9	Saturday 4 September	6th Vertical Nasego	Nasego	ITA	4.2km	1000m	0	Short Uphill
	10	Sunday 5 September	20th Trofeo Nasego	Nasego	ITA	21.5km	1336m	1039m	Classic Mountain
9	11	Saturday 11 September	Canfranc-Canfranc	Canfranc-Estacion	ESP	45km	3910m	3910m	Long Mountain
	12	Sunday 12 September	Canfranc-Canfranc	Canfranc-Estacion	ESP	16km	1195m	1195m	Classic Mountain
10	13	Sunday 26 September	Trofeo Ciolo	Gagliano del Capo	ITA	11km	496m	374m	Classic Mountain
11	14	Sunday 3 October	12th Zumaia Flysch Trail Mendi Maratoina	Zumaia-Gipuzkoa	ESP	42.5km	3000m	3000m	Long Mountain
	15	Sunday 3 October	12th Zumaia Flysch Trail Mendi Maratoina	Zumaia-Gipuzkoa	ESP	22km	850m	850m	Classic Mountain
12	16	Sunday 10 October	22nd Kilometro Verticale Chiavenna-Lagunc	Chiavenna	ITA	3.2k	1000m	0	Short Uphill

WORLD MOUNTAIN RUNNING ASSOCIATION

Tag: WMRA World Cup

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DOUBLE HEADER WEEKEND FOR WORLD CUP WITH VERTICAL AND TROFEO NASEGO

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