WORLD MOUNTAIN RUNNING ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER 2006 Issue No 11 March 2006 Jioulia Mochalova Vedat Gunen (Russia) (Turkey) Jonathan Wyatt Kate McIlroy (N. Zealand) (N. Zealand) 2005 WORLD MOUNTAIN RUNNING CHAMPIONS WORLD MOUNTAIN RUNNING ASSOCIATION EDITORIAL Two thousand and six marks the start of my fourth 4-year period as the shorter distance World Trophy . In this, we have received the support president of WMRA. of the organisers of the world’s most prestigious mountain races, Sierre- When I took over on the retirement of our first president, Angelo de Zinal (SUI), Cauteretes (FRA), Pikes Peak (USA), and Jungfrau (SUI). Biasi, in 1993, (Gap) the international mountain running movement was This year, 2006 sees the introduction of the first bi-annual European still in its infancy and the workload was relatively light. Our competition Masters championships in cooperation with EVAA. schedule was just one event‚ the World Trophy. Over the past 12 years we have tried to show that, It is tremendously encouraging to see the results of the although European countries are in a large majority, we work of WMRA since then. are a movement with worldwide interest as our World In 1995, we staged our first European Trophy event, Trophy was granted to Isle de la Reunion, Malaysia, USA, which evolved into the present European Championship and New Zealand in 2002 after some years of negotiation with EAA. WMRA received $15,000 in financial support from In 1997, we introduced a junior womens category to IAAF in 1993. Today, thanks to the excellent working the World Trophy, and at the 2005 Congress we voted relationship and cooperation with IAAF, we receive in favour of a reserved place for a woman on the $50,000. WMRA Council. This period of office will be my last but, in addition In 1999, the WMRA became involved in the Grand Prix to consolidating all that has been achieved so far, I movement started by Ernst Kunz (AUT). In 2004, races continue to look forward. Plans are afoot to establish selected for the Grand Prix became IAAF permit races. a Commonwealth Games championship. Attention is This year sees the eighth edition with some innovations turning to developing international competition for aimed at improving its attractiveness to a wider range the younger teenagers following the example of the Photo: R Greig of runners. Marco Germanetto memorial races in Susa (ITA). We In 2001 we introduced the World Masters Championships want to see regional championships along the lines of the which now provides top level competition for over a 1000 older mountain European taking place in all IAAF regions. A start has been made in North runners on an annual basis, and in 2005 we teamed up with the World America with the NACAC championships. Countries in Africa are taking Masters Athletic movement for staging this event. an increasing interest in our sport. 2003 saw probably the most significant development to date as we Of course, I am often asked about the possibilities of mountain running secured the approval of the IAAF Congress to include mountain becoming an Olympic event or an IAAF world championship. These running in its definition of athletics, thereby fully committing IAAF to the may be distant aspirations‚ why not? but our present focus must be on development of our sport. establishing a firm base of mountain running competition in as many In 2004, we recognised that the wonderful athleticism of long distance countries as possible. mountain runners deserved a worldwide stage and, after some years of debate, introduced the World Long Distance Challenge, the equivalent of Danny Hughes (President WMRA) IAAF PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE It gives me great pleasure to write this message for the latest edition in Wellington was a great success, with more than 10,000 spectators of the WMRA newsletter, just weeks before the start of the first delighted to see a double New Zealand triumph in the senior men’s and event of the 2006 IAAF World Athletics Series, the World Indoor women’s races. Championships in Moscow, shortly followed by the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, which itself comes Mountain running is increasingly popular right after the Athletics competition at the because the characteristics of mountain Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. running: closeness with nature, comradeship, special skills and tough challenges, have a I highlight this busy schedule for the simple growing appeal in today’s frenetic world. reason that I am happy that mountain running Mountain running has a distinguished history should be seen as a branch of athletics, but is also reaching out to new groups of rather than activities such as mountaineering participants. or orienteering. It is for this reason that the IAAF is happy to support the WMRA and to I would like to commend WMRA President continue to work closely with them as they Danny Hughes, and his colleagues in the work hard to develop their sport. As the mountain running community, for all their hard most recent edition of the IAAF Magazine work and look forward to an increasingly close shows, the 21st edition of the WMRA World Mountain Running Trophy collaboration in future. Lamine Diack (President of the International Athletic Foundation) 2 WORLD MOUNTAIN RUNNING ASSOCIATION WMRA COUNCIL 22nd WMRA CONGRESS 2005 The WMRA officers Hughes (GBR), PRESIDENT Danny Hughes Gozzelino (ITA), and Hobbs (USA), Hallsteads Gosforth were elected unopposed for a further Cumbria CA20 1BJ period of four years. The only contest for England directors positions was for the Marketing Tel/Fax +44 19467 25366 Director and Adrian Woods of Wales e-mail: [email protected] was elected. Directors serve for a period SECRETARY Bruno Gozzelino of two years. Via Susa 23 Congress approved a Council proposal I-10138 Torino that in future an additional council Adrian Woods Italy member will be elected by Congress Tel (home) +39 011 3855914 who will always be a woman. This position will be filled for the first Tel/Fax (office) +39 011 4343372 e-mail: [email protected] time at the 2006 Congress. For the first time in the history of WMRA there was no application TREASURER Nancy Hobbs to stage the future World Trophy two years ahead. Congress PO Box 9454 therefore extended the deadline and authorised Council to make Colorado Springs the decisions on venues which are reported below. CO 80932 USA Tel +1719-573-4133 WORLD TROPHY RETURNS TO Fax +1719-573-4408 SWITZERLAND for 2007 & 2008 e-mail: [email protected] Chantal Dallenbach, vice DIRECTOR OF Raimondo Balicco COMPETITION via Div.Acqui 5 president of the ‘Running I-24011 Alme, Bergamo Club des 2 Rives, presented Italy an application to stage the Tel (Home) +39 0355 45293 2007 Trophy at Saillon- Tel (Office) +39 0355 86500 Ovronnaz in the Valais region e-mail: [email protected] of Switzerland. DIRECTOR OF Wolfgang Munzel WMRA Council, meeting ORGANISATION Schippacherstr 6 in Monaco on 14th January, D- 63906 Erlenbach approved the application. Germany The races will be over Tel +49 9372 71426 Fax +49 9372 5610 two days. Four nights e-mail: [email protected] accommodation will be provided, and the date fixed DIRECTOR OF Tomo Sarf is 15th - 16th September. DEVELOPMENT Nedohova 6 1210 Ljubljana-Sentvid Chantel Dallenbach Slovenia In an unusual development, the Tel +386 41 785859 Swiss federation had, before Fax +00 386 17 216 752 the Saillon-Ovronnaz bid, indicated that they wished to stage the e-mail: [email protected] 2008 World Trophy in Crans-Montana, also in the Valais region. Concerned that approval of a Swiss venue for 2007 would DIRECTOR OF Adrian Woods MARKETING Ty’r Mynydd jeopardise their bid for 2008 they requested that Council accept 7, Heol Coed Cae Uchaf the 2008 application at the same time as approving the 2007 Blaenafon, Torfaen, bid. After consultation with NP4 9JA, Wales WMRA member countries Tel (Home) +44 1495 791754 Council approved their Tel (Office) +44 1633 644551 e-mail: [email protected] application presented by the event director Jean Paul Aevoet, of Sierre Athletic WMRA WEB SITE Club. (Courtesy of European Athletic Association): www.wmra.info Both these bids from Switzerland were of a THE WMRA ACCOUNT very high and professional Our account details, held in US$, is as follows: standard, guided and advised by Jacky Delapierre, vice Wells Fargo Bank 5710 Constitution avenue president of the Swiss Colorado Springs federation. WMRA Council CO 80915 are confident that the events Jean Paul Aevoet USA will be organised to the same high standard, providing some spectacular mountain running Routing number 102000076 Account number 1013312721 competition for the worlds best mountain athletes. Note: add $12 to your bill to cover all wire transfers. 3 WORLD MOUNTAIN RUNNING ASSOCIATION 3rd World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge 20th August 2006 WMRA are pleased to announce that the 51st edition of America’s most famous mountain race will host this years Long Distance Challenge. More than 800 athletes registered for last years event. It is organised by the ‘Triple Crown of Running Club’ and the race director is Ron Ilgen. The race distance is 42km up and down the mountain which has a climb of 2,382m The first three men and first woman will be offered 75% of their travel costs to compete in the 2007 Challenge which is the Jungfrau marathon in Switzerland. Web page: www.pikespeakmarathon.org Jungfrau Marathon JUNGFRAU CHOSEN FOR THE 2007 WORLD LONG DISTANCE CHALLENGE The 15th edition of the famous Jungfrau Marathon, starting from Interlaken, Switzerland, will take place on 8th September 2007 and will incorporate the WMRA World Long Distance Challenge. The organisers agree with WMRA that it is important that the worlds best long distance mountain running athletes are in the competition and to encourage this, significant travel assistance has been promised to the medal winners of the 2006 Long Distance Challenge, which will take place in the Pikes Peak Marathon (USA) on August 20th.