Consistency at the highest level will once again be rewarded as the World Mountain Running Ranking enters its third year.

This ranking – where the world’s mountain runners best accumulate points over the season – is all about clearly defining who deservedly earns the top ranked in the world in any one season. This 365-day rolling scoring system determines where runners are ranked globally at any one moment, meaning it’s not about enjoying a one-off amazing day, it’s more about understanding how to get the best from yourself week in week out over an action-packed summer.
It also provides added excitement and drama and kudos to the races named on the rankings calendar. Perhaps it’s no surprise that athletes such as the bronze medallist at the World Uphill Mountain Running championship and the 2022 Sierre-Zinal champion and course record holder Switzerland’s Maude Mathys shine, but it’s fantastic to see runners such as Nienke Brinkman from the Netherlands who has turned her fabulous road form to success in the mountains, Slovenia’s Timotej Becan, Austria’s Andrea Mayr, and the Ireland’s ever-improving Zak Hanna climb the rankings as the season unfolded. The rankings help them grow in strength and confidence and create a real buzz about who to look for.

It also helps identify new star names.

“Two names stand out in particular: Patrick Kipngeno, World Uphill champion, 2nd at the world up and down championships and winner of the 2022 Valsir Mountain Running World Cup, and Allie McLaughlin, world uphill champion, 3rd at the world up and down championships, who had an outstanding season in the Golden Trail Series and in a few other important US races,” says Francesco Puppi, the Ranking Secretary who is excited to see the system grow in importance.

Indeed, it’s already a key element in determining the international fields in the Valsir Mountain Running World Cup (https://worldathletics.org/news/news/wmra-2023-mountain-running-world-cup-calendar), but the goal now is to grow it further include more federations and races.

How it works

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 recognised 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.

*A final call to any federation reading this report: we encourage you to get in touch and let us know the dates and the details of your national mountain running championship, every year. We do our best to check the calendars and add these events from most countries, but it would be extremely helpful if you could help us in this process.