2007 European Mountain Running Championships.
Preview.

There is a fine entry list for the 6th EAA Mountain Running Championships which will take place in the Pyrenean town of Cauteretes, France on Sunday 8th July.
Twenty-two countries will contest both the mens (12.8km and 1570m ascent) and womens ( 8.5km and 1010m ascent) uphill only races.
Defending champions Marco Gaiardo (ITA) and Anna Pichrtova (CZE) have both shown good form this year, Gaiardo in winning the first WMRA Grand Prix race and Pichrtova, having made a remarkable recovery from injuries sustained in a road accident in Nigeria last November, in winning the Mt Washington (USA).
Both will come under strong challenges from the cream of European mountain runners.
Anna will have World Silver medallist and last months Grand Prix winner Martina Strachl (SUI) to contend with, not to mention Sustarsic (SLO), Evertsen (NOR), and Guillot (FRA), all showing their strong 2006 form.

Gaiardo is without doubt the dominant European mountain runner and his challengers will need to move up their performance a notch to take his title. Vincente Capitan (ESP) who only competes infrequently in mountain races could prove to be the dark horse and spring a surprise.

There is an encouraging entry for the junior races which will take place on an experimental basis for the first time this year, especially since federations are responsible for all their costs including travel and accommodation. It is hoped that with this response the EAA will introduce junior races into the championship format in the future