“405 runners of 18 Nations started at the 8. WMRA World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge in Podbrdo, Slovenia: 320 men and 85 women. The race was linked with 10. Gorski Maraton &scaron,tirih ob&#269,in (GM4O), a race of 37,5-kilometer mountain track with 5000 meters difference in altitude (full results with times for section on the bottom).
It took a home boy at the 8. WMRA World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge in Slovenia&nbsp, on 18.06.2011 to prevent a clean sweep of Scottish trio.
Mitja Kosovelj finished his job on home soil with some aplomb and beat the competition by more than a four minute margin with the time of three hours, 22 minutes and 32 seconds. Second in the finish line was Thomas Owens of Scotland (3:26:59), and bronze medal went to his younger countryman Robie Simpson (3:29:05). The podium was just a step&nbsp, away from another Scotsman Jehtro Lennox (3:33:21), fith was Ralf Birchmeier of Switzerland in front of sixth-placed Czeck Petr Pechek.
&raquo,Sometimes you dare to dream about such an achievement, but despite all the hard work you do before the race you need sporting luck as well&laquo, said a humble Mitja Kosovelj. &raquo,Today it all went the right way for me even though I was in such pain on the last decent because blisters completly damaged my heel skin.&laquo,.”
“Top finishers in women competition was an Anglo-Irish affair. Englishwomen Philippa Maddams grabed gold with 4:08:46, Ireland took second place with a fiercy Karen Alexander (4:16:21), while bronze went to her English neighbour Helen Fines (4:19:14). Maddams said: &raquo,I really didn’t expect this, but I felt very well on the course. I am very tired, I have a few scraches because I fell but I am also thrilled to have won this hard race.&laquo,
Phillipa Maddams is a teacher from Keswick, in Cumbria: the same town where lives Kenny Stuart who was the winner of the 1. World Mountain Running Trophy (senior men short&nbsp,race) in 1985 and the town that hosted also the 4. World Mountain Running Trophy and other international mountain running event.
In the men team ranking 12 Nations were classified with full teams. Scotland kept title and gold medal with a great advantage on all the other teams. The best three Scottish signed a time of 10h29.15. Very close the fighting for the second position: host Country, Slovenia was silver medallist in 10h57.20, one minute better then Enlglish runners who finished in 10h58.46. Over eleven hours Switzerland (4.), Poland (5.), Wales (6.) and Czech Rep. (7.). Then followed Russia (8.) and defending title, USA (9.) with more then 12 hours and then Hungarya (10.), Crotia (11.) and Ukraine (12.)
In the women team ranking 7 were the full Nations to the finish. Title and gold medal to England (12h54.49) in front of Russia, second and silver medal (13h24.37) and Scotland, third and bronze medal (13h41.07). Poland finished fourth, Slovenia fifth, Wales sixth and Crotia was seventh.
Attended to the event Bruno Gozzelino, WMRA President, together Tomo Sarf, WMRA Council but also representant Slovenia Athletic federation like member of the National Board.
A lot of positive comments by the partecipant in favour of LOC, with Janko Humar(LOC Director) and Joze Dakskobler (LOC Director race and the person who had the idea for creating this race ten years ago) for its great work in the organisation, where one the most interesting aspect is the fact that four different Municipality of Slovenia (that is Tolmin, Zelezniki, Cerkno and Bohinj) are involved and co-operate among themselves: a beautiful example of the mountain and mountain races unite people everywhere.

News by LOC (Blaz Mocnik) and WMRA&nbsp,(Bruno Gozzelino)&nbsp,

Phots by Pete Hartley and Mikhail Popov
In front page: Mitja Kosovelj (PH)
Second page left:
Podium individual men (PH)
Podium individual women (MP)
Podium team women (MP)
Second page right:
Philippa Maddams (PH)
podium team men (MP)

Full results with times per sections
Download Results“