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It&rsquo,s just a few days to go to the World Mountain Running Championships on 14th September in Casette di Massa in the Italian region of Tuscany on the amazing backdrop of the Apuan Alps.
The 30th edition of these Championships will be staged on a &ldquo,only-up&rdquo, course which will go through a cave of the famous &ldquo,Bacino di Gioia&rdquo, in the final section of the course.
Here the marble, which gave shape to many masterpieces of Italian art, is extracted.
The World Championships will feature almost 400 athletes from 40 countries from the five Continents.
It&rsquo,s the eighth time that this event is held in Italy, which boasts a long tradition in this discipline.
On Saturday 13th September the Opening Ceremony of the 2014 World Mountain Championships will be highlighted by the delivery of a block of marble, from which Italian artist Fabio Viale will carve the statue dedicated to Pietro Mennea which will be located at the Stadio dei Marmi in Rome which is already named after the former 200 metres Olympic champion and World record holder.
Look a video presentation of the race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puQfeacB9LA#t=26

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“WOMEN&rsquo,S SENIOR RACE – No less than 86 women runners will line up in the 8.4 km (with a drop of 465 metres).
Reigning world champion Alice Gaggi will defend her title, but the kind of course makes Andrea Mayr the strong favourite.
The Austrian marathon record holder is the reigning European champion and has&nbsp, already won four world titles. She won her last title in Temu-Ponte di Legno in the last edition staged on Italian soil in 2012.
Among her opponents there will be the US runner Allison McLaughlin, who will line up one month after the win at the World Long Distance Championships in Colorado.
At individual level the names to watch are British runner Emma Clayton (second in 2013), Slovenia&rsquo,s Mateja Kosovelj (European silver medallist in 2014), Kenyan Lucy Wambui Murigi and twice European champion Martina Strahl from Switzerland.
The favourite teams for the team podium are Austria, Switzerland, Italy, gold medallist in 2013, Great Britain and the United States.
MEN&rsquo,S SENIOR RACE – Uganda claimed a podium sweep dominating the 2013 edition of the World Mountain Championships at both Individual and team level. Only the bronze medallist from the previous edition Nathan Akeyo will be in the race this time, together with his compatriots Daniel Rotich and James Kibet.
The man to beat in Casette di Massa is Eritrean Pietro Mamo, the current leader of the World Cup and World champion two years ago in the last edition held in Italy.
Also in the line-up in the 11.7 km (with a drop of 650 metres and with 165 entered runners) his teammate Abraham Kidane, Italian Bernard Dematteis (reigning European champion and fifth place in 2013) and Turkey&rsquo,s Ahmet Arslan, more time European champion.
The favourite teams which will fight for the top honours are also Great Britain with Robbie Simpson and the Unites States with Joseph Gray.
JUNIOR WOMEN&rsquo,S RACE (3.8 km, drop 225m, 44 entered runners) – The top names are Uganda&rsquo,s Stella Chesang, who finished fourth in the 5000 metres at the World Junior Championships in Eugene, her compatriot Patricia Chekwemboi (Uganda) and 2013 World Junior champion Amanda Ortiz from USA.
But also European athletes will have ambitions, like Great Britain&rsquo,s Georgia Malir, 2014 European Junior champion, Turkey&rsquo,s Bahar Atalay and Burcu Subatan, Romanian Andrea Piscu and France&rsquo,s Elsa Racasan, winner at the WMRA Youth Cup in Arco in 2014 and Russian Olga Nikolayeva (9:27 in the 3000 metres).
The countries who will aim for the team honours will be Uganda, Great Britain, Turkey, the USA and Russia.
MEN&rsquo,S JUNIOR RACE (8.4 km, drop 465m, 77 entered runners) – Uganda has a strong squad including Joshua Cheptegei, World Junior champion in the 10000m, joined by his compatriots Phillip Kipkeyo, who finished sixth at the World Junior Championships in Eugene, and Abdallah Mande, fifth in the 5000m at the WJC.
Other youngsters to follow will be Czech runner Dominik Sadlo (European champion in 2014), Turkey&rsquo,s Ramazan Karagoz, second at the 2013 World Championships, and Ferhat Bozkurt, second at the 2014 European Championships, as well Manuel Innerhofer from Austria.
The favourite teams for the podium will be Uganda, Czech Republic, Turkey, Italy and Great Britain.

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Edited from Alessio Giovannini (FIDAL Press Office).

Source of the pictures by LOC.
On front page:&nbsp,
– view of the finish part of the track, –
on second page:
– training on the track

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