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WORLD MOUNTAIN RUNNING ASSOCIATION

About WMRA

WMRA Annual Report 2024

It has been a memorable year for the World Mountain Running Association as the organization marked its 40th anniversary. A special celebration coincided with the World Cup finals in Chiavenna, Italy where media, partner organization representatives from World Athletics, ITRA, IAU, as well as past WMRA leadership converged for an evening to honor this milestone. Attendees enjoyed an evening reliving history from the initial meeting of the organization (then the ICMR) in Italy in 1984, to the growth and changes the sport has realized over the past 40 years.

The WMRA has been at the forefront of the development of mountain running worldwide and its impact is evidenced in the events and projects the organization oversees and the partnerships it has created and nurtured. Governed by an 8-member volunteer WMRA Council, the activity through the past twelve months has included competitions for youth, masters, and the elite-level athlete. Meetings have been hosted and plans have been procured to fulfil the mission of the WMRA. Following is an overview of the year 2024.

World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (WMTRC)

WMRA continues to work in partnership with ITRA, IAU and WA to deliver the WMTRC, with the next event due to be held in Canfranc, Spain September 2025.  In recognition of the strength of the partnership, all four parties recently signed a Memorandum of Collaboration to continue working jointly together until at least December 2029.

World Athletics Advisory Group on Mountain and Trail Running

In recognition of the growing popularity and commercial interest in mountain and trail running, World Athletics in 2024 established an Advisory group with the mandate to contribute to and advise the WA Competition Commission on the global development of mountain and trail running and the role that WA should play within its development. WMRA Treasurer Sarah Rowell serves as the Vice Chair of the group and Grayson Murphy is also on the Group representing the WMRA Athletes Commission.

WMRA Athletes Commission

The Athletes Commission is an elected body of sixteen athletes, twelve men and four women.  The athletes from twelve countries come from Africa, Asia-Oceania, Canada, Europe and USA. Grayson Murphy was elected the chairperson with Zac Hanna the deputy chair and Charlotte Cotton as secretary.  During several meetings throughout the year, the Commission has discussed issues from an athlete’s perspective, liaising closely with the WMRA Council to provide an athletes’ view on topics.

17th International U18 Mountain Running Cup

Introducing youth to sport at an early age helps jump start an interest in health and fitness as well as creates cultural connections as youth from around the globe gather to compete on an international stage.

  • Venue and date: Aguilar de Campoo, Spain – June 22,
  • 15 nations represented,
  • 112 competitors.

23rd World Masters Mountain Running Championships

A growing partnership with World Masters Athletics (WMA) (https://world-masters-athletics.org/) has developed over the past two decades. Ongoing communication throughout the year has continued to be positive and thoughtful. In 2023, the masters competition included both an uphill race and a classic distance mountain race. In 2024, a long distance was added to further provide opportunities for athletes aged 35-79.

  • Venue and dates: Canfranc, Spain – September 12-15
  • 3 races (uphill, long distance and classic)
  • 32 nations represented,
  • 1082 entries.

World Cup – 25th edition

The Mountain Running World Cup in 2024 took place starting in June in the USA and the World Cup Champions were crowned in October in Italy.  During the season, 12 races were hosted in 7 countries and the excitement continued up until the final race of the World Cup. Scout Adkin (GBR, team Hoka) won the World Cup by a single point over Joyce Njeru (KEN, Atletica Saluzzo) in the Women’s competition. While Patrick Kipngeno (KEN, Run2gether On) had a more comfortable win in the men’s; he was pushed by his teammates Josphat Kiprotich and Philemon Kiriago. 

The 2025 calendar will be organised to allow athletes to follow the World Cup as well as best prepare for the World Championships in September. We will look forward to races beginning again May 2025 with a calendar packed with the best Mountain Races in the World.

  • Venues and dates: From June through October,
  • in 2024, 12 events were staged in 7 countries,
  • Competition: Short uphill, classic distance, and long distance,
  • Number of athletes: 9000 runners took part in World Cup races.

World Ranking

In 2024, 148 races from 27 countries were included and featured national championships in 17 countries. The top 15 positions included men and women representing 13 countries. The link is: https://ranking.wmra.info/ .

Anti-Doping Commitment

WMRA is 100% committed to clean sport. Doping control was conducted at all WMRA events in 2024. The Athletics Integrity Unit – https://www.athleticsintegrity.org/ has been instrumental in furthering the anti-doping program worldwide.

Communications and Social Media

The WMRA launched its Media Partner Program in 2021 to establish closer ties with media outlets that cover our sport. In 2024, WMRA media partners published in five different languages and produced a total of 300 articles. The WMRA provides content support to its media partners, including professional photography, videos, press releases, writing, and social media expertise.

Website: www.wmra.info

In August, the WMRA relaunched its website, marking a significant step forward in connecting with the global mountain running community. Since the relaunch, traffic to the WMRA website has seen remarkable growth, showcasing the increasing interest in mountain running and the World Cup.

Looking to 2025

The WMRA continues to flourish with the support of member federations, event local organizing committees, partnerships, athletes, media, and brands. Looking forward to 2025:

  • The 18th International U18 Mountain Running Cup will be held in Slovakia in June
  • The 24th World Masters Mountain Running Championships will be held in Meduno, Italy in August
  • The 3rd World Mountain and Trail Running Championships will be staged in Canfranc, Spain in September.
  • The WMRA Congress will be held in person at the World Championships where elections will be held for the WMRA Council, further details of which will be sent to our Members early in the year.

Be sure to follow the WMRA on Facebook, Instagram, and on our website at wmra.info.

Tomo Šarf

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