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WORLD MOUNTAIN RUNNING ASSOCIATION

MEMORABLE 40th ANNIVERSARY YEAR FOR THE WORLD MOUNTAIN RUNNING ASSOCIATION

17/12/2024

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.

2024 HIGHLIGHTS

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.Athletes from 15 countries competed in the U18 International Mountain Running Cup today, bringing together exciting young talent from all over the world. Runners travelled from countries including Mexico, Slovenia, Sierra Leone, Hungary, the United States and Bulgaria to take part. The host race for this, the 17th edition of the Cup, was the stunning Montaña Palentina, in the province of Palencia, Spain.The course was a 5.4km circular loop, with 225 metres of elevation gain, starting and finishing at the Barruelo de Santullán football field.
  •  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) 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.
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

WOLRD MOUNTAIN RUNNING 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. Ranking access here
WMRA Anti-Doping Commitment
WMRA is 100% committed to clean sport. Doping control was conducted at all WMRA events in 2024. The Athletics Integrity Unit  has been instrumental in furthering the anti-doping program worldwide.
WMRA 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.
2024 saw a significant growth of the WMRA social media channels
NEW WMRA WEBSITE
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 forward 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 26th Mountain Running World Cup.
  • 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.