Jungfrau Marathon report

Saturday 8 September 2007

The fourth edition of the World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge, held in conjunction with the Jungfrau Marathon, produced two new champions on Saturday 8 September.
4200 athletes from 50 different countries set off from Interlaken, Switzerland, for the 42.195km run to the Kleine Scheidegg 1839m above the town. It is a technically difficult race to judge since the first 25km is on fairly flat road. The early leaders rarely figure on the podium at the finish as the serious mountain climb is compressed into the last 17km.
So it proved in this race. At 19km V. Vlas (MKD) and S. Kaledin (RUS) were nearly a kilometre in front of a pack which contained the eventual medal winners. As soon as the climbing got under way, New Zealand’s Jonathan Wyatt surged into the lead and at the 30km point was a minute ahead of Italy’s Hermann Achmuller with another Italian Gerd Frick a further minute adrift in 3rd place.
These positions remained unchanged to the finish, and as such Wyatt thus becomes the first mountain runner to win both short distance (World Trophy) and long distance (Challenge) titles.
In the women’s race the same situation prevailed. Early leaders faded to leave Anita Hakenstad Evertsen of Norway to devastate her rivals on the climb to win by 8 minutes, just less than two minutes outside the course record. The Russian pair of Elina Kaledina and Jeanna Malkova finished 2nd and 3rd.
An estimated 20,000 spectators, bathed in brilliant sunshine, with the North wall of the Eiger and the snow covered massif of the Jungfrau towering above them, enjoyed a feast of amazing endurance running amongst the finest scenery Switzerland has to offer.

RESULTS (see event web page via www.wmra.info)
Women
1. Hakenstad Evertsen, Anita NOR 3:23.05,
2. Kaledina, Elena RUS 3:31.16,0
3. Malkova, Jeanna RUS 3:36.43,4
4. Carlsohn, Anja GER 3:36.59,0
5. Landolt, Claudia SUI 3:37.58,4
6. Hawker, Elizabeth GBR 3:40.00,6
Men
1. Wyatt, Jonathan NZL 2:55.32,1
2. Achmüller, Hermann ITA 2:58.35,1
3. Frick, Gerd ITA 3:02.41,1
4. Sanchez, Hernandez Ranulfo MEX 3:05.56,8
5. Burrell, Galen USA 3:11.05,1
6. Kaledine, Serguej RUS 3:11.28,7