Normally at this time of year we’d be looking back at race highlights from the year, remembering the World and European Championships and World Cup winners. However, there was little normal about 2020. Some of the classic mountain races did take place in the second half of the year, much to the excitement of athletes, but opportunities to stand on a start line were limited. It was a year of adaptation for everybody - athletes, race organisers and the WMRA.
Chiang Mai, Thailand will host the inaugural World Mountain & Trail Running Championships on 11-14 November 2021. It will feature 40KM and 80KM trail races, classic mountain races for Seniors and Juniors, and a vertical uphill race. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe: “we encourage runners of all kinds to explore everything our sport has to offer”.
The Spanish National Team Trail Running Championships took place this weekend in Ibiza. The race was in the style of a Classic WMRA Mountain Race over 21k with 872m of ascent. This is somewhat of a departure for Spanish mountain racing, which traditionally prefers the vertical uphill or long distance races.
In 2020, faced with unprecedented circumstances, the Sierre-Zinal organising committee maintained its resolve to keep the race flame going, crafting a different version of the event. It was held as a free form month-long event, abiding by the restrictions imposed by the health situation.
In the first ever virtual WMRA Congress there was a very pleasing turnout of 25 delegates and participation from honorary president and council members Bruno Gozzelino and Pierre Weiss. Also present was World Athletics Road Competitions Manager Alessio Punzi, who informed the Congress about developments of the first edition of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships due to take place in November 2021, with an announcement on the venue to be made in the next 2-3 weeks.
The Kenyan Mountain Running Championships took place last weekend, with top runners from all over the country travelling to compete. Many athletes were recent converts to mountain running, which is growing in Kenya.
