There are several international sport governing organizations which organize World Championship and similar competitions in mountain running, trail running and sky running. The following is a list of those competitions, who organizes them and how American athletes can qualify. There are competitions for athletes ranging in ages from 14 to 79 years old; many require qualification but some do not. The first of these competitions was held in 1985 with the most recent founded just last year.
Seven of the competitions listed below are affiliated with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) – the worldwide sports governing organization for several disciplines including track & field (athletics), road running, race walking, cross country, mountain running, ultra running and trail running.
USA Track & Field is recognized by IAAF as the official athletics federation for the United States. With the exception of the World Masters Mountain Running Championships, USATF approves all teams competing in IAAF affiliated events. For a full list of USATF mountain, ultra & trail national championships open to all runners check out this article.
YOUTH:
World Mountain Running Championships (Junior Races)
Course: 7.5 km, 576 m ascent
Organized by: World Mountain Running Association (WMRA)
Part of the IAAF athletics federation system: YES
Founded: 1985 (San Viglio di Marebbe, Italy)
Age requirements: 16 to 19 in year of competition
US Team selection by: USA Track & Field’s Mountain Ultra Trail (MUT) Running Council
2018 Date and venue: Canillo, Andorra, September 16
2018 Selection criteria: resume submissions to Paul Kirsch
Event recap: TBA
Youth Skyrunning World Championships
Courses: 3.5 km Vertical Kilometer and 21 km Sky
Organized by: International Skyrunning Federation (ISF)
Part of the IAAF athletics federation system: NO
Founded: 2016 (Gran Sasso, Aquila, Italy)
Age requirements: A (16-17 years), B (18-20 years) and U23 (21-23 years)
2018 Selection criteria: resume submissions to Ryan Kerrigan
2018 Date and venue: August 3rd to 5th (L’Aquila, Italy)
Mountain Running International Youth Cup (U18)
Course: 4.3 km, 290 m of ascent & descent
Organized by: World Mountain Running Association (WMRA)
Part of the IAAF athletics federation system: YES
Founded: 2006 (Susa, Italy)
Age requirements: 16 to 17 in year of competition
US Team selection by: USA Track & Field’s Mountain Ultra Trail (MUT) Running Council
2018 Date and venue: June 16 (Lanzada, Italy)
2019 Date and venue: TBA
OPEN:
World Mountain Running Championships (short distance)
Course: 12 km, 1128 m ascent
Prize Money: $6000 total
Organized by: World Mountain Running Association (WMRA)
Part of the IAAF athletics federation system? YES
Founded: 1985 (San Viglio di Marebbe, Italy)
Age requirements: Must be 18 or older in the year of competition
US Team selection by: USA Track & Field’s Mountain Ultra Trail (MUT) Running Council
2018 Date and venue: September 16 (Canillo, Andorra)
2018 Event recap: TBA
North American, Central American & Caribbean (NACAC) Mountain Running Championships
Course: 6.6 miles, 3200′ of ascent
Prize Money: $3000
Recognized by: World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) & North American, Central American & Caribbean (NACAC) Athletics
Part of the IAAF athletics federation system? YES
Founded: 2004 (Vail, Colorado, USA)
Age requirements: 16+ in the year of competition
US Team selection by: USA Track & Field’s Mountain Ultra Trail (MUT) Running Council
2018 Date and venue: Loon Mountain Race, July 8 (Lincoln, NH, USA)
2018 Event recap: TBA
2019 Selection criteria: TBD
2019 Date and venue: July TBD (Mexico)
Trail World Championships
Courses: 50 km (even numbered years) 2500 m ascent/descent. 50 miles (odd numbered years) 4900 m ascent / 3600 m descent
Organized by: International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) with their technical partner International Trail Running Association (ITRA)
Part of the IAAF athletics federation system? YES
Founded: 2007 (Huntsville, Texas, USA), since 2015 with ITRA
Age: 18+ in the year of competition
US Team selection by: USA Track & Field’s Mountain Ultra Trail (MUT) Running Council
2018 Date and venue: Penyagolosa Trails, May 12 (Castellón de la Plana, Spain)
2019 Date and venue: Trilhos dos Abutres, June 8 (Mirandha da Corvo, Portugal)
World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships
Course: 36 km, 2100 m ascent/descent
Organized by: World Mountain Running Association (WMRA)
Part of the IAAF athletics federation system? YES
First organized: 2004 (Sierre – Zinal, SUI)
Age requirements: Must be 18 or older in the year of competition
US Team selection by: USA Track & Field’s Mountain Ultra Trail (MUT) Running Council
2018 Date and venue: June 24 (Karpacz, Poland)
2019 Date and venue: November 16 (Neuquen, Argentina)
MASTERS:
WMRA/WMA Masters World Mountain Running Championships
Courses: Long 10 km, 1100 m of ascent (M35 to M50). Short 7 km, 900 m of ascent (M55 to M75 & Women). Editors Note: starting in 2019, men & women in the same age categories will run the same course. Older athletes will run a short course; age break TBD.
Organized by: World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) & World Masters Athletics (WMA)
Part of the IAAF athletics federation system? YES
Founded: 1998 (Kitzbuehel, Austria), since 2001 with WMA
Age requirements: For athletes ages 35 to 79 competing in 5 year age groups
US Team selection by: no qualification required
2018 Date and venue: June 2 (Zelezniki, Slovenia)
2019 Date and venue: September 27-29 (Gagliano del Capo, Italy)
HIGH SCHOOL & COLLEGIATE:
Collegiate Mountain Running Championships
Course: 6.6 miles, 3200′ of ascent
Organized by: Collegiate Running Association (CRA)
Part of the IAAF athletics federation system? NO
Founded: 2014 (Lincoln, New Hampshire)
Age requirements: no minimum age
Selection criteria: In order to be eligible to compete in the Collegiate Running Association Mountain Running Championships, participants must either be enrolled in a college course at the time of the race or have completed a course during the spring semester (between January 1 and July 8, 2018). Collegiate participants must also be free members of the Collegiate Running Association to be eligible for the collegiate prize money.
2018 Date and venue: Loon Mountain Race, July 8 (Lincoln, NH, USA)
National High School Trail Championships
Course: 5 to 6 miles, 550′ of ascent & descent
Organized by: Kenny Wilcox
Part of the IAAF athletics federation system? NO
Founded: 2017 (Salida, Colorado, USA)
Age requirements: Not defined. The race is open to incoming freshman through 2018 high school graduates.
Selection criteria: Open to all current high school athletes and is extended to include incoming freshman and 2018 high school graduates. There is no qualifying race for the NHSTC. However, due to course limitations, race sizes are capped when maximum numbers are reached. The NHSTC will crown a team champion and individual champion for the girls and boys.
2018 Date and venue: July 28 (Salida, Colorado, USA)