This year marks the 14th edition of the World Mountain Running Association’s International U18 Mountain Running Cup. This year’s course is an up/down hill circuit. Estimated distance is between 4.5 and 5.5 kilometers. Distance and course details will be included in upcoming weeks.
Venue: Susa, Italy, located in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont region.
Website: https://www.atleticasusa.it/
Date: Saturday, August 24, 2019
Trip Duration: Typically travel from the USA departing Wednesday, August 21, to arrive on August 22. Course preview on August 22-23, race August 24, depart on August 26 (4 nights lodging). (Team members can arrive earlier and stay longer, but no lodging will be provided nor transportation to and from the venue/airport.)
An article about the announcement of this year’s event can be located HERE.
For team consideration, the junior athlete:
- Must be a current USA Track & Field (USATF) member (for 2019).
- Must be at least 16 and not yet 18 in the year of competition.
- Must have posted a 16:45 or better (junior boys) and 19:30 or better (junior girls) in a 5km road or cross country event. (Equivalent times – from an alternate race distance that translates to the aforementioned time criteria – will be considered for distances other than 5km.)
- Must have experience running (in training and preferably racing) on courses similar to the event.
- Must be mature, motivated, with a positive attitude to proudly represent the United States and sponsors internationally, under the rules of USATF and the event governing bodies.
- A letter of recommendation from a coach, parent, or mentor-runner must accompany the athlete resume.
- The team will be comprised of up to (6) members, 3 junior girls and 3 junior boys with two staff members – Nancy Hobbs and Mark Weeks.
Resumes (including road, trail, track, and cross country results and current training info) will be accepted through June 15, 2019. Send resume and recommendation to: Nancy Hobbs, [email protected] and Mark Weeks, [email protected]. Team will be announced by June 28, 2019. This is a partially funded team and there is a small stipend from the WMRA for travel. Accommodations and meals, as well as transfers to/from the airport (Torino, Italy) are covered by the local organizing committee. Uniforms are provided by USATF. (If an athlete makes the team but can’t make the trip due to injury or any other circumstance, the uniform must be returned to USATF).
Program:
Saturday 24 August:
16.00: National / regional races for children
17.30: Start Girls
18.15: Start Boys
19.00: Ceremony and party inside the Castle
Sunday 25 August:
All national teams involved in the ceremony at Costa Rossa (historic Memorial Partigiani Stellina race finish, 2000 meters above sea level) Ceremony, lunch together and return by bus.
Read more about Team USA athletes experiences and results from the 2018 International U18 Mountain Running Cup including Joslin Blair’s commanding win in the women’s race.
Joslin Blair (USA). Photo by Sportdimontagna.
