Announcement from the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA). The American Trail Running Association is a WMRA media partner and will be providing coverage of all sixteen events in the 2021 Mountain Running World Cup. ATRA founder Nancy Hobbs is a member of the WMRA Council.
Following a 2020 mountain running season disrupted by the global coronavirus pandemic, excitement is high for the launch of the 2021 WMRA Mountain Running World Cup in Zakopane, Poland. It was impossible for a World Cup to take place in 2020, so we haven’t seen a World Cup race since Slovenia’s Smarna Gora Race in 2019. But the organizers of the 16 races are primed and ready, the athletes are itching to race and the WMRA is primed to bring mountain running fans all the 2021 season’s news, live action and results.
Race #1: Tatra Race Run
Date: June 27, 2021
Location: Zakopane, Poland
Category: long mountain race
Technical information: 15 miles with 5577′ of ascent
Tatra Race Run takes place in the Tatra Mountains in Southern Poland, an area with a rich history of mountain running. In fact, the Tatra Mountain Walk, which took place in 1925, was the first mountain run in the republic of Poland. Tatra Race Run is inspired by another historical event – Tatrzański Chod – so the organizers will be taking all the best historical features and combining them with the fast and furious world of modern mountain running.
The Tatra Mountain range is the highest mountain range in the Carpathian Mountains, which spans Poland and Slovakia and features elevations up to 8700′. The area is renowned for skiing, mountaineering, walking and running and is a dream for those who love spending time in the mountains. Zakopane is in the south of Poland, approximately 50 miles south of Krakow.
Athletes will start at 6:30 am local time and compete on a route of 15 miles with 5577 feet of positive elevation. The course will take the runners along the Tatra paths and ridges from Zakopane to Kościelisko. They will start at Kuźnice and run through the Kondracka Pass and Czerwone Wierchy to the Tomanowa Valley and the Hala Ornak, and then through the Iwaniacka Przełęcz, the Starorobociańska and Chochołowska Valley to the finish line at Siwa Polana.
As well as a stacked field of local mountain running talent, which we’re looking forward to seeing, international runners who will be among the favorites include: Bernard Dematteis (Italy – 4th in the 2019 World Cup), Martin Dematties (Italy – 7th at the 2019 World Cup), Alice Gaggi (Italy – 2013 World Mountain Running Champion), Lorenza Becaria (Italy – 10th in the current WMRA World Ranking), Henri Aymonod (Italy – Italian 2020 VK Champion), and exciting young talents Cecilia Basso (Spain) and Raul Criado (Spanish national U23 champion).
Photo: Tatra Race Run
How to follow the race:
The WMRA will be bringing you the latest news and results on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and search the hashtag #WMRAWorldCup.
About the Mountain Running World Cup:
First organized in 1999 and supported by World Athletics, the World Cup has provided high level mountain running competition across the season. 2021 Races take place between June and October in 8 different countries. There are 12 event locations and 16 races in 3 categories: short uphill, classic mountain race and long mountain race.
Athletes can take part in as many races as they want, and they get points for their finishing positions. Their best 7 results in the World Cup races count towards their final ranking.
The points scoring format is cumulative. Finishing positions in a WMRA World Cup race range from 100 points for first to 1 point for 30th. There are separate competitions for men and women and athletes must compete in at least two races in order to be considered in the final rankings. World Cup results and rankings can be found on the WMRA website.
See full calendar for 2021 Mountain Running World Cup races on the WMRA website. Find more information about each each World Cup race at trailrunner.com. The reigning World Cup champions are Sarah McCormack (Ireland) and Andrew Douglas (Scotland).
Andrew Douglas winning the 2019 Broken Arrow Skyrace.
About the WMRA:
Formed in 1984, the World Mountain Running Association is the global governing body for mountain running and has the goal of promoting mountain running for all ages and abilities. As well as the World Cup, the WMRA organizes a Masters, U18 and regional championships in 2021 and is working in partnership with World Athletics (WA), International Trail Running Association (ITRA) and International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) to deliver the inaugural World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand this November.
