Mountain Running World Cup Moves to Italy’s Mediterranean Coast

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. Photos: WMRA.

The next stage of the WMRA Mountain Running World Cup is headed to a completely different venue, unlike any other on the circuit. The Trofeo Ciolo race takes place in Gagliano del Capo, right down in the heel of Italy, along the Ionian Sea.

Instead of long climbs and descents typical of World Cup races in the Alps, Trofeo Ciolo features rugged, technical paths with a lot of shorter ups and downs. The course is 11.7km and it packs 640m of ascent and 518m of descent in almost continual climbing and descending. There will be very little respite for the runners on this course. In fact, the start of the race is immediately steeply uphill, as is the finish.

As with so many of the Mountain Running World Cup races this year the fields are absolutely stacked. The two current leaders of the World Cup rankings will be racing, as will many athletes currently in the top 10.

World Cup

Charlotte Morgan (GBR), the current women’s World Cup leader, is fresh from victory at the Canfranc Canfranc Marathon. She’s also won Tatra Race Run this year and finished 3rd at Tatra SkyMarathon, and she was the 2018 World Long Distance Mountain Running Champion. Sarah McCormack (IRL), the 2019 women’s World Cup champion will also be on the start line, after her recent return to the World Cup, where she finished 9th at Trofeo Nasego. Joyce Njeru (KEN) will definitely be one to watch, having won at Grossglockner and Krkonossky Half Marathon this year she is currently 2nd in the World Cup rankings.

Other women runners taking part who we’ve seen finish in the top 10 of World Cup races this year include Charlotte Cotton (BEL), 9th place at the Canfranc Canfranc SkyRace, Kitti Posztos (HUN), 10th at Canfranc Cnafranc SkyRace and Timea Merenyi (HUN) who’s not only finished in the top 10 at Tatra Race Run and Krkonossky, but also in the last World Cup overall.

On the men’s side Henri Aymonod (ITA) is the current Mountain Running World Cup leader, having won Vertical Nasego and finished 3rd at Tatra Race Run and La Montee du Nid d’Aigle. Sandor Szabo (HUN) is lying second in the men’s World Cup with a 2nd place at Canfranc Canfranc SkyRace and top 10s at Krkonossky Half Marathon and Tatra Race Run. Petro Mamu (ERI) is fresh from winning Trofeo Nasego and coming 3rd at Vertical Nasego just a few weeks ago and Geoffrey Ndungu (KEN), our winner at Krkonossky who has also finished 4th at Trofeo Nasego and Grossglockner, is also hotly tipped.

All in all it looks like another exciting weekend of racing, which may shake up the Mountain Running World Cup rankings with just 4 more races to go after this one!

World Cup

Start times on Sunday 26th September:

About the WMRA Mountain Running World Cup:
Races take place between June 2021 and October 2021 in 8 countries. There are 12 event locations and 16 races in 3 categories: short uphill; classic mountain race; long mountain race. Runners 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. See full calendar for World Cup races at: https://www.wmra.info/calendar/2021-major-events

The current, reigning World Cup champions are Sarah McCormack and Andrew Douglas.

About the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA):
Formed in 1984, we are the global governing body for mountain running and we have the goal of promoting mountain running for all ages and abilities. As well as the World Cup we organize Masters, U18 and regional championships and this year we will work in partnership with the World Athletics, International Trail Running Association (ITRA) and the International Association of Ultrarunners IAU to deliver the first World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand. More information at: www.wmra.info

World Cup

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