What is Mountain Running?
Mountain Running is a worldwide sport and branch of traditional athletics.
Traditional athletics was defined in the past as Track and Field, Cross Country, Road Running and Race Walking.
In 2002 after the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) had staged, since 1985, a successful event entitled ‘the World Trophy’, attracting entries from more than 30 countries, the IAAF congress added Mountain running to that definition. (IAAF Rule 1).
IAAF recognises WMRA as the controlling body for international mountain running competition.
Mountain Running - Athletics or Mountaineering or Orienteering?
To distinguish the sport of mountain running from mountaineering or orienteering we can look at the philosophy of each sport.
The philosophy of mountaineering is based on contact with and challenge to nature. The time factor is only important in relation to our planning and safety. Climbers seek their adrenalin rush climbing on rock faces, looking for new routes and overcoming the danger inherent in their sport. A considerable amount of technical equipment, (ropes, pitons, etc) is needed. It is a question of combat between man and nature.
The philosophy of orienteering is to work out the quickest router between two points. Speed is important but it is useless without map-reading, compass, and route finding skills. In a few competitions, orienteering moves out of the forest, its natural habitat, and onto the mountains but its philosophy is still distinct from that of mountain running.
The philosophy of athletics, in our case mountain running, is based on the time factor, how to reach the finish taking the defined way as fast as possible. This is the objective of those who take part in competitive mountain running. Courses are designed to eliminate danger. No equipment is needed, no ropes, no compass. Athletes find their challenge in matching their speed against that of other runners, a competition between man (woman) and man (woman).