Anna Pichrtova (CZE) running in the 2007 European Mountain Running Champs - WMRA (© WMRA)
Both 2006 WMRA Grand Prix winners, Jonathan Wyatt (NZL) and Anna Pichrtova (CZE) enter the 2007 Grand Prix series for the first time when they take part in the race here on Sunday (15) and are clear favourites to amass enough points from the remaining three races to repeat their 2006 victories.
Strangely, both suffered injuries (not related to running) during the winter, which required surgery. Wyatt injured his knee in a sledging accident and Pichrtova’s traumatic car accident in Nigeria resulting in a shattered arm has been well reported.
Both have proved that they are completely recovered as they recorded victories in the Mt Washington (USA) race in June, and Pichrtova had an excellent run last weekend to take silver medal in the European championship. She will not have the winner of that event, Eversten (NOR) to contend with so her nearest challenger should be her fellow citizen, Iva Milesova.
Wyatt will resume his tussle with Marco Gaiardo (ITA) who repeatedly finished second to Jonathan in 2006. Gaiardo is in fine form as he showed in winning the first Grand Prix race in Switzerland and finishing in Bronze medal position in the European championships. He will not have the gold and silver medallist of that event to contend with so these two will battle it out for first and second positions.
The race starts in the village of Heiligenblut and ascends 1514m over 12.6km to the lower slopes of Austria’s highest mountain, the Grossglockner.
Danny Hughes for the IAAF