World Champion Jonathan Wyatt (NZL) in Austria (© Tomo Sarf)
While the stars of track and field battle for honours in the IAAF World Athletics Final in Stuttgart, the stars of the Mountain Running branch of athletics ascend to their own chosen heights on the slopes of Mt Uludag (also one of the many Mt Olympia’s in Europe) Bursa, Turkey for the 22nd World Mountain Running Trophy on 10 September.
Chief among these exponents is New Zealander Jonathan Wyatt, unbeaten in mountain races since 1999 and now five times World champion. Finding someone who can challenge him on the 12km and 1275m of ascent course is difficult. There are no Europeans who can challenge him so the only chance of a defeat comes from some unknown from Africa or S. America. Expected winning time will be in the region of 55 minutes.
The women’s race is more open, but one of the favourites will be Olympian marathon runner Anna Pichrtova of Czech Republic. She has demolished all opposition in the three Grand Prix mountain races so far this year. Two times world champion Melissa Moon (NZL) will make a serious attempt to make it a third success, but otherwise we are again looking for unknown talent to challenge Anna. The race covers 8.5km and ascends 895m.
The Junior men run the same course as the senior women – always a difficult result to predict, as is the junior women’s race, the latter running just 3.4 km and ascending 395m.
A record number of 38 countries have registered athletes to compete with athletes from Armenia, Greece, and Venezuela, competing for the first time.
Mehmet Terzi, president of the Turkish Athletic Federation (and a significant marathon runner himself in his active days) will host about 360 athletes for four nights in the ski resort of Uludag.
Danny Hughes for the IAAF
