Grossglockner Berglauf (© Martin Steinthaler)
The Grossglockner Berglauf welcomes athletes for the second stage of the 2021 World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) World Cup on Sunday (11), with Britain’s Charlotte Morgan and Germany’s Filimon Abraham among those heading to the event in Heiligenblut, Austria.
Morgan is fresh from winning the first World Cup race at Tatra and will be looking to increase her lead in the women’s competition. She finished seventh at Grossglockner in 2019. Also coming off success at Tatra are Italy’s runner-up Alice Gaggi and fourth-placer Lorenza Beccaria, plus Czech Republic’s Lucie Marsanova, who was fifth at Tatra and also finished fifth in the 2019 World Cup.
Kenya’s 2017 world champion Lucy Murigi will always be an athlete to watch. She’ll be joined by her compatriot Purity Kajuja Gitonga, who finished second in the 2019 Grossglockner Berglauf.
Other women expected to be in contention include Louise Mercer (UK), Timea Merenyi (HUN), Camilla Magliano (ITA), Charlotte Cotton (UK), Susanne Mair (AUT), Annika Seedorf (NED), Cecilia Basso (ITA), Joyce Muthoni Njeru (KEN) and Susanna Saapunki (FIN).
The men’s race looks equally exciting, with 2019 winner and runner-up in the 2019 World Cup Abraham returning. Henri Aymonod of Italy, fresh from his third place at Tatra, will be one to watch, and with a lot of success at vertical kilometres he’s always strong at uphill-only races.
Cesare Maestri, also of Italy, was second in the World Championships in 2019 and could be in contention. Sylvain Cachard of France had a very successful 2020 with wins at Smarna Gora, Trofeo Nasego and the French Championships. The local Manual Innerhofer of Austria was third in the 2019 Grossglockner Berglauf and recently won the Austrian Championships, while Ireland’s Zak Hanna is an athlete to watch this year, having just won the Marathon du Mont Blanc VK and finished fifth at ChieseRun, the Italian Championships. Kenya’s Geoffrey Gikuni Ndungu, who finished second at Grossglockner in 2019, must also be a favourite.
Other men expected to be in contention include: Ondrey Fejfar (CZE), Alex Jodidio (SUI), Alex Baldaccini (ITA), Eric Muthomi Riungu (KEN), Timotej Becan (SLO), Isaac Kipkemboi (KEN), Lengen Lolkurraru (KEN), Giovanni Tacchini (ITA), Luca Merli (ITA), Lorenzo Cagnati (ITA) and Massimo Fracoz (ITA).
Grossglockner Berglauf takes place in the shadow of Austria’s highest mountain (at 3798m), Grossglockner. It’s the 22nd edition of the race, with previous winners including Jonathan Wyatt, Anna Pichrtova, Andrea Mayr, Antonella Confortola, Filimon Abraham, Petro Mamu and Sarah Tunstall.
A classic 13km mountain race featuring 1265m of ascent, the route starts in Heiligenblut and follows the river initially, before climbing up to the famous Briccius Chapel, past the quaint Trogalm hut, then the ‘Pasterze’, the longest glacier in the Eastern Alps, before the final lung-busting climb of 900m to the summit. The summit finish at the famous Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Hohe.
Kirsty Reade (WMRA) for World Athletics
