What is the future for mountain running and the WMRA?

Mountain Running is now well established as a worldwide sport and branch of traditional athletics and it is continually growing in popularity among athletes all around the world. It is now clear that mountain running is recognized as a modern and precious part of athletics which helps improve the athletesΆ performances in all endurance races. However, “mountain running is mountain running” and it should not be confused with trail running, sky running, snowshoe running, skyscrapers ascent or other similar activities with different names. It is important to distinguish mountain running from these other activities. Trail is an attractive and important movement that will probably become more popular in the future around the world but it is running or walking by persons of all the ages on track of different distances and surfaces (path, grass, sand, rocks, and so on), but trail running is not mountain running! Sky running is an interesting commercial activity where participants can win large amounts of money. Some competitors are ex-international mountain runners who, at the end of their international athletic mountain running career, start in this event with the intention of winning money. The people that normally practice sky running are usually older runners with the exception of a few younger top runners who have not come from traditional mountain running. Sky running attracts media coverage due to the fact that participants walk or run on the top of the mountains at high altitude and sometimes competing in close to extreme conditions, but sky running is not mountain running!

Mountain running – at the moment – takes place in spring and summer not in winter in the snow. Snowshoe running is not mountain running! Skyscrapers ascent is a “commercial show,” everyone understands that a skyscraper is not a mountain! Once again this activity can be useful for an athlete to win some money and of course money is important but the purist athletes that really have a passion for the sport of mountain running donΆt use their energy and enthusiasm for this kind of activity, instead, they prefer to compete in organized mountain races. Money cannot change skyscrapers into mountains! Skyscrapers ascent running is not mountain running! Of course, WMRA is not against the fact that athletes receive prize money in mountain running competition but what must be clear is that the LOC, media and, above of all, sponsors understand that mountain running is an athletic discipline not to be confused with these other activities. Having a clear definition of mountain running makes it easier to approach sponsors and to improve opportunities to attract money into our sport for competitors. Also, I believe that athletes can help this situation by choosing mountain running and not being present in events that are not athletics, not mountain running! Mountain Running has clear characteristics: it is, first of all, running in the mountain on clear, fixed and marked tracks with parameters that are very clear. It is not about survival, not an extreme activity; mountain runners donΆtneed special support or equipment, runners cannot drink or have assistance along the full track but only under clearly defined conditions; mountain running is not a dangerous sport; the distance of the races are fixed; the track race is clearly signed and marked and the athletes do not choose their own route on the track.

This is mountain running, an official part of athletics! Mountain running respects nature and the environment that the runner competes in. Our sport helps us to understand the conditions in the mountains and to live in harmony with them. Finally, in our sport of mountain running there is doping control: this is another very important difference from many of the other running activities I have mentioned. Mountain running tries to attract young athletes as one of its main goals but also understands that the Masters is an important movement and WMRA is very well linked with WMA. Finally – and this isvery, very important too - WMRA races try to encourage the participation of athletes who are also able to run in cross country, in the marathon, in 10km races or steeplechase races.

Mountain running is recognized as a true test of endurance, ability, skills and wise preparation and to many athletes it is considered to be the best practice to excel in all types of distance races. There have been many athletes who have been champion mountain runners and also champions in athletics in general. Gelindo Bordin, of Italy, is one such athlete who as well as being a top class mountain runner won the marathon race at the Seoul Olympics in 1988 and also the Boston Marathon.

The World Mountain Running Association has worked solidly for thirty years in order to achieve important results for our sport. The WMRA has excellent relationships with IAAF and all the Area Continental Athletic Associations and valuable contact with many National Athletic Federations. The WMRA stage an annual World Mountain Running Championships and also organize a full mountain running Calendar every year. The WMRA are always ready to introduce a new kind of event into our sport and at the moment council members are looking into the possibility of introducing a world relay event into the calendar, possibly in 2013.

These outcomes are the consequence of the enthusiasm and passion of a group of people (WMRA Council members and a lot of people around the world), who work for free, without receiving any financial gain! It is important to remember this aspect! The WMRA budget is only a very small budget but at the heart of mountain running are these dedicated people who support the wonderful values and principles of our sport! What then is the future of mountain running and the WMRA? One possibility is that the discipline of mountain running could eventually become fully integrated into the body of the IAAF and an IAAF Mountain Running Committee would be created. The WMRA Council would of course be fully supportive of this course of action and would cease to exist from this point onwards. However, until the timing is right for these circumstances the WMRA will continue to carry on as normal counting on the full backing of the IAAF, Area Continental Athletic Associations and each National Athletic Federations. The WMRA expresses its gratitude to the IAAF and its associated bodies for this support.

One thing is clear: mountain running is a sport that goes on developing, getting more popular and stronger every year. I would like to thank everyone for their hard work, the officials and race organizers, the coaches and the athletes. I know that everyone who is involved in mountain running has a passion and love for our sport! This is very important for WMRA and for mountain running!

The WMRA cannot predict what will happen to its organization in the future but certainly the WMRA President and Council members are ready to do their best! And there is no question about the future of mountain running - our beautiful sport is here to stay!

Bruno Gozzelino (President WMRA)