Mountain running is a
sports discipline which takes place mainly
off-road in mountainous terrain, but if there is significant elevation gain on the route, surfaced roads may be used. In this it differs from
fell running; its courses are more clearly marked and avoid dangerous sections.
It is a form of
trail running if it is run on unpaved surfaces. Mountain running is a combination of running,
jogging, and walking, depending on how steep the trail is.
It is recognized by
World Athletics
World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations and formerly abbreviated as the IAAF, is the international sports governing body, governing body for the sport ...
and governed by the
World Mountain Running Association, which has been organising
world championships since 1985.
What is Mountain Running?
The
World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) is the global governing body of mountain running. For World Athletics purposes, mountain running takes place on terrain that is mainly
off-road, but if there is significant elevation gain on the route, surfaced roads may be used. Courses involve considerable amounts of ascent (for mainly uphill races), or both ascent and descent (for up and down races with the start and finish at similar heights). The average incline is normally between five and twenty percent. Courses are clearly marked and should avoid dangerous sections.
World Championships
The
WMRA co-organises a bi-annual world championships called the
World Mountain and Trail Running Championships and was first held in
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai, sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the List of municipalities in Thailand#Largest cities by urban population, second largest city in Thailan ...
,
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
in 2022. Until 2019, there was a standalone
World Mountain Running Championships, also known for a time as the World Mountain Running Trophy; the
World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships was discontinued in 2019 after the adoption of the new combined event.
Mountain Running World Cup
The World Mountain Running Association runs an annual World Cup competition, which pulls together the best athletes in a series of the biggest and most prominent races in the sport. The
Valsir Mountain Running World Cup usually takes place between July and October predominantly in Continental Europe. The series encompasses a variety of races in categories including; Classic (Up & Down), Vertical (Steep Uphill > 20%) and Long Distance Mountain Running with there usually being at least 3 races making up each category.
See also
*
Cross country running
*
Fastpacking
*
Mountain biking
*
Skyrunning
References
External links
World Mountain Running Associationofficial website
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