2019 Athlete of the Year � nominations

2019 Athlete of the Year – nominations. As in previous years we are continuing with the Athletes of the Year process. Year 2019 was a very exciting and at the same time very busy year for the sport of ultrarunning. It was the first time in 35 years of IAU history when we had six championships held in all regions.


The first of the six international competitions was the IAU Trail World Championship, which took place on 8 June in Miranghado Corvo, Portugal.

On 27 July the second IAU 100km Americas Championships took place in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The event, which saw South America’s first hosting of an international ultra-distance championship.

The IAU 50km World Championships took place on 1 September in Braşov, Romania, the first time the event has been held in Europe.

On 26 October the IAU 24H World Championships in Albi, France witnesses a World Best Performance and several National Best Performances.

On 23 November the IAU 100km Asia and Oceana Championship took place in Aqaba, Jordan – the IAU’s first continental championship in the region.

The final major race on the IAU calendar this year was the IAU 50km Africa Championship, on 7 December in Sagamu, Nigeria. The event was the first such championship hosted by the African continent.

We witnessed outstanding performances during those races.

As in previous years we are continuing with the Athletes of the Year process. We are pleased to provide the list of automatic qualifiers based on podium finishers in Major IAU Competitions and WBPs. Due to the fact that we have 36 automatic qualifiers already we are open the nomination for 4 remaining sports.

List of automatic qualifiers

Women (alphabetic order):

Nele Alder-Baerens (GER) 254.288 km – 2nd IAU 24H World Championship
Sheila Avilés (ESP) 4:15:03 – 3rd IAU Trail Championship
Konoka Azumi (JPN) 9:03:22 – 3rd IAU 100 km Asia & Oceania Championship
Patrycja Bereznowska (POL) 247.723 km – 3rd IAU 24H World Championship
Helen Cristina Caldera Deluque (BRA) 9:02:15 – 1st IAU 100 km Americas Championship
Ruth Croft (NZL) 4:14:27 – 2nd IAU Trail Championship
Helen Davies (GBR) - 03:09:16 – 2nd IAU 50 km World Championship
Alyson Dixon (GBR) - 03:07:20* – 1st IAU 50 km World Championship
Mai Fujisawa (JPN) 8:20:44 – 1st IAU 100 km Asia & Oceania Championship
Amelia Griffith (AUS) 8:57:02 – 2nd IAU 100 km Asia & Oceania Championship
Camile Herron (USA) 270.116 km* – 1st IAU 24H World Championship
Scheffer Leilani (RSA) 3:48:01 – 3rd IAU 50 km African Championship
Blandine L’Hirondel (FRA) 4:06:15 – 1st IAU Trail Championship
Elisabeth Nuhu Power (NGR) 3:47:39 – 2nd IAU 50 km African Championship
Alicia Perez (ESP) - 03:15:09 – 3rd IAU 50 km World Championship
Gabriela Ramirez (MEX) 9:21:04 – 3rd IAU 100 km Americas Championship
Claudia Robles (ARG) 9:04:17 – 2nd IAU 100 km Americas Championship
Mbanjwa Sanelisiswe (RSA) 3:34:05 – 1st IAU 50 km African Championship

* World Best Performance under ratification process

Men (alphabetic order):

Jonathan Albon (GBR) 03:35:34 – 1st IAU Trail Championship
Iraitz Arrospide (ESP) - 02:47:42 – 1st IAU 50 km World Championship
Deepak Vasudev Bandbe (IND) 8:04:16 – 3rd IAU 100 km Asia & Oceania Championship
Tamas Bodis (HUN) 276.222 km – 2nd IAU 24H World Championship
Eduardo Silverio Calixto (BRA) 7:46:14 – 3rd IAU 100 km Americas Championship
Felipe Costa da Silva (BRA) 7:11:41 – 1st IAU 100 km Americas Championship
Brendan Davies (AUS) 7:49:16 – 2nd IAU 100 km Asia & Oceania Championship
Lungile Gongqa (RSA) - 02:48:26 – 2nd IAU 50 km World Championship
Olivier Leblond (USA) 275.485 km – 3rd IAU 24H World Championship
Christian Mathys (SUI) 3:40:34 – 3rd IAU Trail Championship
Pedro Agustín Moran Salas (ARG) 7:38:32 – 2nd IAU 100 km Americas Championship
Daniel Nash (GBR) - 02:49:01 – 3rd IAU 50 km World Championship
Iliya Pam Mwa (NGR) 3:12:39 – 3rd IAU 50 km African Championship
Mutirwa Prosper (ZIM) 3:05:25 – 2nd IAU 50 km African Championship
Julien Rancon (FRA) 3:37:47 – 2nd IAU Trail Championship
Aleksandr Sorokin (LTH) 278.972 km – 1st IAU 24H World Championship
Mbolekwa Thobile (RSA) 3:00:02 – 1st IAU 50 km African Championship
Hideaki Yamauchi (JPN) 7:11:42 – 1st IAU 100 km Asia & Oceania Championship

Nomination process:

A total of at most 40 (forty) athletes (men and women athletes) will make the final nomination list (the number will only be increased under excruciating circumstances, on discussion of the IAU Executive Council).

The top three (3) runners (men and women) at the major IAU competitions (MIAUCs) which includes six above mentioned Championships will automatically get nominated to the list (list provided above).

The remaining spots on the nomination list will be open for recommendations to the general audience. Only runners running IAU Labeled events will be taken into consideration. Please send your nominations via email for available spots no later than February 4th 2020 to:

· Jacek.Bedkowski@iau-ultramarathon.org
· Nadeem.Khan@iau-ultramarathon.org

The nominees receiving the most nominations will fill the spots. Once the nominees have been compiled, the final list will be published no later than February 10th so the Athletes can be moved on to, the voting stage of this process.

Voting process:

The voting will only be open to the IAU Executive Council and the Member Federations which each holding one (1) applicable vote.

Each voting individual has to vote for their top three (3) choices for men and for women.

1st Choice: 5 points

2nd Choice: 3 points

3rd Choice: 1 point

The votes will be compiled at the end and the runner (male and female) with the most votes will win the individual Athletes of the Year titles.

After the final list of all nominees will be published (no later than February 10th) each IAU Executive Council Member and Member Federation can send their votes to:

Jacek Bedkowski at Jacek.Bedkowski@iau-ultramarathon.org and Nadeem Khan at Nadeem.Khan@iau-ultramarathon.org

Dates for the voting and selection process:

February 11th

A list of nominated athletes, who made the short list, will be forwarded to the IAU Executive Council and IAU Member Federations.

February 25th

Voting stops from the Executive Council and Member Federations.

March 5th

IAU Executive Council will confirm the Athlete of the Year 2019

Jacek Bedkowski

IAU Director of Communication

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