Preparations are well underway for the inaugural World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (WMTRC), to be held in Chiang Mai from November 3-6.
The Championships was originally planned to be held last year in Chiang Mai but postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Thailand was granted the opportunity to organize the event by WMTRC partnership, composed of the international associations for mountain running (World Mountain Running Association), ultra-marathon (International Association of Ultrarunners) and trail running (International Trail Running Association), with the coordination of World Athletics, the global governing body for the sport of athletics – which mountain and trail running is a part of.
After thirty- seven years of Mountain Running World Championships, with the first edition in 1985, and fifteen years of Trail Running World Championships, with the first edition in 2007, this is the first ever global world event joining together all the disciplines of off-road running.
Mountain and trail running are exciting and growing areas of athletics, so we are delighted to be collaborating with the World Mountain Running Association, International Association of Ultrarunners, and the International Trail Running Association on the staging of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai. This is the first time that the three associations have joined forces to stage the championships under the umbrella of World Athletics. I know a lot of time and effort has gone into the route design and organisation of the event, so we are looking forward to an exciting and successful championship
Sebastian Coe, World Athletics President
The Thai government has been giving full support in bringing this event to Chiang Mai. It means a lot to Thailand to be the host country of the first ever World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. Due to the global situation, getting where we are now hasn’t been without its challenges, but we are committed to delivering a world-class event for everyone and will not disappoint.
Phiphat Ratchakitprakan, Minister of Tourism and Sports of Thailand
Meanwhile, Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Deputy Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), who is also the Secretary General of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), said the official name of the event will be “Amazing Thailand World Mountain and Trail Running Championships” since the wording ‘’Amazing Thailand” has always been associated with sport events in Thailand.
According to Kobkiat Sangwanich, Assistant General Secretary of the LOC, who is also the Race Director, Invitations for the championships have been sent to all World Athletics affiliated national associations.
All affiliated countries have to submit their entry form by number to the LOC by the end of June, and before the end of September their entry form by name must be submitted. Forty one countries have already submitted the entry form for their teams and more are expected in the next month.
Kobkiat Sangwanich, Assistant General Secretary of the LOC, Race Director
About 2,000–3,000 athletes from all over the world are expected to compete in the race weekend, which encompasses championships races as well as mass participation events. Each country is allowed to field a maximum of 50 athletes for all events featured in the championships namely – long trail 80km and short trail 40km for trail running and classic uphill, classic up and down and junior classic up and down for mountain running.
Jacek Bedkowski
On behalf of the WMTR Championships organisation
IAU Director of Communication
May 2nd, 2022
