Monaco, December 28, 2020: Chiang Mai, Thailand will host the inaugural World Mountain and Trail Running Championships on November 11-14, 2021, the World Mountain Running Association has announced.
It will feature 40km and 80km trail races, classic mountain races for seniors and juniors and a vertical uphill race.
Situated 700 km north of Bangkok, on the banks of the Ping River, Chiang Mai offers the unforgettable scenery of the most beautiful and the largest tourist spot in the northern part of Thailand. The mountainous surroundings and the city’s growing reputation for outdoors mass sporting events make it the perfect place to host the first-ever combined World Championships.
This new biennial event further develops the partnership between the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA), the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) and the International Trail Running Association (ITRA), with support from World Athletics.
The Minister of Tourism and Sport of Thailand, Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, said: “We are looking forward to being able to host athletes and countries from all over the world for what we believe will be a special event that will showcase the best of Chiang Mai and mountain and trail running. I would like to thank you for giving us this opportunity to host such a new and exciting world class event."
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: “That versatility and range of opportunities are one of running’s great attractions and we encourage runners of all kinds to explore everything our sport has to offer."
The event schedule will be:
November 12: 40km trail race, followed by vertical uphill races in the evening.
November 13: 80km trail race.
November 14: Classic up and down mountain races for seniors and juniors
Plus mass participation events, expo and running clinics.
Race-Distance-Ascent-Descent:
Vertical uphill: 3-6 km, 1,000m
Classic up and down senior: 10-12 km, 500-700m, 500-700m
Classic up and down junior: 5-6 km, 250-350m, 250-350m
Short trail senior: 35-45 km, ITRA factor 45-74
Long trail senior: 75-85 km, ITRA factor 115-154.
Source: http://www.wmra.info
