World Masters Mountain Running Championships

Bludenz attracts large entry and past World (senior)champions

4th World Masters Mountain Running Championships
(WMA & WMRA)

Entries for this years championships in Bludenz/Nuziders (Austria), was the second highest to date, falling just short of the 1000 mark at 985.
The event was blessed with fine weather and staged with great professionalism by the local club ‘Union Berglauf team Sparkasse Bludenz’ led by chairman Hubert Rodhammer.

Defending champions proved hard to dislodge from their titles.
Simon Gutierrez (USA-M40) retained his by holding off multiple world and European title holders of the past, Antonio Molinari (ITA) and Helmut Schmuck, winning by just 14 seconds.
Albert Anderegg (SUI-M60) sped off at high speed never to be caught and winning by the large margin of 3 minutes 2 seconds. I looks like he may chalk up a hat trick of victories next year.

Four of the eight womens categories saw titles retained.
Marie H-Duventaster (W45-GER) was another convincing winner by almost three minutes; Paula Blanka W50-CZE) won by two and a half minutes; Barbel Berghaus (W65-GER) won by four and a half minutes; and with just two entrants for the W70+ Maria Marcibalova (SVK) was one hour four minutes (!) in front of the oldest person to enter, Xenia Nicolaev (MDA) who was born in 1927.

There was a satisfying share out of medals with Germany again taking most gold (4).
Also on the podium with medal winners were Scotland, England, Austria, Holland, Switzerland, USA, Italy, Ireland, France, Czech Republic, Columbia, and Slovakia.

The event also attracted past champions, and World Trophy medallists.
Tracy Brindley (W35-SCO) , 2005 World silver, won her class and Rueda Opplinger Fabiola (W40-SUI) 1987-8 World gold, was placed second in her class.

The course was 9.2km long climbing the Muttersberg mountain with a height difference of 818m.
The fastest time of the day was recorded by Simon Gutierrez M40) with 42.50
And the fastest woman was Marie H-Duventaster (W45) with 49.58

Sadly, the planned visit of Cesare Beccalli, president of the World Masters Association, was unable to take place due to illness and we wish him a speedy recovery.

Full results and photographs are available on the event web page via the link on www.wmra.info

The 5th edition of the Masters Championships will take place in Czech Republic on September