South American Mountain Running Championships

The 1st CONSUDATLE Mountain Running Championships was held on last 19th August 2006, in Tunja (Colombia).

CONSUDATLE is the third IAAF Area Association to organise its Mountain Running Championship bsides EAA and NACAC who already organise their Area Continental Mountain Running Championships. This is an important development for the mountain running discipline and also for athletics in general.
Athletes from four South America Nations, that is Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela were present.
Both categories, women and men, ran the same track over a distance of 9 km. The start line was at the altitude of 2.581 m. and the finish of race was at 2.960 m. The highest point in the race was at the 6km. where the athletes ran at 3.100 m. altitude. The temperature of the day was about 24° C with humidity about 60%.
In the women race Stella Castro won the continental title run in 40 minutes and 21 seconds; Johana Riverso was silver medallist finished 1 minute and 12 second behind the winner and Ana Joaquina Rondon was bronze medallist (time 42 minutes and 35 second). Colombians filled the medal positions. Four Venezuelan runners (Cruz Salazar, Rosa Mendez, Josefa Roa, Tania Pacheco, in the order) finished in the position among fifth and eight whilst Brazilian Luzia Alvizio da Silva finished ninth (time 53.19).
In the mens race first two positions were Colombian runners but a Brazilian runner was the bronze medallist. The continental title and the gold medal was won by Jacinto Lopez who run in 32 minutes and 56 second; behind him Jhon Jairo Vargas was second with the time of 34 minutes and 31 second while Gladson Alberto Silva finished third just 16 second behind. Other Colombian, Brazilian, Venezuelan and Argentinean athletes ran in the competition. Full result can be read on webpage of Athletics Colombian Federation.
WMRA congratulated CONSUDATLE (its President Roberto Gesta De Melo and the CONSUDATLE Commission for road running, cross-country and mountain running of which Marcos Oviedo (Venezuela) is the Chairman and other important Officials of athletics in South America are members) and the Athletic Colombian Federation for the organisation of this competition, waiting for information about the 2nd CONSUDATLE Mountain Running Championships 2007. Finally WMRA hopes also that the 22nd World Mountain Running Trophy 2006, scheduled on 10th September 2006 in Turkey (Bursa) will see some South American Athletics Federations entrants.