The Berglaufteam Sparkasse Bludenz, the first meeting in the 2014 Mountain Running World Cup series, will welcome a world-class field on 8 June.The hopes of the host nation will be carried by European mountain running champion Andrea Mayr. The talented all-rounder, who has represented her country in the marathon at the Olympic Games and in the steeplechase at the IAAF World Championships, has this year won national titles in both the 10,000m on the track and 10km on the roads.On home soil in Bludenz this weekend she will face the two other medallists from last year’s European Mountain Running Championships, Italy’s Valentina Belotti and Slovenia’s Mateja Kosovelj.Also in the field are Italy’s 2011 European mountain running silver medallist Antonella Confortola, Britain’s 2008 European mountain running bronze medallist Sarah Tunstall, Kenya’s Veronica Maina and Austria’s Sabine Reiner.In the men’s race, European mountain running silver medallist Alex Baldaccini is among the favourites. He will face Switzerland’s David Schneider, twice a top-10 finisher at the European Mountain Running Championships, and Slovenia’s Mitja Kosovelj.Other contenders include Italy’s Emanuele Manzi, Hungary’s Adam Kovacs and Kenya’s Hirum Wandangi.This year’s race in the Austrian town will be held on a demanding 8.4km course which will peak at an altitude of 1160m. The race begins on the roads of Bludenz, before heading on to forest roads and woodland paths.The winner will be decided on the final steep alpine paths where an ascent of 380m will have to be overcome within less than two kilometres. If the weather forecast is correct, all finishers will be awarded at the finish on the ‘Fraßenhütte’ with a marvellous mountain panorama.Organisers for the IAAF

The Berglaufteam Sparkasse Bludenz, the first meeting in the 2014 Mountain Running World Cup series, will welcome a world-class field on 8 June.

Mayr carries Austrian hopes at Mountain Running World Cup opener in Bludenz

Mitjia Kosovelj and Antonella Confortola dominated the 10th edition of the WMRA World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge in Szklarska Poreba, Poland, while Italy took the team titles in both the men’s and women’s races.Athletes from 16 different nations were present at the event and half of them went home with at least one medal.In the men’s race, Kosovelj and Romania’s Jonut Zinca ran together for the first two thirds of the race. But Zinca faded over the last 10km, allowing Kosovelj to run away with the victory in 3:07:36.Andrew Davies of Wales moved steadily through the field, going from 15th at 12km to ninth at half way before passing Zinca just a few hundred metres from the finish line, taking the silver medal. Davies clocked 3:13:39 with Zinca taking bronze in 3:14:00.More than a minute behind the medallists, Italy’s Emauele Manzi finished fourth in 3:16:01, just five seconds ahead of USA’s Zac Freudenburg. The host nation’s best runner, Marcin Swierc, finished ninth in 3:21:10.Manzi and team-mates Tommaso Vaccina and Massimiliano Zanaboni all finished in the top 14, securing the team gold medal for Italy. The Czech Republic took silver ahead of Wales.The women’s race was dominated by Italian athletes. The trio of Ivana Iozzia, Antonella Confortola and Ornella Ferrara led for most of the way, until Iozzia began to struggle over the final 10km, eventually fading to eighth position.Confortola went on to win in 3:44:51, finishing almost four minutes ahead of Ferrara (3:48:41). The biggest surprise was Poland’s Anna Celinska, who came through to take bronze in 3:51:21, much to the delight of the home crowd.As was the case in the men’s race, Italy took the team honours in the women’s race. Scotland took silver ahead of neighbours England.WMRA for the IAAF

Dominant wins from Kosovelj and Confortola at WMRA Long Distance Challenge

Mitjia Kosovelj and Antonella Confortola dominated the 10th edition of the WMRA World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge in Szklarska Poreba, Poland, while Italy took the team titles in both the men’s and women’s races.