Mountain run
The mountain run is a running competition with large differences in altitude. Typically a mountain or a prominent height is the goal of the run or is reached by the run as an intermediate station. The route often runs on paths and mountain paths (see trail run ), sometimes also on the road.
Definitions and different forms
There is no single definition of a mountain run. The shape of the mountain runs mostly depends heavily on geographic conditions and regional habits.
A decade-old dispute among mountain runners revolves around the question of whether a mountain run should be carried out as an uphill run with start in the valley and finish on the mountain, or as an uphill-downhill run with start and finish in the valley. Internationally, Italians and British have traditionally been in favor of runs with downhill stretches, while Switzerland, Austria and Germany prefer straight uphill stretches.
For the Mountain Running World and European Mountain Running Championships , a compromise was found: In alternate years, the championships are alternately aligned on a pure uphill route and a year later on an uphill downhill route.
Mountain runs are offered over different distances, height differences and on different surfaces. This is why one speaks of a mountain marathon (length 42.195 km and an altitude difference of at least 1000 m), ultra-uphill running (length over 42.195 km; altitude difference at least 2000 m) or a road mountain run ( road run on a mountain). For a German championship in mountain running, there should be a difference in altitude of at least 800 m from the start in the valley to the finish on the mountain.
In the UK, it is not uncommon to post mountain runs with no trail connection. When running on the Ben Nevis ( Scotland , 1345 m), for example, it is up to the runners for large parts of the route to find their own way to the summit. As long as they can cope with the ground, they can then run cross-country , similar to a cross-country run or orienteering .
In Germany, mountain runs are usually offered as fun runs.
Health aspects
Mountain running, like all running sport, has numerous positive effects on the cardiovascular system and the musculoskeletal system. Running uphill, in particular, promotes conditional elements with little stress on bones and joints. In alpine heights and in poor road conditions, surefootedness and a good level of training are prerequisites for a mountain run.
Downhill running is controversial. His opponents point out the heavy loads on the joints and eccentric muscle loads. Proponents argue that trained top athletes can cope with these stresses and that the susceptibility to injury in practice is not as great as is often predicted.
Hypothermia and exhaustion led to the deaths of two mountain runners and several injured during the Zugspitz extreme mountain run in summer 2008 . Reinhold Messner then called for such races to be banned. Critics from the active mountain running scene accuse him of having too little background knowledge about this sport, others argue for more rigorous regulations and performance-oriented thinning of the too large and therefore often inexperienced starter field of around 600 participants in the very difficult Zugspitze Run. Enormous time differences between top runners (finish about two hours) and the "hobby runners" who finished the field (about five hours), caused by prolonged walking due to exhaustion (which leads to a strong cooling of the previously overheated body) provoked sudden changes in the weather, as it does even in midsummer Snowfalls are not uncommon, life threatening situations. Qualification criteria such as proof of start at other difficult mountain running events and / or a time limit at intermediate stations are more sensible.
Mountain running in the Alps
The most famous European mountain runs take place in the Alps. The most important races include the stations of the international mountain running Grand Prix of the WMRA (World Mountain Running Association), which is held annually as a series of four to six competitions.
Germany
- Allgäu Panorama Marathon ( Sonthofen )
- Oberstaufen Alpine Marathon (2003-2010)
- Blomberglauf
- Gaißacher mountain run
- Hochfelln mountain run
- Hochgrat mountain run
- Jenner Mountain Run
- Kampenwandlauf
- Karwendel mountain run
- Nebelhornlauf
- Osterfelder mountain run
- Stampfl mountain run (season opener in the foothills of the Alps)
- Stoißeralm mountain run
- Tegelberg Run
- Wallberglauf (2004-2015)
- Zugspitze extreme mountain run (2000-2013)
- Heimgartenlauf
France
Italy
- Mountain run Mölten
- Brixen Dolomites Marathon
- Drei-Zinnen-Lauf
- Stelvio marathon
- Szczecin Cup
Liechtenstein
Austria
- Mountain marathon "Around the Traunsee" - Gmunden
- Dolomitenmann - Lienz
- Erzberg run - iron ore
- Feuerkogel Mountain Run - Ebensee
- Gamshütten run - Finkenberg
- Gislauf - Linz
- Grossglockner pass - Heiligenblut at Grossglockner
- Kainach mountain marathon
- Kaisermarathon - Kitzbühel
- Katschberg pass - Rennweg
- Kaunertal Mountain Run ( Kaunertal )
- Kitzbüheler Horn mountain road race
- Kolsassberg Run - Kolsassberg
- Montafon-Arlberg Marathon
- Mozart 100
- Schlickeralmlauf - Telfes im Stubai
- Schneeberglauf - Puchberg am Schneeberg
- Silvretta Ferwall Marathon
- Spartan Race Beast - Oberndorf
- Widderstein run in Kleinwalsertal
- Pitztal Glacier Trail Maniak - Pitztal
Switzerland
- 5-day mountain running cup Zürcher Oberland
- Aigle-Ai-Leysin mountain run
- Aletsch half marathon
- Alpine marathon
- Amden mountain run
- Arosa-Weisshorn
- Cressier-Chaumont
- One-day Mountain Running Cup Zürcher Oberland
- Glacier 3000 run
- Gamperney mountain run
- Graubünden marathon
- Grenchen mountain run
- Grindelwald-Männlichen: Panorama mountain race
- Illgau-Spirstock
- Jungfrau Marathon
- Kreuzegg Classic
- Matterhorn run
- Montreux-Les Rochers-de-Naye
- Mountainman
- Napf marathon
- Ovronnaz-Cabane Rambert
- Rigi mountain run
- Rodi tremorgio
- Rütli oath memorial run
- Rugghubel mountain run
- Schattdorf-Butzboden
- Schilthorn Inferno Lauterbrunnen
- Sierre-Zinal
- Swiss Alpine Marathon
- Swiss Irontrail
- Trophée des Combins
- Vacallo-Alpe Cavazza (Bisbino)
- Zermatt marathon
Slovenia
- Grintovec mountain run
Mountain runs in Germany (outside the Alps)
Mountain runs also take place in some German low mountain ranges, of which z. B. the Black Forest and the Harz have significant differences in altitude. There are also some popular mountain runs in Rhineland-Palatinate, which are summarized in the Palatinate Mountain Run Cup series .
Palatinate:
Black Forest:
- Brandenkopf mountain run, Zell-Unterharmersbach
- Felsenweg mountain run, Kappelrodeck
- Hochblauen mountain run, Müllheim
- Hundseck mountain run, Bühlertal
- Kandel mountain run, Waldkirch
- Laufbach mountain run, run
- Moosenmättle mountain run, Wolfach
- Schauinsland mountain run, Freiburg
- Teufelslauf, Bad Herrenalb - Dobel
- Dead Man Mountain Run, Oberried
Ore Mountains:
- Fichtelberglauf , Sehmatal-Neudorf
Resin:
- Brockenlauf with Ilsesteinlauf, Ilsenburg
- Harz mountain run with Brocken marathon, Wernigerode
- Wernigerode Armeleuteberglauf
- Wernigerode New Year's Eve Run
Siebengebirge:
- Dragon run , Koenigswinter
- Löwenburglauf, Bad Honnef
- Rheinhöhenlauf, Vettelschoss
- Siebengebirgsmarathon , Bad Honnef
Other:
- The Swabian Alb Marathon , Schwäbisch Gmünd
- Hercules mountain run from Kassel - Bad Wilhelmshöhe to Hercules (Kassel)
- Hermannslauf from Hermannsdenkmal to Bielefelder Sparrenburg
- Hohenneuffen mountain run , Beuren
- Kyffhäuser mountain run with Kyffhäuser mountain marathon, Bad Frankenhausen
- Malberglauf, Hausen (Wied)
Spain
Stage race
There are now stage races in this sport . Probably the best known is the Transalpine Run , which leads over the Alps in eight stages. In these eight days, the starters, who start in teams of two, overcome almost 300 km and 20,000 meters in altitude (in the ascent). There is also the Transrockiesrun , which is the counterpart in the American Rocky Mountains .
World championships
The results were taken from the World Mountain Running Association results page.
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Women
♦ Elisa Desco won the race in 2009, but was then disqualified because her blood sample showed erythropoietin (EPO).
Men
World championships long distance
The results were taken from the World Mountain Running Association results page.
Women
Men
♦♦ Petro Mamu won the race in 2017, but was subsequently disqualified because a prohibited asthma drug was found in his blood sample.
Outstanding athletes
- The Austrian Andrea Mayr has been world champion six times and vice world champion twice. This is all the more remarkable as she also ranks among the national and international elite on other distances (10 kilometers, half marathon, marathon) as well as in other disciplines (ski mountaineering, duathlon).
- New Zealander Jonathan Wyatt is considered the dominant mountain runner of the last decade. He was five times world champion, won almost all well-known mountain races and is the owner of numerous course records.
- The Spaniard Kilian Jornet emerged as the overall winner of the Buff SkyRunner World Series of the Federation for Sport at Altitude (FSA) in 2007 with victory in four of seven races and in 2008 with victory in three of six races . He was the first runner to win the UTMB three times (2008, 2009 and 2011).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Focus: Death from hypothermia
- ↑ Focus: Mountaineer wants to get rid of extreme runs
- ↑ Zugspitzlauf
- ↑ Running - Murnau Ski Club. Retrieved on May 12, 2020 (German).
- ↑ Results page of the World Mountain Running Association
- ↑ Focus : Mountain running world champion Desco banned for doping . February 16, 2011
- ↑ Results page of the World Mountain Running Association
- ↑ Long distance mountain running world champion Petro Mamu convicted of a prohibited asthma drug .