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WORLD MOUNTAIN RUNNING ASSOCIATION

Italian Tommaso Vaccina and Swiss Martina Straehl are WMRA World Long Distance Champion 2015.

05/07/2015

In Zermatt, Switzerland, a record 22 countries participated in the 12th World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships with five countries earning medals: for the first time the competition was also Championships for individuale and not only for team (in the past year s the same event in fact was called Challenge).
Italian Tommaso Vaccina and Swiss Martina Straehl are World Long Distance Champion 2015 and in the team Italy for men and Switzerland for women are the World Long Distance Champion 2015.

Italy wom medal table with five medals: 2 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze. Hosting Country switzerland was second with 2 gold. The USA third with 2 silver and 1 bronze medals. France took 1 silver medal and Kenya 1 bronze.”

In the men race, the first part of the competition saw as leaders Kenyan Francis Maina Ngare and American Andy Wacker, but in the second part of the race Italian Tommaso Vaccina (who finished sixth last year at the same competition in Colorado, USA) crossed over the two runners for winning the world title after 3 hours 1 minute and 51 seconds. Exactly two minute later, finished his race USA Andy Wacker, keeping silver medal: he last year was third in the same competition. Thanking a strong final, bronze medal was gained from another Italian. Francesco Puppi, who scored time 3h04,14. Fourth a Bulgarian Mustafa Shaban Aliosman (time 3h07:12), fifth Italian Massimo Mei (time 3h07:55), sisxth Slovenian Mitja Kosovelj (one of the favorite with time of 3h08.54).
Italy won also the world long distance team title, having placed three athletes in the top five to take gold with champion Tommaso Vaccina, third-place Francesco Puppi and Massimo Mei:total time was 9hours 14 minutes and 1 seconds. Team USA, led by silver medalist Andy Wacker, who posted a time of 3:03:51, also earned the silver team medal with a total time of 9 hours 45 minutes and 22 second. Team Kenyan, looking solid early in the race, faded as the climbs began, but still managed to score the bronze medal: total time for Kenya team was 9 hours 53 minutes and 30 seconds. 12 complete men’s&nbsp,teams are in the result.&nbsp,
In the women race, Swiss Martina Straehli confirm the fact that she was a favorite. She became World Long Distance Champion 2015 running a wondeful race and finishing scored time of 3 hours 21 minutes and 38 seconds. Second at the finish was more than eight minutes latwer, French&nbsp, Aline Camboulives who cllocked 3h29:45. Third was Italian Catherine Bertone, who run in the time of 3h33:56. USA Stevie Kremer arrived in fourth position with time of 3h35:38.
As other two Swiss runners, Daniela Gassmann Bahr and Jasmin Nunige finished fifth and sixth, Switzerland took World long distance title in the women team: the host country dominated with four athletes in the top ten and a total time of 10 hours 37 minutes and 29 seconds.&nbsp,Catherine Bertone led Italy to a silver medal team finish posting a time of 3:33:56, and a total time for Italy of 10 hours 56 minutes and 58 seconds.&nbsp,The U.S. women, led by fourth-place finisher Stevie Kremer took the bronze with a total time of 11 hours 13 minutes and 23 seconds.
The temperatures, like the altitude, increased through the day making hydration and fueling even more important for the nearly 2000 runners who took part in the Championships (a total of 48 women and 55 men representing 22 countries), and the associated events which included an open marathon, half marathon, ultra and marathon relay.
At the 8:30 a.m. race time, temperatures hovered in the upper 20&deg, under a cloudless sky in St. Niklaus located at an elevation of 1.116 meters. The course wound up the valley through the town of Zermatt, elevation 1.616 meters, which marked the halfway point in the race. When the first runners came through Zermatt, the temperatures were already reaching the 30&deg,. After a total ascent of 1944 meters, and 444 meters of descent, competitors arrived at the finish line at Riffelberg, elevation 2585 meters.

full results are available at the following link:
men:
http://services.datasport.com/2015/lauf/zermattmarathon/RANG201.HTM
women:
http://services.datasport.com/2015/lauf/zermattmarathon/RANG202.HTM
team men:
http://services.datasport.com/2015/lauf/zermattmarathon/RANG203.HTM
team women:
http://services.datasport.com/2015/lauf/zermattmarathon/RANG204.HTM

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Edited from Bruno Gozzelino (WMRA)

Source of the pictures&nbsp,Tomo Sarf and Nancy Hobbs (WMRA)
on front page:
– Italian Tommaso Vaccina,
on second page:
– podium individual men,
– Swiss Martina Straehl,
– podium individual women.

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